Measure the eaves and the gable ends
Fascia is the board along the roof edge. It runs on two kinds of edge. The eaves are the level edges where gutters hang. The gable ends, or rakes, are the sloped edges that climb from the eave to the ridge. Soffit is the underside of the overhang, so it only runs along the eaves.
Measure each eave and add them up. Keep eaves on a lower roof, like a porch or an attached garage on a two-story house, apart from the rest: they are a story lower, so they price lower. Then measure each gable end along its slope, from the eave up to the ridge and down the other side. A hip roof has eaves on every side and no gable ends.
| Roof shape | Eaves | Gable ends | Fascia line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gable | 98 ft | 78 ft | 176 ft |
| Hip | 171 ft | 0 ft | 171 ft |
Same footprint, different jobs. The hip has 73 ft more eave, so it carries more soffit. The gable has 78 ft of gable ends that take fascia but no soffit. Quote from the roof the house actually has.
Build a per-foot rate
Each part of the job gets its own rate per foot. The rate has to cover the material that goes on the house, your crew's time, your overhead and your profit.
Material per foot is a normal job's material divided by its footage. Labor per foot is your crew's loaded cost per hour divided by the feet they finish per hour. Count ladder moves, cutting and cleanup, not only the time on the board. Take overhead and profit as a share of the price, so divide by what you keep instead of adding a markup.
| Line | Material per foot (example) | Crew pace | Labor per foot | Rate, 1 story |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New fascia boards Boards, fasteners, primer and caulk | $3.10 | 15 ft/hr | $6.00 | $14.00 |
| New soffit Soffit panels and channel | $4.75 | 18 ft/hr | $5.00 | $15.00 |
| Aluminum fascia wrap Coil and trim nails | $2.00 | 20 ft/hr | $4.50 | $10.00 |
| Paint fascia and soffit Paint and sundries | $0.60 | 45 ft/hr | $2.00 | $4.00 |
Each rate is material plus labor, divided by 0.65. New boards work out to $9.10 of direct cost and $14.00 a foot, which is the one-story sample rate in Measured Bid. Your own costs will land somewhere else, and they should.
Add a rate for each story, and price lower roofs a story down
Taller eaves take longer. The crew needs taller ladders or staging, moves them more often and works slower at height. OSHA requires fall protection for residential construction work 6 feet or more above a lower level, so plan the setup time into the two-story rate.
| Stories | New fascia boards | New soffit | Aluminum wrap | Sample job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $14.00 | $15.00 | $10.00 | $3,912.00 |
| 2 | $18.00 | $19.00 | $13.00 | $4,996.00 |
| 3+ | $24.00 | $25.00 | $17.00 | $6,622.00 |
On a two-story house with a porch or garage roof, split the eaves. Price the upper eaves at the two-story rate and the lower roof at the one-story rate. Gable ends take the house's own rate. Here is soffit on a two-story sample house with a first-floor roof along one side:
Wrap or replace
Aluminum wrap is bent coil that covers the existing board. It costs less because the old board stays up, and it ends the painting. It only works over boards that are straight and solid. Replace boards that are soft, split or rotted, and check what is behind them first.
Quote both when the boards are sound, so the customer can choose. On the sample house the two come out like this:
| Job | Fascia line | Soffit | Lines total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fascia and soffit, new boards | 153 ft | 118 ft | $3,912.00 |
| Fascia and soffit, aluminum wrap | 153 ft | 118 ft | $3,300.00 |
| Fascia only, new boards | 153 ft | None | $2,142.00 |
| Fascia only, aluminum wrap | 153 ft | None | $1,530.00 |
| Soffit only | None | 118 ft | $1,770.00 |
Wrapping instead of replacing saves $612.00 on the full job here. Give wrap its own rate for each story. Measured Bid only offers wrap to homeowners once all three wrap rates are set.
Price soffit on the eaves only
Soffit runs under the overhang, from the fascia back to the wall. Gable ends have a rake board but no soffit, so they never go on the soffit line. Price soffit per foot of eave. A deeper overhang uses more panel per foot, so build that into your material cost or set a higher rate for those houses.
Decide whether vents are part of the soffit price. Vented panels, added vent strips or cutting in new vents change the material and the time. If you charge for them on their own, add them as their own lines.
Paint-only jobs
Some customers want the fascia and soffit painted, not replaced. Price it per foot of fascia line, eaves and gable ends, at one rate. Painting the soffit is part of that rate. The scraping, priming and two coats happen at the same ladder positions.
Measured Bid offers paint-only jobs once you set a painting rate. Leave it blank if you don't paint.
Tear-out and haul-away
Replacing boards means taking the old ones down, pulling nails and hauling them away. Build that into your replacement rates, or charge for it per foot on its own line. If you bill it separately, it applies to every foot of board you replace, fascia and soffit both, and never to wrap or paint.
| Job | Old boards removed |
|---|---|
| Fascia and soffit, new boards | 271 ft |
| Fascia and soffit, aluminum wrap | 118 ft |
| Fascia only, new boards | 153 ft |
| Fascia only, aluminum wrap | None |
| Soffit only | 118 ft |
| Paint only | None |
Measured Bid's sample sheet leaves the removal rate blank, which keeps tear-out inside the replacement rates. Set one and a removal line appears on every replacement job.
Steep roofs and a job minimum
Steep roofs slow the crew even though the work is at the eave. Measured Bid's sample adds 15% to fascia, soffit and paint feet under roof sections steeper than 8/12, and only to those feet. Removal stays at its own rate.
Every job has a fixed cost before the first board goes up: the drive, setup and cleanup. A minimum covers it. Here is a short job: painting the fascia and soffit of a detached garage, about 20 by 20 feet with a gable roof, on its own.
Set your minimum near the price of the smallest job you would take on a normal day.
Worked example
Here is the sample house as new fascia boards and new soffit, one story, with the gable ends included, at the sample rates.
Sierra Fascia & Soffit Co.
(916) 555-0100
Fascia and soffit estimate
No. 1042
- Stories
- 1 story
- Job type
- Fascia + soffit
- Fascia
- Replace boards
- Include rakes
- Yes
- Steeper than 8/12
- No
| Item | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| New fascia boards | 118 ft | $14.00 / ft | $1,652.00 |
| Fascia boards, gable ends (estimated) | 35 ft | $14.00 / ft | $490.00 |
| New soffit | 118 ft | $15.00 / ft | $1,770.00 |
The lines come to $3,912.00, above the $500.00 minimum. In Measured Bid the homeowner sees $3,350 to $4,500 for this house, and your team sees the line items.
What to confirm on site
A fascia price is only as good as what is behind the board. Check these before the price is final.
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Rot behind the board | Soft rafter tails or sub-fascia need repair before new fascia or wrap goes on. Say on the estimate how you price it if you find it. |
| Gutters | Gutters come down to replace fascia. Decide who rehangs them and whether that is in your price. |
| Soffit vents | Blocked or missing vents change the soffit panel and the time. Keep the attic venting the house had. |
| Overhang depth | A deep overhang uses more soffit panel per foot of eave. |
| Homes built before 1978 | Old fascia and soffit paint may contain lead. The EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule requires certified firms and lead-safe work practices. |
| Gable-end length | On roofs with several sections the gable ends are estimated from above. Measure them. |
Quote it from an address
A homeowner with peeling fascia wants a number before booking a visit. Measured Bid's fascia and soffit widget asks what needs work, new boards or wrap, how many stories and whether to include the gable ends. It measures the eaves from the address, adds the gable ends and prices it with your rates. Your team gets the same estimate, with line items, in the dashboard.