Drip Edge Replacement in Los Angeles
Rusted, bent, or loose drip edge replaced on shingle, tile, and flat roofs by a licensed C-39 roofing contractor across Los Angeles County. Estimates are free.
- Licensed, bonded & insured
- CSLB #1119699 (C-39)
- BBB Accredited, A rating
Roof Edge Repair Starts With the Drip Edge
Drip edge replacement replaces roof-edge metal that is rusted, bent, or loose, or that was installed in the wrong order. Taking the old metal off exposes the fascia board and the edge of the roof deck, so we check both for rot and repair what we find before the new drip edge goes on.
A failing drip edge is hard to spot from the yard. The first sign is usually peeling paint or soft wood along the top of the fascia, or a gutter pulling away. If the roof has no drip edge at all, see drip edge installation. This page covers metal that is there and failing.
Rusted edge metal replaced
Most common Oct. to March
November to March
CSLB #1119699 (C-39)
Signs of a Rusted, Bent, or Loose Drip Edge
These are the drip edge problems we see most in Los Angeles County:
Rust and pinholes
Bare galvanized steel rusts once its coating wears through, starting at cut ends, nail holes, and spots where water sits, such as behind a clogged gutter. Homes near the coast see it sooner. Once rust eats through, water drips onto the fascia instead of past it.
Bent and kinked sections
Ladders, gutter work, and falling branches bend drip edge. A kink can tip water back toward the fascia, and a dent that opens a gap at the deck lets wind-driven rain reach the wood. Bent metal rarely sits flat again, so the damaged length is replaced.
Loose or lifting edges
Drip edge nailed too far apart, or into rotted wood, works loose. Wind gets under a loose edge and pries at the roofing above it, so loose edges often show up after a Santa Ana wind event. Those winds blow most often between October and March.
Stains and peeling paint on the fascia
Paint that keeps peeling along the top of the fascia, dark streaks below the gutter, or wood that feels soft when pressed all point to water running behind the drip edge. The metal can look fine from the ground while the wood behind it stays wet.
Drip edge installed in the wrong order
At the eaves, the underlayment should lap over the drip edge. When the metal was laid on top of the underlayment instead, water running down the underlayment ends up behind the drip edge and on the fascia. The fix is to reinstall the metal in the right order.
Fascia Rot and Deck Damage Behind the Drip Edge
When the old drip edge comes off, the wood behind it shows how long water has been getting in. Short sections of rotted fascia and soft sheathing at the edge are replaced as part of the job, so the new metal has solid wood to fasten to. In Altadena, one of our shingle replacements turned up water-damaged decking along the eaves once the old roofing was off, and we replaced those boards before the new shingles went down.
New fascia needs primer and paint, so the estimate should say who paints it. If the rot reaches the rafter tails, it becomes framing work, covered on our structural roof repair page. Fascia repair holds up only if the water path is fixed too, so overflowing gutters need cleaning or resetting, and gutters hung on the fascia may have to come down while the metal is replaced.
Drip Edge Replacement on Shingle and Tile Roofs
Most drip edge replacement does not require a new roof.
Shingle roofs. The first course and rake shingles are unsealed and lifted, the old nails are pulled, and the old metal slides out. Following the California Residential Code, the new drip edge goes under the underlayment at the eaves and over it at the rakes, lapped at least 2 inches and nailed no more than 12 inches apart, and the shingles are sealed back down.
Tile roofs. The eave and rake tiles come off so the old metal can be pulled. The underlayment is the waterproof layer on a tile roof, so a worn edge strip is replaced with the metal, and broken tiles are replaced with the closest match available.
Call (877) 557-7778 any time, or use the form below. Office hours are Sunday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Flat Roof Drip Edge and Gravel Stop Repair
On a flat roof, the edge metal is part of the roof system. Its flange sits under the membrane, so when the metal rusts, separates, or lifts in wind, the membrane edge opens with it. A gravel stop is edge metal with a raised lip that keeps gravel on a built-up roof. Flat roof drip edge repair goes in this order:
- Cut back the membrane strip that covers the old flange
- Remove the old metal and check the wood nailer and deck edge beneath it
- Replace any rotted wood, then set and fasten the new edge metal
- Seal new membrane over the flange: torch-down or self-adhered strips on modified bitumen, or a welded strip on TPO
The California Building Code (Section 1504.6) requires replacement edge metal on commercial and apartment roofs to be a wind-designed system tested to ANSI/SPRI ES-1. Leaks at seams, drains, or parapets belong on our flat roof repair page.
Replacing Drip Edge Now or With the Next Reroof
If the roof has years of life left, replacing the failing drip edge on its own makes sense. If the roof will need replacing soon, do both together: during a reroof, the California Residential Code requires rusted, damaged, or deteriorated edgings to be replaced anyway. Our reroofing page covers that job.
Price depends on the linear feet of edge, the roof type, how much wood needs replacing, whether gutters come down, access, and the metal you choose. Estimates are free and in writing. For the broader picture of roofing prices in the region, see our Southern California roof cost guide.
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Get a Drip Edge Replacement Estimate
Send us photos of the damaged edge, the fascia, and the gutter taken from the ground, and tell us the roof type. Call (877) 557-7778 or use the form. We are licensed (CSLB #1119699), bonded, and insured, and there is no charge for the estimate.
Get Your Free Estimate
Please fill out the form below, or call: (877) 557-7778
Please fill out the form below, or call:
(877) 557-7778
Need Roof Repair or Replacement? Get a Free Estimate Today!
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Drip Edge Replacement and Repair Questions
Can drip edge be replaced without removing shingles?
Yes, in most cases. The edge shingles are unsealed and lifted, the old nails are pulled, and the new metal slides in under the underlayment at the eaves and over it at the rakes. The shingles are sealed back down. Very brittle shingles can crack when lifted and may need replacing.
Can a bent drip edge be repaired?
Small dents can sometimes be eased out, but bent metal rarely sits flat again, and a kink can steer water toward the fascia. The usual drip edge repair replaces the damaged length with a new piece lapped at least 2 inches onto the metal on each side.
Why is my fascia rotting behind the gutter?
Water is getting behind the gutter. Common causes are a missing drip edge or gutter apron, drip edge laid on top of the underlayment at the eaves, gutters that overflow, or a gutter hung too low to catch the runoff. Fix the water path, or the new fascia will rot too.
What is a gravel stop, and when does it need replacing?
A gravel stop is edge metal with a raised lip, used on built-up flat roofs to keep the gravel in place and water from spilling over the edge. It needs replacing when it rusts through, separates at the joints, or pulls loose, because the membrane sealed to its flange opens with it.
Should drip edge be replaced when the roof is replaced?
Usually, yes. The California Residential Code requires rusted, damaged, or deteriorated edgings to be replaced during a reroof, and old drip edge is hard to reuse once the roofing around it is torn off. Drip edge replacement during a reroof also puts the new metal in the right order with the new underlayment.
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