If you need new fascias, soffits or guttering in Little Shelford, choosing the right contractor from the start will save you time, money and a lot of future headaches.
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
Fascias are the long horizontal boards fixed to the ends of your roof rafters. They carry the guttering and form the visible edge of your roofline. Soffits sit underneath, closing the gap between the fascia and the wall, and they play a real role in ventilating your roof space. Together, they protect the top of your walls, your roof timbers and your ceilings from driven rain.
Guttering collects rainwater off the roof and channels it away to a downpipe and drain. When any part of that system fails - cracked gutters, rotted fascia boards, or blocked downpipes - water finds its way into places it should never reach. Over time that means damp walls, stained ceilings, and in serious cases, rot in the structural timbers at your eaves.
On most homes you can spot problems without getting on a ladder. Stained or peeling paint on the fascia is usually the first sign of rot beneath. Gutters that overflow during rain, or that sag in the middle, have either blocked joints or a failed bracket. Soffits showing dark patches or crumbling edges are letting moisture into the roof void.
Any one of these is worth acting on before winter rain makes things worse.
uPVC does not rot, needs no painting and handles rain and frost well. White is the most popular colour, but many suppliers offer a range of woodgrain foils and solid colours if you want to match a particular look.
Timber fascias and soffits are still used on some properties, particularly where a planning authority has a preference for traditional materials. They do need periodic painting and are vulnerable to rot if the paintwork is neglected. Aluminium is a third option - lightweight, long-lasting and sometimes chosen where a slim profile matters.
This is where most homeowners go wrong. The cheapest quote often means corners cut on fixings, no proper ventilation in the soffits, or old fascia boards left in place underneath new cladding. Here is what to check before you agree to any job.
Some contractors fix new uPVC cladding directly over existing timber fascias without removing them first. This can trap moisture between the layers and accelerate rot in the timbers behind. A proper job means stripping back to the rafter feet, inspecting the wood, and replacing anything that has started to rot before the new boards go on.
Building regulations require adequate ventilation of the roof void to prevent condensation build-up. Soffits can be fitted with ventilated panels or a continuous ventilation strip. If a contractor proposes boarding over your soffits without mentioning ventilation at all, that is a warning sign. Ask specifically what provision they are making for airflow.
Guttering comes in several profiles - half-round, square, ogee and deep-flow. For a standard semi-detached or detached home, half-round or square guttering at 112mm width handles the typical roof area. Ask the contractor what size they are quoting and why it suits your roof. Deep-flow profiles are better for larger roofs or those with a steep pitch that sheds water quickly.
Before any money changes hands, the quotation should specify the materials to be used, which sections are being replaced, whether rafter feet will be inspected, and how waste will be removed. Vague quotes that say only "replace fascias and soffits" leave too much room for dispute when the job is done.
On the day, the scaffolding or tower goes up first. The old guttering comes down, then the fascia and soffit boards. A good contractor checks the rafter feet at this stage - they are exposed and easy to treat with a preservative or replace if needed. New boards go on with the correct fixings into the timber, not just the existing board. Gutter brackets are spaced correctly (typically every 600mm for half-round uPVC) and set at a slight fall toward the downpipe so water cannot pool.
Joints between gutter sections are sealed with the correct union clips and silicone where needed. Downpipes should discharge into the drain or into a hopper that leads to the drain. At the end of the job, all old material is taken away and the site is left clear.
For a standard three-bedroom semi-detached home, a full replacement of fascias, soffits and guttering in uPVC typically costs between £1,000 and £2,500 depending on the size of the property and how much, if any, timber repair is needed underneath. Larger detached properties can run to £3,000 or more. These are current typical UK figures and will vary with access difficulty and the exact scope of work.
A repair-only job - replacing a single cracked gutter section or a short run of fascia - is considerably less and can often be done in a morning.
We carry out fascia, soffit and guttering work in Little Shelford, across Cambridge and in nearby villages throughout the area. If you want us to take a look and give you a written quotation, call us and we will arrange a visit at a time that suits you. There is no obligation to proceed.
If you have specific questions about materials, scope of work or what a contractor should be doing on your property, call us directly - we are happy to talk through the job before you commit to anything.
No obligation · We'll call you to arrange a free visit
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
