Start with separate soffit and fascia prices
HomeGuide's guide, visibly dated November 7, 2025, lists $9–$34 per linear foot for the whole eave—soffit plus fascia—in its installed replacement table. Its separate categories are $4–$22 per linear foot for soffits and $5–$12 per linear foot for fascia boards. Those older, location-unspecified publisher estimates are useful context, not newly collected 2026 local bids.
For current material-specific context, Clear Home Projects' 2026 guide publishes installed prices separately for vinyl, aluminum, wood, and fiber cement. It lists $10–$18 per linear foot for fiber-cement soffit alone. The guide supplies no named local market or separate publication date; treat its table as a publisher planning estimate, not a verified contractor quote.
If this work is part of a larger exterior project, use the siding-replacement cost guide for the wall scope and the metal-siding cost guide for metal wall-cladding comparisons. Keep wall area, roof-edge length, and underside overhang area separately measured. A siding price per square foot does not automatically price the eave work.
Installed cost by material, per component
The table preserves the publisher's separate soffit and fascia categories. Every price includes installation as labeled by the source, and each is per linear foot of that component. No row prices a named manufacturer line.
| Material category | Soffit installed per linear foot | Fascia installed per linear foot | Scope to identify in your quote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vinyl | $6–$14 | $5–$10 | Panel and fascia product; vented areas; retained backing |
| Aluminum | $8–$20 | $10–$22 | Soffit panel; fascia product or wrap; underlying wood condition |
| Wood | $7–$12 | $5–$12 | Species, profile, finish, and removal scope |
| Fiber cement | $10–$18 | $8–$16 | Panel and fascia-board identity; finish and support details |
Source: Clear Home Projects, “Soffit Replacement Cost by Material” and “Fascia Replacement Cost by Material”, 2026-labeled visible body, retrieved September 30. The final column is an order-scope question, not another cost claim. The source's tables do not establish a common overhang depth for every material row.
Do not add arbitrary low or high endpoints and call the result the expected whole-eave price. Ask the bidder for the combined installed total on the same measured sections, with each component identified. That preserves the distinction between replacing the underside, replacing the vertical roof-edge board, and covering retained material. It also leaves repairs, gutters, and finishing visible for comparison.
Give the component scope to every bidder as the same marked drawing. Ask each company to confirm any departure from it, including retained sections or a changed finish. Keep revisions attached to the final price so an attractive unit rate cannot conceal a different quantity or a narrower commitment than the other proposal.
A second dated source tests the planning ranges
RemodelingExpense's soffit and fascia guides, both visibly updated June 19, 2026, provide another set of location-unspecified installed planning figures. Its fascia table distinguishes aluminum wrapping from board replacement.
| Published category | Installed price per linear foot | Component scope |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl soffit | $6–$16 | Soffit only |
| Aluminum soffit | $8–$20 | Soffit only |
| Wood soffit | $10–$24 | Soffit only |
| Primed wood fascia | $7–$15 | Fascia; painting planned |
| PVC fascia | $12–$22 | Fascia; PVC category |
| Aluminum-wrapped fascia | $10–$24 | Wrap over sound wood fascia |
Sources: RemodelingExpense soffit installed-material table and fascia installed-material table. These are publisher estimates rather than a measured quote for either product in the specification comparison below.
The wood-soffit ranges differ substantially, while aluminum soffit agrees. That does not establish which publisher is right for your home: neither material table supplies a matched sample with the same width, removal, finish, and access. Request those conditions in the bid. Likewise, a PVC fascia row should retain its PVC label rather than become a universal vinyl-fascia price.
The wrapping row deserves special attention. It describes covering sound wood, not replacing deteriorated structural backing. Ask the contractor to state replacement or wrapping for each section and identify any retained board. Compare that answer with the condition documented during inspection before deciding which published category is relevant.
Overhang depth changes what a linear foot buys
HomeGuide's soffit breakdown separates a one-foot-wide soffit at $4–$11 per linear foot installed from a two-foot-wide soffit at $8–$22 per linear foot installed. Its assumptions identify single-story homes. Ask what overhang depth a per-foot bid includes and whether deep porch areas are priced differently.
