For some reason "Super Paint" sounds real good.

I would think with a name like "Super Paint" it would have rated much higher. Naming paints must be like naming race horses.

The biggest cost in paint is the labor, not the paint. Pay a bit more for the highest quality paint you can afford. I have used BM Regal Select, SW Emerald and SW Duration. I have had great results with all of them.

The other thing to consider is sheen. Do you know what finishes you are going to have?

Flat hides imperfections, so builders like using flat - you don't notice how crappy they did the seams and drywall finish until sometime long after they got paid.

I personally like an eggshell finish on walls. Emerald line eggshell equivalent is called satin.

I use flat on ceilings and semi-gloss on trim and doors.

Only when using a high quality paint can you trust going duller than eggshell and not have issues with durability when washed.

IMO, if the painter is "exclusive to SW", it's because he saves his $$$ by buying their cheap contractor grade paint. It only needs to look good until he's cashed his check and is long gone!

I only want a painter that will use my choice of paint, unless they're recommending one even better!

My preference for walls & ceilings is Benjamin Moore, but even they have "contractor grade".

Learn to read the TDS sheet for any and all products (primer, paint, clear coats, etc.). It has great information, especially on the sheen, as that varies alot. "Satin" can range from almost matte to almost semi-gloss in different brands and/or grades of paint.

The TDS sheet lists the gloss in terms of degrees in addition to "flat, matte, satin, etc.".

If your build is $1.5 mil, what level of finish will your drywall be? If you're paying for Level 4 or 5, don't cheap out on the primer or the paint.

(And yes, the quality of primer is also important!!)

I really like PM200 for ceiling. I redid my ceilings to a flat ceiling and SW was out of their normal ceiling paint due to supply issues. I picked up PM200 flat for ceiling and it looks nice and rolled well. For walls I would go with a better paint like Emerald or Duration.

Mary Elizabeth - We will be doing a level 4 finish for the drywall.

Thanks all for the feedback.

We had a similar (well, worse) experience. Our build was about the same cost as yours, and the painter spec'ed ProMar 400. In reading up on it, I found one review by pro painters that gave it one star, because as they said, "Well, it is paint. That's about it." We were able to (gladly and willingly) upgrade the whole house to Super Paint for about $700. Well worth it - it looks fabulous.

Edit: and our SW dealer had the same reaction -- said the ProMar is used in apartments with high-turnover -- they can cheaply paint for new tenants every year.