Rotten Fascia Boards
Timber fascia rots where water gets behind the gutter or the paint fails. Push a screwdriver into it: if it sinks in, the board comes off and new uPVC goes on, €49 to €82 a metre fitted. If the timber is sound under flaking paint, a thin uPVC capping board over it is cheaper. Capping over rot hides it for a year or two, then the gutter brackets pull out.
The signs, the test, and capping or replacing.
Free, no obligation. One local company prices it, not five.
- €49 to €82 a metrea new fascia board, fitted
- 1 screwdriverthe test
- Cappingonly over sound timber
The signs
- Paint flaking and bare grey timber showing.
- A gutter that sags or pulls away: the screws have nothing to hold.
- Dark stains under the gutter joints.
- Soft spots, or bits breaking off at the corners.
- Tiles at the edge slipping.
The screwdriver test
From a ladder, push a screwdriver into the fascia in a few places, mostly near the gutter joints and the corners. If it goes in easily, the timber is rotten there. If it only dents the surface, the board is sound under the paint.
Capping or replacing
- Capping: a thin uPVC board fixed over sound timber. Cheaper, quick, and fine if the wood is sound.
- Replacing: the timber comes off and a full-thickness uPVC board goes on the rafter ends. The only fix for rot.
The full capping-or-replacement comparison is on our sister site, fasciasandsoffits.ie.
What it costs
| Job | Typical cost | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Fascia only, by the metre | €49 to €82 a metre | Capping or a new board |
| Fascia and soffit by the metre, fitted | €45 to €98 a metre | Board depth, colour, vents |
| Fascia and soffit, semi-detached, three sides | €1,000 to €2,500 | About 20 m, the gable bargeboards |
Supplied and fitted in uPVC. Work on a house is at the reduced 13.5% VAT rate.
Every guide, calculator and county page
Jump straight to any specification guide, our interactive calculator, the technical glossary or your county page.
Price & Specification Guides
Calculator, FAQ & Glossary
Soffit and fascia problems
What each one is, and what fixes it.
Soffit and fascia repairs by county
- Carlow26% of homes built 1961 to 1990
- Cavan23% of homes built 1961 to 1990
- Clare32% of homes built 1961 to 1990
- CorkOn our Cork site
- Donegal29% of homes built 1961 to 1990
- Dublin33% of homes built 1961 to 1990
- Galway29% of homes built 1961 to 1990
- Kerry32% of homes built 1961 to 1990
- Kildare28% of homes built 1961 to 1990
- Kilkenny28% of homes built 1961 to 1990
- Laois23% of homes built 1961 to 1990
- Leitrim22% of homes built 1961 to 1990
- Limerick31% of homes built 1961 to 1990
- Longford26% of homes built 1961 to 1990
- Louth29% of homes built 1961 to 1990
- Mayo29% of homes built 1961 to 1990
- Meath25% of homes built 1961 to 1990
- Monaghan30% of homes built 1961 to 1990
- Offaly27% of homes built 1961 to 1990
- Roscommon26% of homes built 1961 to 1990
- Sligo29% of homes built 1961 to 1990
- Tipperary29% of homes built 1961 to 1990
- Waterford30% of homes built 1961 to 1990
- Westmeath27% of homes built 1961 to 1990
- Wexford24% of homes built 1961 to 1990
- Wicklow32% of homes built 1961 to 1990
Check your soffit and fascia
Four taps: what you see under the roof edge, the house, what the boards are now and the county. You see what it most likely is, the fix and our price. Your number is only asked for at the end, if you want one fascia and soffit company that covers your county to ring you.
Questions people ask
Can rotten fascia be repaired?
A short soft section can be cut out and spliced. Widespread rot means a new board.
Why does fascia rot?
Water from a leaking gutter joint, an overflowing gutter, or felt that stops short of the gutter.
How long does timber fascia last?
Painted every few years, decades. Left, it starts to rot within a few winters of the paint failing.
Get your roof edge sorted
One local fascia and soffit company, often a price from a photo. Free, no obligation. Nothing is booked until you say yes.