Who repairs soffits, a roofer or a gutter company?

Pick the trade by the cause

The right business depends on why the soffit is damaged, not on the word soffit. Soffit sits where the roof ends and the wall begins, so the trade that fits is the one that handles the cause.

• The problem starts at the roof edge or you are re-roofing: call a roofer. Virginia's roofing specialty is defined this way: roofing contracting (ROC) covers the materials that make a watertight surface for roofs, and it includes roofing system components when they are installed in conjunction with a roofing project.^[3]
• Soffit on its own, or with siding and trim: a siding, exterior or home-improvement contractor. Home improvement contracting (HIC) covers repairs or improvements to dwellings and townhouses.^[3]
• Gutters and fascia are being replaced too: a gutter company can make sense, because the crew is already on the eave.
• Animals are getting in: a wildlife control business first, then the repair.

Why the licence matters more than the trade name

The Board for Contractors' list of specialty services has no separate siding or gutter specialty,^[3] so a siding or gutter business may hold a roofing, home-improvement or general licence, or none that fits. DPOR's hiring guide says that if you want only roofing or plumbing work, you may want to hire a contractor licensed in that particular specialty.^[1]

If the work you are considering is valued at $1,000 or more, a valid Virginia Contractor's License is required.^[1] Under the Code of Virginia, Class C contractors perform or manage work when the total value of a single contract or project is over $1,000 but less than $30,000.^[2] A license number in an advertisement or on a business card does not necessarily mean the contractor's license is valid,^[1] so look each business up and read the specialty it holds.

Why a roofer sometimes is the better call

Soffit and the roof edge share a job, and the soffit is the intake side of attic ventilation: Virginia Cooperative Extension advises that most homes should have a combination of a continuous ridge vent along the peak of the roof and continuous soffit vents at the eaves.^[6] A leak at the eave, or damaged soffit that came from a failed edge, is a roof problem first, and a roofer is already equipped for the height.

If a re-roof is coming, ask the roofer to quote soffit repair with it. One crew handles the edge once, and a single contract covers it.

Older houses and lead

On a house built before 1978, ask about lead before anything else. EPA says that in general anyone who is paid to perform work that disturbs paint in housing built before 1978 must be certified, even sole proprietorships.^[4] A vinyl panel swap may not disturb paint, but scraping or replacing painted wood soffit or fascia will.

Hiring steps

Ask each business to look at the damage and to put the cause in writing, then get at least three written bids or estimates using identical plans and specifications.^[1] Virginia law requires all licensed contractors to provide a written contract for residential work.^[1] Limit your deposit to 10% down or $1,000, whichever is less.^[1]

A good written bid names the material (vinyl soffit comes in solid and perforated panels^[5]), the number of panels or feet, whether fascia and paint are included, and what happens if rot is found.

Stop and call a pro if

• You cannot reach the damage from a stable ladder or it is above the first storey.
• The soffit is wet, sagging or stained. The leak has to be found first.
• Animals are using it as a way in.
• A business has no licence number to give you, or the number does not match the name on the contract.

Getting help in Virginia

For the work itself, see how to replace a vinyl soffit panel, and for pricing, how much soffit repair costs in Virginia. The related question for fascia is covered in roofer or siding contractor for soffit and fascia. Browse roofing answers or soffit repair on Loclis, and when you are ready, describe the soffit repair once and licensed local businesses quote it.