Fascia boards
The long board along the roof edge, behind the gutter. It takes the rain that spills over the gutter, so it is often the first to go soft.
Fascia and soffit repair in Memphis.
Dario’s Painting replaces rotted fascia boards and soffits on houses across Memphis and Shelby County. The soft wood is cut out and new boards go in, primed, then caulked and painted to match the house. Dario prices it at a free on-site estimate and writes the price down.
- Free written estimates
- Dario writes every estimate
- Crews speak English & Spanish
In short
Fascia is the board along the roof edge that the gutter hangs on. Soffits are the panels under the eaves. When water gets behind a gutter or up under the roof edge, both go soft. Dario’s Painting cuts out the rotted wood, replaces it with new boards cut to fit, primes them, caulks the joints and paints them to match the house, then points out where the water came from. There is no price list: it is priced at the free on-site estimate, because the price depends on how far the rot runs. Estimate visits are on weekdays from 11:30 to 1:30 and on Saturdays from 7am to 6pm.
What’s included
The roof edge, cut out and replaced.
The estimate lists each repair, so you see what is being replaced before any wood comes off.
Soffits
The panels under the eaves, between the fascia and the wall. They go soft when water gets past the fascia or up under the roof edge.
Gable-end trim
The boards along the sloped roof edge on a gable end, like the front of a ranch house, cut out where soft and replaced.
Signs your fascia or soffits are rotting.
Look along the roof edge on a dry day, and again during a hard rain.
Soft or crumbling wood
Where you can safely reach a board, press a screwdriver tip into it. Sound wood pushes back. Rotted wood gives, or comes away in crumbs.
Peeling, bubbling paint
Along the roof edge it can mean water is getting into the wood behind. Peeling alone is not rot, but it is a reason to check.
A sagging or wavy line
A gutter that dips or pulls away from the house, or a fascia board that bows, may be hanging on soft wood.
Dark stains and drips
Dark streaks on the board, or water running down the wall behind the gutter in a storm, show where water gets past.
Gaps and holes in the soffit
Sagging panels, open joints or holes you can see from below let squirrels, birds and wasps into the eave. Dario does not remove animals or nests, so deal with anything living up there first.
How it goes
From the soft board to the last coat.
Find how far the rot goes
At the visit, Dario looks along the whole roof edge for soft, swollen or crumbling wood and tells you what he finds.
The estimate
A written price for each repair, and for the painting if the house is getting painted too. Free, no obligation, and yours to keep.
Cut out the soft wood
The rotted wood is cut out, back to solid wood. If more rot turns up behind it, you hear about it before anything extra is done.
New boards, cut to fit
New boards are cut to fit the opening and fastened in place.
Prime
The new boards are primed, so water has a harder time soaking in.
Caulk and paint
The joints are caulked, then the new wood is painted to match the rest of the house.
The water source
Dario points out what soaked the wood: an overflowing gutter, a gap in the caulk, missing flashing. Left alone, the new boards get the same water.
The walkthrough
You walk it with Dario and point at anything not right. It is fixed before the job is called done.
Most rot repair is done together with exterior painting. See exterior painting, trim, door and baseboard painting and how a job goes.
Rot in Memphis
Why fascia and soffits rot here.
Overflowing gutters
A gutter packed with leaves backs up and pours over the edge in a heavy rain. The water soaks the top of the fascia and can run behind it onto the soffit.
Heavy rain
Memphis gets about 55 inches of rain a year, and the storms drop a lot at once. Water sits on ledges and soaks into board ends.
Shade and trees
Roof edges under big trees stay damp longer: leaves fill the gutter, and shade slows drying.
Humid air
Memphis air is humid for much of the year, so damp wood dries slowly, most of all on shaded north sides.
We repair fascia and soffits across Memphis, East Memphis and the rest of Shelby County, including Germantown, Collierville, Bartlett, Cordova, Arlington and Lakeland. See all the areas we paint.
Paint the rest of the trim while the ladder is up.
