<PAGE>


                                                                  EXECUTION COPY

                      AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO CREDIT AGREEMENT

                                 This AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO CREDIT AGREEMENT is
                          made and entered into as of July 14, 2000, by and
                          among CENTURY MAINTENANCE SUPPLY, INC., a Delaware
                          corporation (the "Borrower"), and the Required Lenders
                          (as defined in Article I of the Credit Agreement).

                                   RECITALS

       A. The Borrower, the Lenders (as defined in Article I of the Credit
Agreement), Salomon Brothers Inc., and Citicorp USA, Inc., entered into a Credit
Agreement dated as of July 8, 1998 (as amended and otherwise modified to the
date hereof, the "Credit Agreement"). Capitalized terms used herein and not
otherwise defined shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Credit
Agreement.

       B. The Borrower requested certain changes to the Credit Agreement, and
has agreed to certain changes to other provisions of the Credit Agreement.

       C. The Required Lenders are willing to so amend the Credit Agreement on
the terms and conditions set forth herein.

       D. The Borrower and the Required Lenders are entering into this Amendment
pursuant to Section 9.08(b) of the Credit Agreement.

                                  AGREEMENTS

       In Consideration of the foregoing Recitals, and for other good and
valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby
acknowledged, the Borrower and the Required Lenders agree as follows:

       1. Dividends and Distributions; Restrictions on Ability of Subsidiaries
to Pay Dividends. Section 6.05(a)(4) is amended by inserting new clauses (iv)
and (v) as follows:

              (iv) the Borrower may apply up to $5,000,000 to repurchase
       Exchangeable Preferred Stock (including accreted PIK liquidation
       preference thereon) currently owned by third party investors (but
       excluding shares owned by Freeman Spagli & Co. and Dennis Beardan and
       their affiliates), but only if, after giving effect to such repurchase,
       (A) the Borrower is in pro forma compliance with all covenants under this
       Agreement, based on Adjusted EBITDA for the four most recently ended
       fiscal quarters and after giving effect to any Borrowings needed to fund
       such repurchase and (B) no Default has occurred and is continuing; or

              (v) in addition to the amount referred to in clause (iv) above,
       the Borrower may apply up to an additional $5,000,000 to repurchase
       Exchangeable Preferred Stock (including accreted PIK liquidation
       preference thereon) currently owned by third party investors (but
       excluding shares owned by Freeman Spagli & Co. and Dennis Beardan and
       their affiliates), but only if, after giving effect to such repurchase,
       (A) the Borrower is in pro forma compliance with all covenants under this
       Agreement, based on Adjusted EBITDA for the four most recently ended
       fiscal quarters and after giving effect to any Borrowings needed to fund
       such repurchase, (B) no Default has occurred and is continuing and (c)
       the Debt/Adjusted EBITDA Ratio on a pro forma basis (taking account of
       such repurchase shall not exceed 3.0:1.0 for the most recently ended
       covenant reporting date and the preceding covenant reporting date; or

<PAGE>


       2. Debt/Adjusted EBITDA Ratio. Section 6.10 of the Credit Agreement is
amended in its entirety to read as follows:

       SECTION 6.10 Debt/Adjusted EBITDA Ratio. The Debt/Adjusted EBITDA Ratio
shall not exceed the following amounts as of the ends of fiscal quarters of the
Borrower ending nearest to the following dates:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Fiscal Quarter                              Debt/Adjusted EBITDA Ratio
    Ending        --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Nearest to        1998      1999      2000      2001      2002      2003      2004      2005
<S>                    <C>       <C>       <C>       <C>       <C>       <C>       <C>       <C>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 March 31                        4.25      3.50      3.25      2.75      2.00      2.00      2.00
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 June 30                         4.25      3.50      3.25      2.75      2.00      2.00      2.00
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 September 30          4.25      4.25      3.50      3.25      2.75      2.00      2.00      2.00
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 December 31           4.25      3.50      3.25      2.75      2.00      2.00      2.00      2.00
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
              and thereafter, 2.00.

