Know Your Roof · Soffit & Fascia
Soffit vs Fascia: What's the Difference?
Quick answer
Fascia is the board along the edge of your roof, and your gutters hang on it. Soffit is the panel you see when you look up under the overhang, between the fascia and the wall. Fascia finishes the roof edge. Soffit closes in the underside and usually lets the attic breathe.
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How to tell them apart
Walk outside and look at the roofline. The vertical board with the gutter on it is the fascia. Now look straight up under the overhang. That flat or slotted panel is the soffit.
What each one does
Fascia covers the ends of the rafters, gives the gutters something solid to screw into, and keeps rain and critters out of the roof edge. Soffit covers the open underside of the overhang. On most homes it's also vented, so outside air can get into the attic.
How they go bad
Mostly water. A clogged gutter spills behind itself and soaks the fascia. An ice dam pushes meltwater up under the shingles and into the edge. Once the paint cracks or the wood gets soft, birds, squirrels and wasps find the gaps, and soffit panels start to sag or drop open.
What they're made of
Fascia is usually painted wood, aluminum-wrapped wood, PVC or composite. Soffit is vinyl, aluminum, fiber cement or wood, in solid or vented panels.
Looking for another word? See the roofing terms glossary, A to Z.