Usually yes, if both are near the end of their life. Scaffold is a significant part of the cost of each job and you only pay for it once if they are done together. The eaves detail — underlay, drip trim and the fascia the gutter hangs from — is also far easier to get right with the bottom course of tiles off, which is exactly when the roofer is already there.
- Scaffold is often the single biggest shared cost. Paying for it twice is the avoidable waste.
- The eaves detail is where roof and roofline meet, and it is done properly only once.
- New guttering on a rotten fascia, or a new fascia under a failing roof, is work you will revisit.
- If one is clearly near end of life and the other is not, say so and get both assessed rather than assuming.
Why these two jobs belong together
The roof and the roofline are treated as separate trades in people's minds, and they are physically continuous. The bottom course of tiles sits over the fascia; the underlay should drape into the gutter; the gutter hangs off brackets screwed into the fascia; the fascia is fixed to the rafter feet.
Every one of those junctions is a place where water either goes where it should or goes somewhere expensive. They are also almost impossible to get properly right from one side.
Doing both at once means the eaves can be detailed as a single piece of work. Doing them separately means either the roofer works around existing roofline, or the roofline fitter works under existing tiles, and in both cases the junction is a compromise.
The cost argument
Scaffold is the obvious one. On a two-storey house it is a substantial line item, and it is the same scaffold for either job. Paying for its design, delivery, erection, standing time and removal twice, within a few years, is money for nothing.
There are secondary savings. One mobilisation instead of two. One set of waste removal. One period of disruption and one set of neighbour conversations. And where the eaves need work — repairing rafter ends, replacing perished underlay at the bottom edge — that work serves both jobs rather than being done twice or, worse, done once and disturbed by the second visit.
| Item | Done together | Done separately |
|---|---|---|
| Scaffold | Once | Twice |
| Mobilisation and set-up | Once | Twice |
| Waste removal | Combined | Two collections |
| Eaves detail | Resolved as one operation | Compromised from each side |
| Rafter-end repair | Done once, serves both | Risk of being disturbed by the later job |
| Disruption to you | One period | Two |
| Guarantee | One contractor owns the eaves | Potential dispute over whose junction leaked |
The eaves detail, and why it matters so much
The eaves is the most failure-prone part of a pitched roof, and it is where these two jobs meet.
Old bitumen underlay goes brittle with age and tears exactly where it overhangs into the gutter — the point most exposed to UV and weather. Once it has perished there, water running off the tiles goes behind the fascia rather than into the gutter, which rots the fascia and the rafter ends.
Putting that right properly means an eaves repair: new underlay at the bottom edge, usually over an eaves protector tray that supports it into the gutter, with a drip trim so water is thrown clear. That requires lifting the bottom courses of tiles. If the roofline is being replaced at the same time, the fascia is off anyway and the whole detail can be built correctly in one go.
If you replace the guttering alone, the fitter is working under tiles they cannot lift, with underlay they cannot replace, fixing new brackets to a fascia they can only partially inspect. It can be done, and it is a compromise.
When to do them together
- Both are showing their age — the obvious case.
- The roof needs replacing and the fascias are original timber. They will not outlast the new roof.
- Fascias are soft and the gutter is sagging. The gutter has nothing sound to hang from, and whatever is wetting the fascia is probably a roof detail.
- Water is getting behind the gutter rather than into it, which points at perished eaves underlay.
- You are having scaffold up anyway for something else, including rendering or chimney work.
- You are selling within a few years and want the externals signed off as one piece of work.
When not to
There is a genuine case for separating them, and it is worth stating honestly rather than pushing the bigger job.
If the roofline was replaced within the last decade in uPVC and is sound, there is no reason to disturb it for a re-roof — the roofer works to it, and the eaves detail is formed against the existing fascia. uPVC roofline has a long life and replacing it early is waste.
Equally, if the roof has twenty years left and the guttering is failing now, do the guttering. Nobody should re-roof a sound roof to save on scaffold later.
