Newmarket Roofers installs, repairs, and replaces uPVC fascias, soffits, and guttering for homeowners in Burwell, with all work carried out from scaffold or tower for a safe and lasting result.
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These components sit at the edge of your roof and take the full force of rain and wind all year. The fascia board carries the bottom course of tiles and supports the guttering. The soffit closes off the gap between the fascia and the wall, keeping out damp, birds, and pests. The guttering carries rainwater clear of the structure. If any part fails, water works its way into the roof timbers, walls, or foundations - and damage that costs hundreds to catch early can cost thousands once it is established.
uPVC fascias, soffits, and guttering have become the standard choice on most homes because the material does not rot, does not need periodic painting, and holds its shape through frost and heat. When we remove old timber boards, we inspect the rafter feet and wall plate underneath before any new board is fitted. What we find there determines the rest of the job.
A full roofline replacement on a typical semi-detached house involves stripping the existing fascia, soffit, and guttering, inspecting and treating or replacing any rotten timber, fitting new uPVC boards, and installing a new guttering system at the correct fall. The fall matters: guttering needs a drop of roughly 1 in 600 along its run to drain properly. A level or back-falling gutter holds water, breeds moss, and overflows.
Downpipes are sized to match the guttering and the roof area they drain. On larger roofs, or roofs with complex geometry, an undersized downpipe will back up in heavy rain. We use half-round, ogee, and square-profile systems depending on the property and the customer's preference. All external joints are fitted with sealing gaskets; expansion joints are included on longer runs to allow for thermal movement.
All work is carried out from scaffold or a tower. This is not optional - it is what allows every bracket, joint, and board to be fitted correctly and at the right angle. Work done from a ladder alone tends to produce guttering that looks level but is not, and joints that leak within a year.
A full uPVC fascia, soffit, and guttering replacement on a semi-detached house typically costs between £1,500 and £3,000. Detached properties and those with dormer windows or more complex rooflines will be at the higher end or above it. If rotten rafter feet need splicing or replacing, that adds to the cost but is always better dealt with at the same time as the roofline work rather than later.
There is no government grant for fascia, soffit, or guttering replacement. The 0% VAT relief on roof and loft insulation (in place until 31 March 2027) applies only to insulation materials and does not extend to this type of work. For most homeowners, fascia and gutter replacement is funded privately, and it is worth treating it as maintenance rather than waiting until the damage forces the issue.
If you have spotted a problem - a leaking gutter joint, a cracked fascia, a soffit that has dropped - there are things you can do while waiting for the work to be booked, and things you should leave well alone.
A joint that has opened or a crack in the guttering channel will drip or run in rain. If it is running against the wall, the most useful thing you can do is place a bucket or container at ground level to catch overflow, and move any items stored against the wall - garden furniture, stored wood, wheelie bins - so they are not sitting in the splash zone. Prolonged moisture against a rendered or brick wall encourages damp to track inward.
If the leak is at a union joint and you want a short-term fix, a bead of silicone sealant applied to a dry joint on a dry day will hold it temporarily. This is not a lasting repair - the silicone will eventually fail - but it buys time. Clean the surface first and allow it to cure fully before the next rain. This is one of the few jobs a careful homeowner can do themselves from a stable ladder with a second person holding it steady.
If water is overflowing the front of the gutter rather than leaking at a joint, it is almost certainly blocked. A blocked gutter left through wet months will add significant weight, pull the brackets out of the fascia, and eventually bring the whole run down. If you can safely access the gutter with a ladder, scooping out the debris into a bucket is straightforward. Always have someone footing the ladder. Do not lean out beyond arm's reach - it is the most common cause of domestic ladder falls.
If the blockage is in the downpipe, you will often hear the gutter overflowing but not see water coming from the pipe. Feeding a cane or length of garden hose down the top of the pipe can dislodge a soft blockage. A hardened or compacted blockage in a downpipe usually needs the pipe to be taken apart to clear it properly.
There are jobs that look simple but are not, and attempting them without the right equipment causes more damage than leaving them alone.
While you are waiting for the work, check your loft if you can access it safely. Look at the very edges of the roof space, where the rafters meet the eaves. If the timber feels soft, smells musty, or you can see discolouration, water has already been getting in via the roofline. Note this when the roofer arrives - it will change the scope of work and it is better to know in advance than to discover it halfway through a job.
Damp patches on a bedroom ceiling close to an external wall, or on the wall itself just below the eaves, are worth pointing out. They may or may not be connected to the roofline problem, but they give the roofer useful information and may save a second visit.
When getting prices for this work, ask each roofer whether they plan to inspect the timber before fitting the new boards. Any roofer who gives a firm fixed price for a full roofline replacement without first removing a section of the old board to check the timber underneath is pricing blind. The cost of rot repairs varies too much to include without looking.
Ask whether scaffold or a tower is included, what profile of guttering they are planning, and whether waste disposal is in the price. These questions separate a detailed, thought-through quote from a number on the back of a business card.
If your fascias, soffits, or guttering in Burwell are showing any of the signs described above, call Newmarket Roofers to arrange a roof survey.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
