How long to replace fascias and soffits on a house?

Length comes first: the more roofline a house has, the longer the job. A small bungalow with two elevations is quicker than a detached house with a rear extension, a porch and a garage. Height matters because a three-storey house needs a bigger scaffold and slower, more careful handling. Every corner, return and bay adds cutting and fitting time.

The number of parts counts too. Fascia, soffit, bargeboards and guttering together take longer than any one alone. Gutters usually come down for the boards to be changed, and our page on overflowing gutters shows why it makes sense to renew them in the same visit.

The state of the old work also counts. Boards fixed with a lot of old nails, or painted many times, take longer to remove cleanly than a plain modern plastic board that clips off.

First the scaffold goes up, which on its own takes a visit before anyone touches the roof. The gutters and downpipes come off, followed by the old fascia and soffit boards. Then comes the part that cannot be priced in advance: looking at what is underneath.

Rafter ends, wall plates and the felt at the eaves are checked. Sound timber stays. Rotten ends are cut back and repaired, and the eaves underlay is lapped so it runs into the gutter. New soffit and fascia boards go on, ventilation is built in, the gutters follow, and the scaffold comes down. We take the rubbish with us when we go.

Plastic boards go up quickly once the timber is sorted. The slow parts are the preparation and the repairs that nobody can see until the old boards are off.

Expect noise and some dust, and a scaffold that blocks a side gate or a back door for a few days. Move cars off the drive, put away garden furniture and warn neighbours who share a boundary. Pets and small children should stay clear of the working side.

Windows may be fitted with a board in front on days when the soffit is open, so air and light can change briefly. Bad weather can stop the work, since boards and sealants cannot be fixed safely in rain or strong wind, and the crew will say when that is the case.

A small terrace with a single front and back run is the quickest, since the scaffold is short and there are few corners. A semi-detached house has more roofline and a gable edge, and a detached house with a garage, porch or extension has the longest runs of all.

Three-storey houses and those with steep or hipped roofs take longer again, because every board has to be passed up and fixed from a high platform. Period houses, such as the Victorian villas of Old Town, may hide moulded timber, deep cornices or lead that is slower to work around.

Treat this as a guide to the order, not a promise. Only a survey of your own roofline can say how many days it needs, and a house that looks simple from the road sometimes hides a long rear run, a sunroom edge or a lean-to that the plan did not show.

• Rotten rafter ends or wall plates found once the old fascia is off.
• Heavy rain or wind, which stops work at height and on the roof edge.
• Awkward access, such as a narrow side passage or a neighbour's wall that limits the scaffold.
• Extra elevations or features such as dormers, porches and bays.
• Old soffit boards that need testing or specialist handling.

None of these is unusual, and a good survey picks up the likely ones before the job starts. A written quote based on photographs of your own roofline gives the best idea of the time, and if something unexpected turns up we tell you before carrying on.

The HSE tells owners of homes dating from before 2000 to presume asbestos until shown otherwise, and external soffits feature on its list of places for insulating board. Nobody can reliably tell it from a modern board by sight. Most work to remove it falls to specialist contractors, so a doubtful soffit may need testing, and a different route, before roofline work can start.

That can change both the time and the plan, so tell us if your home is of that age. Our page on asbestos soffits sets out what to expect. Algae on the boards is a separate matter, covered in our note on mouldy soffits.

If your house is a listed building, or lies within a conservation area, timber boards in the original profile may be expected and some work needs consent first. Waiting for that adds to the lead time, so speak to the planning team at Swindon Borough Council, or the council covering your town, before you order materials. Our page on roofline in conservation areas goes through the options.

Whatever the house, the survey gives you photographs of your own roofline and a written quote follows, so the timing is agreed before anyone arrives. We would rather mend one run than replace four.

Work carries a 10-year workmanship guarantee in writing. See our gutters, soffits and fascias service.