       3. Minimum EBITDA. Section 6.11 of the Credit Agreement is amended in its
entirety as follows:

SECTION 6.11 Minimum EBITDA.  The EBITDA for the fiscal year of the Borrower
shall not be less than the following amounts as of the end of the following
fiscal years:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

Fiscal Year Ending
    Nearest to
   December 31                          Minimum EBITDA
------------------                      --------------
<S>                                     <C>
      2000                               $29,000,000
      2001                                33,000,000
      2002                                38,000,000
      2003                                44,000,000
      2004                                50,000,000
      2005                                58,000,000

</TABLE>

       4. Interest Coverage Ratio. Sections 6.12(d) of the Credit Agreement is
amended in its entirety to read as follows:

       (d) The ratio of Adjusted EBITDA to Consolidated Interest Expense for the
period of four fiscal quarters ending nearest to each of the following dates,
shall not be less than the following ratios:

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
     ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio
       Fiscal Quarter    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
      Ending Nearest to     1999      2000      2001      2002      2003      2004      2005
     ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      <S>                     <C>       <C>       <C>       <C>       <C>       <C>       <C>
      March 31                          2.75      3.25      3.75      4.50      4.50      4.50
     ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      June 30                 2.25      2.75      3.25      3.75      4.50      4.50      4.50
     ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      September 30            2.25      2.75      3.25      3.75      4.50      4.50      4.50
     ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      December 31             2.75      3.25      3.75      4.50      4.50      4.50      4.50
     ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
              and thereafter, 4.50.

       5. Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio. Section 6.13 of the Credit Agreement is
amended in its entirety to read as follows:

       SECTION 6.13 Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio. The Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio
for the period of four fiscal quarters ending nearest to each of the following
dates, shall not be less than the following ratios:
<PAGE>

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
        ----------------------------------------------------------------------
                            Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio
                            --------------------------------------------------
         Fiscal Quarter
        Ending Nearest to     2000    2001    2002    2003    2004    2005
        ----------------------------------------------------------------------
       <S>                   <C>     <C>     <C>      <C>     <C>     <C>
        March 31              1.20    1.10    1.10    1.05    1.05    1.05
        ----------------------------------------------------------------------
        June 30               1.20    1.10    1.10    1.05    1.05    1.05
        ----------------------------------------------------------------------
        September 30          1.20    1.10    1.10    1.05    1.05    1.05
        ----------------------------------------------------------------------
        December 31           1.10    1.10    1.10    1.05    1.05    1.05
        ----------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>
               and thereafter, 1.05.

      6. Binding Effect and Effectiveness. This Amendment may be executed in as
many counterparts as may be convenient and shall become binding when the
Borrower, and the Required Lenders have each executed and delivered at least one
counterpart, and shall become effective upon satisfaction of the following
condition precedent: the Borrower shall have paid to each Lender that executes
this Agreement an amendment fee equal to 0.125% of such Lender's Revolving
Credit Commitment and outstanding Term Loans as of the date of this Amendment.

      7. Governing Law. This Amendment shall be a contract made under and
governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to the conflicts
of law provisions thereof.

      8. Reference to Credit Agreement. Except as amended hereby, the Credit
Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and is hereby ratified and
confirmed in all respects. On and after the effectiveness of the amendment to
the Credit Agreement accomplished hereby, each reference in the Credit
Agreement, to "this Agreement", "hereunder", "hereof", "herein" or words of like
import, and each reference to the Credit Agreement shall be deemed a reference
to the Credit Agreement, as amended hereby, as the case may be.

                                     3
<PAGE>

       IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Consent and
Waiver to be duly executed by their respective officers as of the date first
above written.

                                       CENTURY MAINTENANCE SUPPLY, INC.

                                       by     /s/ Richard Penick
                                         ----------------------------
                                       Name:  Richard Penick
                                       Title: Vice-President



                                       Acknowledged by:

                                       CITICORP USA, INC., as Administrative
                                       Agent and Collateral Agent

                                       SALOMON SMITH BARNEY INC., as Arranger,
                                       Advisor and Syndication Agent,


<PAGE>


                                       LENDERS
                                       -------
                                       CITICORP USA, INC.


                                       FLOATING RATE POPRTFOLIO

                                       By:  INVESCO SENIOR SECURED
                                       MANAGEMENT INC., as attorney in
                                       fact


                                       FIRST UNION NATIONAL BANK,


                                       ING HIGH INCOME PRINCIPAL
                                       PRESERVATION FUND HOLDINGS, LDC


                                       ROYAL BANK OF CANADA,


                                       KZH ING - I LLC

                                       KZH ING - 2 LLC

                                       KZH SOLEIL - 2 LLC

                                       TRANSAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE AND
                                       ANNUITY COMPANY,


<PAGE>

                                       WELLS FARGO BANK,



                                       FIRST DOMINION,



                                       DRESDNER BANK,



                                       GALAXY CLO 1999-1 LTD,