Guttering, Fascias and Soffits in Exeter
A gutter that overflows in every downpour, a downpipe that has parted from the wall, fascia boards going soft behind the paint. None of it looks urgent, and all of it is quietly wetting the wall below. Tell us what you can see and we will pass it to a roofing firm that does roofline work across Exeter.
The Cheapest Damp Fix on the House
A good share of the "roof leaks" reported across Exeter are the guttering. An overflowing gutter throws water down the face of the wall, it soaks through to the inside, and the stain on the bedroom ceiling looks exactly like a roof leak.
So before anyone climbs onto the roof, it is worth checking the gutters. Stand outside in heavy rain and watch. Water pouring over the front edge means a blockage or a gutter that has dropped out of level. Water dripping from a joint means a failed seal or a cracked bracket. Both are quick to fix and much cheaper than chasing a leak that is not there.
Repair, Replace or Clear
Clearing. Moss off the roof, leaves from the plane trees along the older streets, and the grit that washes off tiles all end up in the gutter. Clearing is not a separate service we offer; it is usually where a repair is found, and a roofer who clears a gutter will tell you what else they saw.
Repair. A dropped bracket, a failed union joint, a cracked length or a downpipe that has come loose. On modern uPVC guttering these are small jobs. On the cast-iron gutters that survive on many of the older houses around St Leonard's, Southernhay and Topsham, repair means new bolts, new seals and sometimes a length recast to match.
Replacement. When the plastic has gone brittle and cracks at every bracket, or the cast iron has rusted through along the back edge, a full run is replaced. uPVC is the usual choice. On a conservation street the look of cast iron or a cast-aluminium equivalent may matter, and in some cases the council will have a view.
Fascias and soffits. The fascia is the board the gutter hangs from; the soffit is the board underneath that closes the eaves. Timber ones rot from the back, behind the paint, and the first sign is often a gutter bracket pulling out. Replacing them in uPVC is a common job and it is worth doing at the same time as new guttering, because the gutter has to come off anyway.
What Changes the Price
Length. Priced by the metre, more or less, and a semi has a lot less roofline than a detached house.
Height and access. Ground-floor extensions are ladder work. The eaves of a three-storey terrace are not, and the access can cost more than the guttering.
Material. uPVC is the cheapest. Cast iron and cast aluminium cost several times as much, but on the right house they are the correct answer.
What is behind it. If the fascia is rotten the gutter cannot be refixed to it, and the fascia becomes part of the job.
Downpipes and outlets. A gutter that drains to a soakaway or a gully needs the outlet checked as well.
Our roof repair costs guide includes researched 2026 UK ranges for gutter and fascia work.
Guttering Around Exeter
Cast iron on the older streets. Georgian and Victorian houses across the city centre, St Leonard's and Heavitree often still carry their original cast-iron gutters. They last indefinitely if painted and rebolted; they fail at the back edge when they are not.
Hidden gutters. The parapet gutters behind the front walls of the Georgian terraces are lead-lined and out of sight, which is why they can leak for years. See roof repairs.
uPVC on the estates. Across Whipton, Wonford, Pinhoe and Beacon Heath the guttering is plastic from the seventies and eighties, now brittle. Whole runs tend to go at once.
Salt on the coast. From Exmouth to Dawlish, fixings corrode faster and brackets fail earlier. Stainless or plastic fixings are worth specifying.
How It Works
Tell us what the gutters are doing. We pass it to a roofing firm covering your area and they contact you to look and quote. We do not do the work and we do not inspect or approve the firm that does. Free, no obligation, and outside working hours you will hear back the next working day.
Related Services
If the water turns out to be coming through the roof, see roof repairs. New fascias and gutters are often done alongside a roof replacement, when the scaffold is already up. Flat-roofed extensions with their own outlets are covered under flat roofing.
Areas We Cover
Roofline work across Exeter, St Leonard's, Heavitree, St Thomas, Newtown, Whipton, Wonford, Pinhoe, Alphington, Topsham, Exminster, Exmouth, Dawlish and Newton Abbot. see all service areas
Common Questions
How often should gutters be cleared?
Once a year on most houses, twice if you are under trees. It is the cheapest maintenance on the house and the roofer will tell you if they see anything else while they are up there.
Can rotten fascias be painted over?
Not usefully. Once the timber is soft the paint is holding water in rather than out. Replacing the board, usually in uPVC, is the lasting fix.
Do I have to replace cast-iron gutters with plastic?
No. Cast iron can be repaired and repainted, and cast-aluminium reproductions exist for houses where the look matters. On a conservation street it is worth asking the council before swapping to uPVC.
Get a Free Quote for Guttering, Fascias & Soffits
Describe the job and we will hand it to a roofing firm covering your area.