Rotten Fascia Found Mid-Tear-Off: Get the Unit Price in Writing First

Fascia is the board that runs along the lower edge of the roof, right where the gutter hangs. Behind the gutter and under the drip edge, it takes the first hit from every runoff, every ice dam that backs up at the eave, and every freeze and thaw cycle that opens a joint in the paint. On a St. Louis house that is thirty or forty years old, the fascia may look sound from the ground and still be soft at the ends where the rafter tails meet it. You often learn that only after the old shingles and the drip edge come off.

That is why a rotten fascia board is a price question, not a surprise to be settled on the day. A roof quote usually prices the roof. It may or may not price the wood underneath, and if it does not, the crew will find the soft board with a pry bar and then need a number. The homeowner should have that number before the first shingle moves.

Why the rot shows up after the tear-off

Water sits at the eave in ways you cannot see from the driveway. Gutters that clog in October hold water against the fascia through the winter. Ice damming at the eave forces melt water back under the lowest shingle courses, and that water sits on the back of the board. In St. Louis the freeze and thaw cycle does the rest. Paint peels at a joint, water gets in, the wood takes it up, and the next freeze splits the grain. A board can look dry on a sunny afternoon and still be soft a half inch in from the face.

Rafter tails are the other place it hides. The tail ends sit into the fascia and the soffit, and when the fascia rots, the tails underneath lose their bearing. A crew that finds a soft board will usually want to look at the tail beside it. That look is part of the job, and it is why the price should be set by the foot and by the piece, not guessed from the roof square count.

What the written quote should say

A roof bid that handles this well names the board, the rate, and what the rate covers. Ask whether the rate is per linear foot of fascia replaced, per board, or per piece of rafter tail. Ask whether the rate includes removing the rotten piece, hauling it away, the primer, and the paint or wrap. Ask whether the rate covers the sheathing behind it if the rot has gone up into the eave. Each of those can be a separate line, and each one is a different amount.

Ask also what the quote assumes. A bid that says the fascia is sound is making an assumption, and the homeowner should know what happens if it is wrong. The useful answer is a rate and a maximum, or a rate with a clear rule for when the crew stops and calls before going further. A quote that says nothing about hidden wood is leaving the number open, and open numbers tend to get settled later, usually at a less favorable price for the person paying.

Asking for the unit price before you sign

Call the Keys office at (314) 220-2333 or put the question in writing before you accept the bid. Keep it short. Ask for the per-foot fascia replacement rate, the per-piece rate for a rafter tail, and the rate for sheathing if the rot goes that far. Ask whether the rate is firm for the job or can change once the crew is on the roof. Ask for the answer in writing, on the same sheet as the bid, so the two documents agree.

Then compare the answers between roofers on the same terms. One quote may give a rate per foot and another may give a lump sum for the whole eave. A lump sum can look lower on the page and still leave you paying for the rest of the eave on the day. Put the rates side by side and multiply them by the lineal feet you can see on the house. Walk the perimeter with a tape before you do the math. The fascia run is not the same as the roof perimeter, because it skips the gable ends in some layouts and wraps the dormers in others.

What to ask each roofer

• What is the rate for replacing one linear foot of fascia, and does it include paint or wrap?
• What is the rate for a rafter tail or a rim board, by the piece?
• Does the rate include removing and hauling the rotten wood?
• If the rot reaches the sheathing, what is the rate per sheet, and who decides the sheet is bad?
• Will the crew stop and call me before the work goes past the fascia, and how fast will I hear back?
• Is the rate firm for the job, or can it change once the drip edge is off?

Those six questions take about ten minutes to ask and about an hour to get answered in writing. A roofer who can answer them is showing you that the wood has been thought about. A roofer who cannot answer them is leaving the cost open.

If the rot is found on the day

Sometimes the fascia is fine on the walk and soft on the tear-off. When that happens, the crew should photograph the board before it comes off, with a tape in the frame, and send you the photos the same day. The photos show the length of the damage, the depth, and where it runs into the rafter tail. That record lets you check the number against the rate in the bid rather than against a feeling about the house. If you are on site, ask the crew lead to show you the board before it goes in the dumpster.

Do not agree to an open-ended additional amount on the spot. Ask for the change in writing with the rate, the length, and the photos attached. A short written change order is slower to sign than a verbal yes, but it is the only version that matches the bid you already signed. If the crew says the rot is beyond the fascia and needs more than a board swap, ask for the scope of that work in writing before anyone cuts further.

What this does to your budget

Fascia replacement on one side of a roof is usually a small line in the total. The reason to pin it down is that the line is hard to predict. Two houses on the same street with the same roof square count can need very different eave work. Get the rate on paper now, set aside a modest reserve for the eave in your planning, and ask the roofer to show that reserve on the bid as a rate, not a guess.