Fascia and soffit replacement: what actually happens on the day
Roofline work is one of the few roofing jobs where you can see the whole thing from the pavement, so it's worth knowing what a good one looks like as it happens.
A full roofline replacement on a semi-detached house is normally a two to three day job: scaffold or tower access, strip out the old boards and gutters, inspect and repair the rafter feet, fit ventilated soffits and capped fascias, then hang new gutters to a correct fall and clear site.
Before we start: the survey
We measure every run, check the existing board type (timber, asbestos-cement in some 1950s–70s properties, or earlier uPVC), look at bracket condition and gutter falls, and inspect the eaves from inside the loft where we can. That last check is the one that matters most: it tells us whether the rafter feet are sound and whether the roof is currently ventilating. If we find suspected asbestos-cement soffits, we stop and arrange proper testing and licensed removal — we don't cut them.
Access
Single-storey and bungalow roofline can often be done from ladders and a tower. Two-storey work generally needs a scaffold or an alloy tower on a firm base, and on terraced streets around Twickenham and Teddington that may need a pavement licence from the council. We arrange that where required. Access is a real cost and we itemise it rather than hiding it in the per-metre rate, because it's the main reason two quotes for the same house can differ by hundreds.
Strip-out and what we find
Old gutters and boards come off, revealing the rafter feet and the tail of the roof underlay. This is the moment of truth. Common finds: rotten rafter ends where a leaking gutter has soaked them for years, underlay that stops short of the gutter so water runs behind it, no eaves ventilation at all, and previous 'cap-over' work where uPVC was screwed straight onto rotten timber. We photograph everything before covering it, and if there's timber repair to do we tell you the cost before proceeding, not after.
Repairing the rafter feet
Where rafter ends are soft, we cut back to sound timber and sister a new treated section alongside, or scarf in a new tail. This is the part that cap-over jobs skip, and it's why we won't quote a cap-over on a property with any sign of eaves damp. A fascia is a structural fixing point for the gutter — screwing new plastic to soft wood produces a roofline that sags within a couple of years.
Underlay support trays and eaves detail
Where the underlay has degraded or stops short, we fit eaves support trays so water running down the membrane discharges into the gutter rather than behind it. It's a small material cost and it prevents the slow rot that took out the last boards. On roofs where the felt tail has perished entirely we'll discuss whether the eaves course of tiles should come up so the tray can be tucked properly — an extra half day, but the difference between a proper job and a cosmetic one.
Ventilation, which is not optional
Building Regulations require continuous ventilation equivalent to a 10mm gap at the eaves on most cold roofs (25mm for low-pitch). Old timber soffits usually leaked enough air to get away with it. A sealed uPVC soffit does not, and fitting one without vents is how a dry loft becomes a condensation problem the following winter. We fit either continuously vented soffit board or circular soffit vents at the correct spacing on every job, as standard.
Fitting the new roofline
We fit full-replacement fascia (not cap-over) in 16 or 18mm board, ventilated soffit, and where appropriate a fascia-mounted eaves protection. Gutters are then hung to a proper fall towards the outlets — typically around 1:600 — with brackets at 800–1000mm centres and closer either side of joints. Downpipes are fixed clear of the wall with the correct standoffs and discharged into the gulley or a shoe as appropriate.
Finishing and clean-down
All old timber and plastic is removed from site and disposed of properly. We flush every run with water before we leave so you can see it flows, and we take a full set of after photos including the eaves detail you won't be able to see once the scaffold comes down. We provide a completion record and pass on relevant board and gutter product documentation.
FAQs
Two to three days for a typical semi once access is up. Terraces and detached properties with long runs or difficult access can take four or five.
Only where the existing timber is genuinely sound and dry, which is rare on the properties we survey. Where there's any rot it hides the problem and gives the new gutter nothing solid to fix to.
Not for the external work, though we do need loft access at survey stage and, on some jobs, brief access on the day. We'll agree that in advance.
We stop immediately and arrange testing. If confirmed, removal must be done by a licensed contractor — we'll coordinate it and price the roofline work to follow on afterwards.
Related reading
More on process & paperwork and the jobs that usually come with it.
- Chimney removal: what to expect when a stack comes downProcess & paperwork
- When roof work needs planning permissionProcess & paperwork
- Roofing deposits, stage payments and contracts explainedProcess & paperwork
- Leaking gutter joint: causes and fixesRepairs & problems
Looking for something specific? See our roofing services, cost guides, common roof problems or the areas we cover.
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