Signs Your Fascias and
Soffits Need Replacing
You can spot most of the warning signs from the pavement or the garden, without a ladder. This guide covers what to look for, what can safely wait, and what we do when we come out.
What the Boards Around Your Roof Do
The fascia is the long board fixed to the ends of the rafters along the bottom edge of the roof. Your gutter hangs from it. The soffit closes the gap underneath, between the fascia and the wall, and on a gable end the sloping boards that follow the roof are the bargeboards.
When these are timber, the paint is all that keeps the water out. Once water gets in behind it, the wood softens, usually at the joints and corners first, and the gutter fixed to it starts to lose its grip.
If you want the longer version, our guide to what fascias, soffits and bargeboards are has labelled photos from our own jobs.
Nine Things to Check from the Ground
You do not need a ladder for any of these. Walk round the house, and look again the next time it rains hard.
- Paint that keeps flaking off the boards, however often they are repainted
- Wood that looks swollen, soft or crumbly, often at the corners and joints first
- Splits and cracks at the corners and where two lengths of board meet
- A gutter pulling away, dropping at one end or sagging between brackets, which can mean the board behind it is soft
- Water spilling over the front of the gutter in heavy rain, or running down the wall behind it
- Dark stains, green growth or damp patches on the wall below the eaves or on the soffit itself
- Gaps, missing pieces or loose panels under the eaves
- Birds or wasps going in and out under the eaves, which means there is a way into the roof space
- Damp or a musty smell in the loft near the eaves
Please do not climb up to test the boards yourself. A few photos from the ground are enough for us to start.
Rot, Paint or Just Age?
If the timber is sound and the paint is good, there is no rush to change anything. Plenty of timber fascias are fine for years with a coat of paint when they need it.
Flaking paint on its own does not always mean rot. Soft or crumbling wood does, and once the timber has gone, fresh paint will not hold on it for long. That is the point where uPVC makes sense: it does not rot and never needs painting.
Sometimes only one part is bad, such as a corner, or the short board over a porch. That length can be replaced on its own, and if the next board along is soft too, we will tell you.
Repair, cap over or replace?
We do all three. Capping means fitting a uPVC board over the existing timber; full replacement means stripping the timber off and fitting new uPVC boards. Capping only suits sound timber: Eurocell, which makes capping boards, says not to cap over rotten timber.
Our guide to capping over or replacing fascias goes through how we decide.
How long do uPVC fascias last?
There is no single number. Manufacturers quote anywhere from about 20 years upward, and real life depends on how exposed the house is, how well the boards were fitted and how they are looked after.
Our own uPVC work comes with a 10-year guarantee.
What a roofline job costs
A full uPVC roofline (fascias, soffits and guttering) on a typical bungalow or semi is around £1,400.
New guttering on a semi is around £700.
Every house is different, so the free quote gives you the exact price.
We do not price by the metre. Every job is priced after we have had a look, because two semis on the same road can need quite different amounts of work.
For what moves the price up or down, see how much fascias and soffits cost and our gutter repair and replacement costs.
What We Do When We Come Out
1. Send a few photos
Call or WhatsApp 07748 025978. Photos of the front, back and any gable end help.
2. Free look and quote
We check the boards, soffits and gutters and tell you what needs doing and what can stay.
3. The work
Old timber off or capped over, new uPVC up, and the gutters refitted or renewed.
4. Tidy up
All the waste goes with us. The uPVC work has a 10-year guarantee, and you pay by cash, cheque or bank transfer.
Or send us the details through our contact page.
Before and After, from Our Jobs
Photos from our own jobs (click to expand). Job locations are not shown.
Replacing the roofline is our main work: see uPVC fascias and soffits and gutter repairs. We work across Sandbach and south Cheshire, including Crewe, Middlewich, Winsford and Kidsgrove and Talke.
What Our Customers Say
"Above and beyond"
"So happy with all the work completed today on my roof. Went above and beyond to make sure the roof is water tight. Would 100% recommend"
"Fantastic service"
"Message sent and a quick response next day. Quote and fitted same day. Fantastic service would highly recommend to anyone!"
Replacing Fascias and Soffits: FAQ
Look for wood that is soft or crumbling, paint that will not stay on, splits at the corners and a gutter that has started to pull away or sag. Damp stains on the wall and gaps under the eaves are other signs. If you are not sure, send us photos taken from the ground.
A short rotten length can sometimes be replaced on its own. Once we have looked, we will tell you whether that will do or whether the boards either side are going too.
Not always. The gutters have to come off to replace the fascia boards. If they are in good condition they can go back up. If they are cracked, sagging or brittle, it usually makes sense to fit new guttering at the same time. We will tell you which on the quote.
No. A capping board is fitted over the old timber, so it needs sound timber behind it. Rotten boards have to come off and be replaced.
Manufacturers quote anywhere from about 20 years upward, and it depends on how exposed the house is, how well the boards were fitted and how they are looked after. Our uPVC work comes with a 10-year guarantee.
As a guide, a full uPVC roofline (fascias, soffits and guttering) on a typical bungalow or semi is around £1,400. Every house is priced on what we find, so the quote is the number that counts.
If your house is listed or in a conservation area, tell us before we come out and check with your local council first. For other houses, ask us when we come to quote.
Yes. All our uPVC work comes with a 10-year guarantee, and we are fully insured on every job.
Get a Free Look at Your Fascias
Based in Winterley, near Sandbach. From Sandbach and Crewe out across Cheshire and Staffordshire.
Contact Options
Open Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm. Closed Sunday.