What is soffit on a house?
Short answer. Soffit is the material covering the underside of the roof overhang, the part you see when you stand under the eaves and look up. It closes in the rafter tails, keeps out animals and weather, and in most homes contains vents that let air into the attic.
The parts of an eave
- Fascia: the vertical board at the roof edge where the gutter attaches.
- Soffit: the underside running from the fascia back to the wall.
- Frieze board: trim where the soffit meets the siding on some homes.
- Drip edge: metal flashing at the roof edge that directs water into the gutter.
- Gutter: attached to the fascia.
Styles
- Boxed eave: rafter tails enclosed with a level soffit, the most common style.
- Sloped soffit: attached directly to the underside of the rafters, following the roof pitch.
- Open eave: no soffit, with exposed rafter tails and vent blocks between them.
- Rake soffit: the underside of the overhang along a gable's sloped edge.
Why it matters to the roof
Soffit and fascia take the overflow when gutters clog, so they are often where rot starts. They are also the attic's intake, so their condition affects how hot and damp the attic gets, and with it the life of the shingles and deck. Animals often enter at weak soffit corners and returns.
What to watch for
Peeling paint, stains, sagging panels, chewed corners and vents clogged with paint or nests. Read roof anatomy explained and drip edge explained.