Can Home Depot Paint Match? Methods, Accuracy & FAQ

As the biggest do-it-yourself home improvement retailer in the United States, The Home Depot (more simply called, Home Depot) has a reputation to maintain. Painting walls, furniture, and anything else you can think of make up a huge bulk of DIY projects—and sometimes, you need a specific color for the task at hand.

If that’s true for you, you might be wondering where you can get more of the exact paint color you need. Does Home Depot paint match? How close can it get to the original color, and what do you need for them to find the best match?

The answer is yes, Home Depot can paint match, and it’s pretty accurate. We’ll explore the paint-matching process and what you need to know in this article.

How Does Home Depot Paint Match?

In the old days, the only way to match your paint color was to bring in your old paint can or, barring that, a chip off the wall or other painted item with the desired color.

You can still use this method at Home Depot. In the case of paint cans, the associate helping you may be able to look up the color formula using the paint codes on the can. They can do this even if it’s not their own brand; it can be from other home improvement stores, such as their major competitor, Lowe’s.

Even if you don’t have the can or the formula, they can still color match. Home Depot has a national database of colors that can be accessed from every store by a computer. Each store should have its own spectrophotometer, a light meter that can read color.

If you give the associate material with the paint on it, they will place it on the sensor, which will scan the color and match it in the database. The paint sample will need to be about an inch in diameter for the sensor to be able to read it.

Can Home Depot Match Paint From Other Objects?

Maybe you don’t have the original can or a paint chip to match. You might be trying to match a completely different object, such as a couch or another piece of furniture.

The good news is that you can bring in a piece of whatever you want, and the spectrophotometer can read it. If you’re looking to copy the color of a couch, for example, you can bring a square inch of fabric for the sensor to read, or even a pillowcase or cushion cover.

You can do the same thing with any material, including drywall, plastic, metal, and wood. However, the material cannot be sheer or transparent; the spectrophotometer will not be able to read those materials.

Can Home Depot Match Paint From Pictures?

Yes, Home Depot can match the paint color from a photo you’ve taken or a picture from a magazine. Keep in mind that the same rules apply as before—the color sample needs to measure a square inch, so you may need to blow up the picture if it’s not big enough in its original form.

This method can be problematic because photos don’t always represent the true color of an object. If you took a picture of the bedroom wall in your hotel room, for example, the color might be altered in the photo by the light in the room, which could affect how Home Depot’s database reads the color.

It’s still possible to come close, so you can always try.

Does Home Depot Have a Paint Matching App?

Bringing in an old paint can isn’t your only option nowadays. Home Depot has kept up with the times by developing its own app, called ProjectColor. ProjectColor lets you explore paint colors by color family, save them to your favorites, and get inspiration for whatever you’re working on.

It also has a paint matching function, one that’s a lot more effective than bringing a blown-up photo into your local store. You can take a photo in the app or upload a picture of the color or object you’re looking to match, and it will source the closest paint color for you.

Not only that, but it will show you images of different spaces painted in your chosen color so you can visualize just what it will look like. It will also show you complementary colors to make the next steps of your project easier.

You can use ProjectColor like a Home Depot associate would use the spectrophotometer in the store. You can even scan a paint chip to match the color.

How Much Does It Cost to Match Paint at Home Depot?

It costs money to have your paint matched at Home Depot. Typically, it will cost between $75 and $175 for a match, though the price can go higher. If you are buying enough paint, you may be reimbursed for the matching fee.

If you’re not sure how much it will cost or how much paint you will need, it’s best to call your local store to get a better idea before going all in.

The app ProjectColor, however, is free to download.

Conclusion

The Home Depot is an excellent place to find a match for your paint color. With its large database of colors and ability to scan most objects and pictures, you’re bound to find something close to what you’re looking for.

ProjectColor can also help you find the color you need and give you inspiration for all your DIY painting projects. The Home Depot remains an excellent resource for all your home improvement needs.

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Featured Image Credit: Jonathan Weiss, Shutterstock