And budget is a legitimate reason to stage work. If doing both at once is not affordable, the right order is almost always roof first — it is the thing keeping water out of the building — with the roofline done as soon as practical afterwards. Where we are doing it that way, we will detail the eaves to suit the roofline that is coming rather than the one that is there.
What we would advise against is new guttering fixed to a fascia that is already soft. That is money spent on brackets screwed into material that will not hold them.
What a combined job involves
- Scaffold to the working elevations.
- Strip the old covering, battens and underlay; inspect the roof structure properly, usually for the first time in decades.
- Remove the old fascias, soffits and guttering; inspect the rafter ends and repair or splice where decayed.
- Fit new fascias and soffits, with ventilation at the eaves maintained or improved.
- Lay new underlay with eaves protection into the gutter line, and new treated battens.
- Re-cover, with new flashings and a mechanically fixed ridge.
- Fit guttering set to a working fall, with downpipes discharging into clear gullies.
- Clear up, and walk the job with you before the scaffold comes down — that is the cheapest moment to correct anything.
What it costs
These are the roofing and roofline figures published across this site:
| Job | Typical Coventry guide price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full re-roof (typical semi) | £5,000–£9,000 | Strip, membrane, batten, re-tile |
| Larger / detached re-roof | £9,000–£12,000+ | Scaffolding included |
| Minor roof repair | from £150–£400 | Slipped or broken tiles, usually one day |
And the roofline figures:
Roofline guide prices
| Job | Typical Coventry guide price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full uPVC fascia, soffit & guttering (semi) | £1,000–£1,500 | Supply & fit |
| Per elevation (fascia + gutter) | £400–£700 | Front or rear |
| Gutter clean & reseal | £80–£200 | Clears blockages, stops overflow |
| Labour | ~£30/hr | Qualified roofline fitter |
Combining the two does not simply add those figures together, because the scaffold and the eaves work are shared. That shared element is the saving, and we will show it in the quote rather than leaving you to assume it.
We inspect the roof and the roofline together and tell you honestly if one of them has years left. Free inspection, fixed written quote.
Frequently asked questions
How much do you save doing the roof and guttering together?
The main saving is scaffold, which on a two-storey house is a substantial item and is otherwise paid for twice. Add one mobilisation instead of two, shared waste removal and eaves work done once rather than twice. We show the shared element in the quote so you can see what combining actually saves rather than taking it on trust.
Can guttering be replaced without touching the roof?
Yes, and it is done all the time. The compromise is that the fitter cannot lift the tiles to replace perished underlay at the eaves or inspect the rafter ends fully. If the fascia is sound and the eaves underlay is intact, that is fine. If water has been getting behind the gutter, it is usually a sign those things are not fine.
Which should be done first if I can only do one?
The roof, in almost every case — it is what keeps water out of the building, and a failing roof will damage new roofline anyway. The exception is where the roof has years of life left and the guttering is actively overflowing and soaking a wall, in which case fix the thing causing damage now.
Will new guttering fit old fascias?
Physically, usually. The question is whether the fascia is sound enough to hold the brackets, because that is what carries the weight of a full gutter. We probe the timber rather than judging by the paint — a fascia that takes a screwdriver easily will not hold a bracket for long, however good the gutter is.
Does replacing the roofline affect loft ventilation?
It can, and it is the detail most often got wrong. A roof needs airflow at the eaves to avoid condensation, and a soffit replaced with a solid board and no vents blocks that path. Vented soffits or over-fascia vents should be part of the specification. If the roof is being done at the same time, the whole ventilation strategy can be sorted properly.
How long does a combined roof and roofline job take?
On a typical semi, usually somewhere around one to two weeks on site once scaffold is up, weather permitting. Doing them separately takes longer in total, because each visit needs its own set-up, scaffold period and clear-up.
One visit, one scaffold, one accountable team
We inspect the roof and the roofline together, detail the eaves as a single piece of work, and show you what combining the jobs actually saves. Free inspection, fixed written quote.