Scottsdale Foothills Overlay · §6.1004 · LRV ≤ 40 · 635 colors

BM colors that fit the Scottsdale Foothills Overlay cap.

635 exterior-rated Benjamin Moore colors are under the LRV 40 cap and pass our chroma screen. The city makes the final call. Interior-only colors and colors BM doesn’t recommend for exterior use are filtered out automatically.

Section 6.1004.E of the Foothills Overlay sets three rules for exterior materials:

“No paint colors shall be used which have a light reflective value (LRV) greater than forty (40) percent.” — the LRV clause.
“Exterior paint and material colors shall not exceed a value of six (6) as indicated in the Munsell Book of Color.” — the Munsell clause.
“Reflective building materials are prohibited.”

On paper, Munsell value 6 works out to about LRV 29. In our experience review centers on the LRV number and on keeping colors from standing out, so we list colors to LRV 40 and screen out strongly saturated ones by Munsell chroma: strictest on blues, teals, violets, greens and blue-leaning pinks, and chroma 7 for warm hues (tans, browns, terracottas, brick reds, roses and corals). So some roses and corals make the list; if you’re leaning toward one, confirm it with the city before you buy.

Check for the ESL Overlay too: if your property is also inside the ESL Overlay (Sec. 6.1070), its stricter limits apply: LRV 35, plus Munsell value and chroma of 6. In that case use the ESL-compliant list instead. Where only the Foothills Overlay applies, LRV 40 is accepted, and the list below is the one to use.

Sources: Scottsdale Revised Code, Appendix B (Basic Zoning Ordinance), Sec. 6.1004.E; the city’s Foothills Overlay page. Verify the latest published version and your property’s landform status with the City of Scottsdale Planning & Development department before submitting a paint application.

All 635 colors · sorted by LRV (brightest qualifying first)

Other AZ palette filters

Scottsdale ESL (≤ 35)PV Hillside (≤ 38)Heat-reflective (≥ 70)