With the ladder already up, it costs little to paint the rest of the outside trim too: gable-end boards, corner boards, casings and shutters. The new boards are painted to match, but old paint beside them tends to look tired. A repair can also be a job of its own. See exterior painting and trim, door and baseboard painting.
Primer, caulk and paint need dry weather, so the finish work is scheduled around the forecast. The best windows for outside painting in Memphis are mid-September through October and April and May (see when to paint an exterior in Memphis). A soft board does not get better while it waits, so ask Dario at the visit what can be done now.
When it is more than a board.
Sometimes the wood behind the fascia is worse than the board you can see. If the rot reaches the framing, or water damage has reached the ceiling or a wall inside, Dario will tell you at the visit that it needs a carpenter or a roofing company first. He will not paint over it. Roof, gutter and structural repairs are separate jobs.
Price
What fascia and soffit repair costs.
There is no price list for rot repair. Dario prices it at the free on-site estimate, because the price depends on how far the rot goes.
How far the rot goes
One soft board end is a small job. Rot along a whole side of the house is a bigger one.
How high it is
Fascia and soffits on a second story take more ladder work and more time.
What turns up
Rot can hide behind a board. Anything that could not be seen at the visit is quoted separately, and nothing is done about it without your approval.
For the paint itself, the exterior painting page has national cost ranges by house size and siding.
How much does fascia and soffit repair cost?
There is no price list. It is priced at the free on-site estimate, because the price depends on how far the rot goes and how high it is. Dario looks at it with you and leaves you a written price.
Can you replace rotted fascia?
Yes. Rotted fascia boards are cut out and replaced with new boards, primed, caulked and painted to match. If an overflowing gutter caused the rot, have the gutter cleared or fixed too, or the new board will get the same water.
Can you repair soffits that squirrels, birds or wasps got into?
Dario replaces the damaged soffit wood with new boards, primed, caulked and painted to match, which closes the gap. He does not remove animals or nests, so have that taken care of first.
How can I tell if my fascia is rotten or just peeling?
Peeling paint alone is not rot, but it is a reason to check. Press a screwdriver tip into the board where you can safely reach it: firm wood needs scraping, priming and paint, while wood that gives or crumbles needs to be replaced. Dario checks the whole roof edge at the visit.
Can you just paint over rotted fascia?
No. Paint does not stop rot. Put over soft wood, it cracks and peels, and the wood keeps rotting under it. The rotten part comes out first; then the new wood is primed and painted.
What if the rot goes further than you can see?
Rot can hide behind a board or under the gutter line until the board comes off. Anything that could not be seen at the visit is quoted separately, and nothing is done about it without your approval.
Helpful guides
Before you decide.
When to paint an exterior
Label temperatures, dew point, rain and Memphis weather by month: the best windows for outside work.
DIY vs hiring a painter
Cost, time, tools and results, and which jobs are worth handing off.
How to paint trim and doors
Baseboards, casings, interior doors and a front door: prep, sheen, weather and color.
More from Dario’s Painting
All servicesThe rest of what we do.
Exterior painting
Brick, siding, stucco and wood: washed, scraped and primed where needed, then two coats.
Learn more
Trim, doors and baseboards
Baseboards, crown, casings, doors and exterior trim, caulked and primed, then two coats.
Learn more
Brick painting
Brick washed first and painted with a product matched to masonry.
Learn more
Pressure washing
Houses, driveways, patios, decks and fences, washed clean of dirt, mildew and pollen.
Learn moreAreas we paint
Memphis, East Memphis, Cordova, Bartlett, Germantown, Collierville, Arlington and Lakeland.
Areas we paintFree estimate
Dario looks at the job with you and leaves you a written price. Free, and yours to keep.
Free estimatePick a visit time
Choose the day and time for the free estimate visit first, then tell us where to come.
Book the visit
Free estimate
Get a free fascia and soffit repair estimate.
Answer a few short questions and Dario calls you back to book the walkthrough, usually within the hour between 7am and 7pm. Or call now and talk to him directly.
Rather pick the time yourself? Pick a visit time online (weekdays 11:30 to 1:30, Saturdays 7am to 6pm). dario@dariospainting.com · 7am to 7pm, seven days