How long does it take to replace fascias and gutters?

The roofline is the fascia boards on the face of the eaves, the soffits underneath them, the bargeboards on the gable ends and the gutters and downpipes fixed to it all. Replacing the lot follows a fixed sequence, and each step has to finish before the next can start.

First comes access: a scaffold, tower or a safe ladder arrangement, depending on the house. Next the old gutters and downpipes come off, followed by the fascias and soffits. Then we inspect what was hidden: rafter ends, the wall plate, the eaves tray or underlay. Any timber repair happens here. New soffit boards go up with their ventilation, then the fascia with its support, then the gutter brackets, gutters and downpipes in that order. Last, we test the falls with water, check the joints and clear the site.

Because the gutter cannot be hung until the fascia is fixed, and the fascia cannot go on until the rafter ends are sound, a delay at any point moves everything after it. That is the reason programmes are given in terms of stages rather than a flat number.

Size is the obvious factor: more metres of fascia, gutter and soffit means more cutting and fixing. The shape of the house matters as much. Hips, bay windows, dormers and returns multiply the corners and cut pieces, and each corner needs a mitre, a joint and a bracket of its own. A long, simple terrace of identical fronts is quicker per metre than a detached house with a dozen changes of direction.

The covering sits on top of the fascia, so the lowest course of tiles or slates often has to be lifted slightly, and the eaves tray or underlay checked. On some roofs that is routine. On a stone slate or clay roof with fragile eaves courses, it is slow work, and the time we allow reflects that.

Finally, there is what we find. Old boards often hide wet rafter ends, a decayed wall plate or earlier bodged repairs. We photograph it and tell you before going further. Extra timber work adds days, and we agree it with you so you know what it is.

Safe access is where Stroud's streets can slow a job down. Terraces stepped up a hillside, shared passages and lanes too narrow for a lorry all affect how scaffold arrives, where materials can be stored and how waste leaves. We look at each of these when we survey and allow for them in the programme.

A full scaffold takes time to erect and dismantle, and on some houses it is the longest single task. A tower or a low-level working platform suits a bungalow or a single run, but anything above a ground-floor eaves usually calls for scaffold. Our separate answer on scaffolding for fascias and soffits explains when each is used.

If neighbouring properties share the same roofline, as terraces and semis do, agreeing access and a start date can add a day or two before the job starts. A short conversation with the people next door beforehand is worth having.

Rain does not stop gutter work entirely, but it does stop any job that needs dry boards, such as painting timber or bonding sealants. Strong wind can pause work at height. We plan around the forecast and say so if a delay is likely, but we do not promise a finish date that the weather controls.

Material choice changes the pace too. A job that includes repainting timber on site is slower than one in factory-finished plastic, simply because paint needs dry weather and time to cure. uPVC boards are cut and fixed quickly. Timber fascias and soffits need priming and painting on the back and edges before they go up, and often a second coat on site, which adds drying time. Cast iron and aluminium gutters are heavier and slower to hang than plastic. Our guide to uPVC, timber or aluminium fascias compares the boards themselves.

Any older boards that might be asbestos cement are a separate matter. They are not stripped on a normal programme. We would stop, identify the material and plan the work properly, which takes more time. Our answer on old soffits and asbestos sets out the position.

The stages above become the structure of your quote: access, removal, any timber repair, boards, then the gutter run, each with a price. Alongside it sits a programme that says plainly which stages depend on weather or on access being agreed.

For a rough sense of cost against time, MyBuilder's 2026 guide gives national figures of about £100 to £180 per metre for soffit, £80 to £150 for fascia and £30 to £70 for guttering, with scaffold extra. That is cost, not duration, and our price guide, fascia, soffit and gutter replacement costs, is where the sourced ranges are set out.

Our workmanship guarantee lasts 10 years and is put in writing. To start, send a few photographs of the eaves and your address, and we will arrange the survey. Waste goes with us when the last board is up. For the wider service, see guttering, soffits and fascias.