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I know that you can paint your models however way you like, but I have read for competitive 40k that it's required that an army be somewhat uniform in color and theme, at least on the units level. Now I'm not sure ultimately how I'm going to paint my CSM, but I'm leaning right now towards a theme where heavy scientific experimentation and corruption has led to large sections of the army looking rather different from each other (imagine a Resident Evil-esque Chaos Space Marines army). To further complicate things, for some of my CSM, I'm going to be running regular Marines and possibly some berzerkers with PM and other out-of-the-ordinary heads while at the same time having PM in my army. I'm thinking that the weapons and unique bodies of the different units will make it easy for other players to discern what they are fighting. As of now, I don't think that I'm going to be using multiple codices (though I might use the DG codex to run zombies) beyond the CD one because of summoning, so soup won't be a major issue. Again, I really want to create this truly monstrous, chaotic-looking army, but I don't want to go so far as only I am able to figure out what everything is and that if I ever go competitive, I might not be let in due to my designs. Suggestions?

I'd paint them as I pleased & if that made it hard to tell squads apart I'd just color code the bases - red squad, blue squad, dark green squad, light green squad, yellow squad, etc. And it wouldn't be subtle. It'd be the entire lip of the base done in whatever color. If the opponnant can't tell what squad is wich after that....

I find rules like that tend to be more so they can use it for when people try and abuse something. But i have never addend a competitive that enforced a rule like that.
But i have no idea the rules common and there enforcement in the US and other country's, even here in Aus i have seen lots of variance there

It would be super subjective as well, a renegade marine chapter could be Groups of lost or fallen marines still wearing there armor as was before they where lost. Or even picking up and looting from there enemy and not caring about new paint as they fall to chaos or even to busy to fix and repant as they are fighting constantly to flee. And other armys have even less cohesion of color.

If you really think its a issue you could paint the bases, ether full or lines or something ? There are base things that can be put on each base as well around the place.

I don't think there were any rules in 8th that forced people to paint their models in a specific way, aside those that marines had. Everyone else can paint or not paint their stuff, and get aall the rules they can legaly get.