Drip edge is the L-shaped metal strip along the edges of your roof. It sends water off the shingles and into the gutter instead of letting it wick back under the shingles and into the wood. When it is missing, bent or rusted, the roof decking and fascia along the edge start to rot. We replace the damaged drip edge, fix soft wood underneath and send you photos.
Many older Pine Bluff homes were roofed without drip edge at all. For years nothing seems wrong, then the fascia board gets soft, paint peels along the eaves, and one day there is a stain on the ceiling near an outside wall. By then the water has been working into the edge of the roof for a long time.
Signs of a drip edge problem
- Peeling paint or dark stains on the fascia board below the roof edge
- Soft or crumbling wood at the edge of the roof
- Gutters pulling away or sagging
- Stains on the ceiling near an outside wall
- Water running behind the gutter instead of into it
- Shingles hanging over the edge with no metal under them
What drip edge does
Water has surface tension. When it reaches the edge of a shingle, some of it curls back underneath instead of dropping off. Drip edge gives it a clean edge to fall from and holds it out past the fascia so it lands in the gutter. The current residential building code requires drip edge on eaves and rakes of shingle roofs for that reason.
In Pine Bluff, with about 50 inches of rain a year and gutters full of pine needles for much of it, water that backs up at the edge has plenty of chances to soak in.
How we repair drip edge
Find it
Attic check first, then the roof. A water test if the spot is not obvious.
Price it
A written price for the exact repair. You approve it before we start.
Fix it
We repair the spot that leaks and check the area around it.
Prove it
Before and after photos go to your phone.
We lift the first course of shingles, remove bent or rusted metal, replace any soft decking along the edge, and install new drip edge in the right order with the underlayment: under it along the eaves and over it along the rakes. If the fascia behind it is rotted, we replace that board too, or point you to our fascia and soffit repair page for bigger sections.
Text Jacob a photo of the fascia and roof edge. Same-day response in Pine Bluff, and a written price before any work starts.
Drip edge repair cost in Pine Bluff
| Repair | Typical Central Arkansas range |
|---|---|
| Replace a short section of drip edge (minor repair) | $150 to $450 |
| New drip edge along a full side of the house | Quoted on site, priced by length |
| Rotted decking or fascia behind it | Shown in photos, then priced |
Ranges based on published Central Arkansas roofing cost guides (2025 and 2026). They are not quotes. Your written price comes after we look at your roof, and you approve it before any work starts.
What you can check from the ground
Stand under the eaves and look up at the roof edge. You should see a thin strip of metal between the shingles and the fascia board. If you see shingle edges hanging over bare wood, there is no drip edge. Look for dark streaks on the fascia, peeling paint, or gaps between the gutter and the board. During a rain, watch whether water drops cleanly into the gutter or dribbles down behind it.
Drip edge and gutters
Drip edge and gutters work together. A clogged or sagging gutter overflows onto the fascia even with good drip edge. When we fix drip edge, we check the gutter too. If the gutter is leaking at the seams or pulling away, see gutter leak repair.
Prevent roof edge rot
Keep gutters clear, especially from late winter through spring when most of Pine Bluff’s rain falls. Make sure gutters hang just below the drip edge, not level with the shingles, so water lands inside them. Repaint bare fascia before the wood starts soaking up water. If your home was reroofed without drip edge, adding it along the eaves and rakes is one of the cheapest ways to protect the roof edge for the life of the roof. We see missing drip edge often on older homes in East Pine Bluff and Dollarway.
Drip edge FAQ
Does my roof need drip edge?
Current code requires it on shingle roofs, and it protects the roof edge and fascia from rot. Many older homes do not have it.
Can drip edge be added without a new roof?
Yes. We lift the first course of shingles along the edge, slide the drip edge in and fasten it, then reseal the shingles.
Why is my fascia rotting?
Usually water getting behind the gutter or wicking under shingles with no drip edge. Clogged gutters make it worse.
What color drip edge do you use?
We match it to your roof or trim as closely as possible, commonly white, brown or black.
Is drip edge the same as gutter apron?
They do a similar job. Gutter apron is a type of edge metal shaped to lap into the gutter. We use the right piece for your roof and gutter setup.
See all our leak repair services or go back to roof leak repair in Pine Bluff.