What does drip edge look like on a house?
Short answer. On a house, drip edge shows as a thin metal strip running along the bottom edges of the roof just above the gutters and up the sloped gable edges. It sits directly under the first row of shingles and over the top of the fascia board, usually painted white, brown, black or bronze to blend with the trim.
Where to look
- Eaves: along the gutter side of the house. The gutter can hide much of it, so look from a ladder at the back edge of the gutter, where the metal lip should overhang into or just behind the trough.
- Rakes: the sloped edges at each gable. Here it is easiest to see, as a narrow metal line between the shingle edge and the rake board.
- Dormers and porch roofs: smaller roofs get drip edge too, and they are often where it was skipped.
Signs a house has no drip edge
- Shingle edges that droop down over the fascia with nothing stiff behind them.
- Peeling paint or soft wood along the top of the fascia, especially at corners.
- Water stains on the fascia behind the gutters.
- Visible deck edge or wood showing when you look up under the shingle edge.
Why many Georgia houses lack it
The IRC began requiring drip edge on shingle roofs with its 2012 edition, and some older homes were built and reroofed without it, especially on the rakes. Those houses commonly show rotted fascia corners and rake boards after 15 or 20 years. When the roof is replaced now, drip edge is part of the code-required work.
Choosing a color
Because it shows from the street, most homeowners match drip edge to the fascia or gutter color. White and brown are the most common on Georgia homes, with black and bronze popular on newer builds.