There is also a source inconsistency to preserve: HomeGuide's opening combined-cost sentence says “per square foot,” while its whole-eave table and summary label the same combined range per linear foot. This page uses the table's explicit whole-eave label. It does not silently convert that opening sentence into a different unit or treat it as another independent estimate.
Request a drawing or measured schedule of the underside areas and roof-edge boards. Have the contractor identify where depth changes and how it priced those changes. A single perimeter length leaves the underside dimensions unresolved. Ask whether gable returns, porch ceilings, decorative profiles, and other special sections are included in that measurement.
If one bidder uses square feet and another uses linear feet, request their measured quantities and component descriptions rather than comparing the unit prices directly. Ask both to price the same marked sections with the same venting and finish requirements. The complete total and accepted drawing should agree even when the companies prefer different estimating units.
Put soffit and fascia on the siding proposal explicitly
Clear Home Projects' guide discusses combining soffit/fascia work with siding replacement and attributes possible savings to shared mobilization and equipment. That is a publisher's budgeting discussion, not a guaranteed discount. Ask for both a bundled proposal and its identified eave scope before assuming the siding total includes it.
Have the company mark wall siding, soffit, fascia, trim, gutters, and any roofing work on the proposal. Identify each retained surface as clearly as each replaced one. Request the responsible party at the junction between the top of the wall and the underside of the eave. If different crews handle those parts, ask who coordinates their sequence and accepts the completed connection.
Use the same measured schedule for a standalone eave alternative. Ask which access setup, protection, removal, and disposal commitments change when the work is bundled. A smaller combined price is only comparable if the product and repair commitments remain understandable. Request written exclusions so a roof-edge item cannot disappear into an unexplained siding allowance.
For a partial exterior project, request how new eave materials meet retained siding and roof-edge components. Ask the bidder to show the proposed termination and finish rather than promise a match without a sample. Keep that approved detail with the contract, along with any areas deliberately left for later work.
Two named soffit products with measured ventilation
The manufacturer PDFs supply material, dimensions, ventilation, finish, and warranty information. Their airflow units differ. The table retains those units instead of inventing a direct product ranking.
| Documented property | CertainTeed Triple 3-1/3-inch InvisiVent | James Hardie standard vented Hardie Soffit panels |
|---|---|---|
| Material | PVC resin/vinyl | Cellulose fiber-reinforced cement |
| Documented thickness | .044-inch nominal | 1/4 inch |
| Net free area | More than 10.0 square inches per square foot of panel | 5 square inches per linear foot |
| Finish/profile choices described | Matte; invisibly vented triple profile | Smooth or woodgrain; primed or ColorPlus factory finish |
| Use distinction | Invisibly vented version intended for eaves only; solid counterpart can be vertical siding | Exterior soffit covering; vented and unvented versions documented |
| Product warranty document | Lifetime while qualifying original individual owner lives in and owns the single-family home; transfer becomes prorated | HZ5 product document: 30 years from purchase; specified covered persons |
| Purchasing judgment | Require usable vented panel area and its air path on the order | Require vented length and the exact standard-versus-VentedPlus identity |
Sources: CertainTeed January 2021 InvisiVent specification sheet; CertainTeed warranty effective March 1, 2023; James Hardie February 2024 soffit submittal; and Hardie's February 2024 HZ5 product warranty. The CertainTeed document gives the vented profile as greater than 10.0 square inches per square foot; it does not say per linear foot.
The comparison judgment concerns the information each specification needs. Panel area and vented length are different inputs. Ask the designer or installer to document the proposed assembly's usable net free area with units, selected products, and distribution. A raw comparison of the two numbers would leave the geometry unanswered.
Standard Hardie venting and VentedPlus are separate specifications
Hardie's February 2024 submittal, page 1, lists 5 square inches per linear foot for standard vented panels and 12.6 square inches per lineal foot for VentedPlus, with limited availability stated for the latter. A quote saying only “vented Hardie” needs the actual product identification before its airflow can be assessed.
Ask the supplier to identify the ordered panel, width, finish, and availability. Request revised ventilation documentation if a substitute is proposed. Do not let a specification based on one vent pattern survive unchanged when a different panel is delivered. Preserve the product label and accepted schedule with the completed installation records.
The submittal gives panel weight as 2.12 pounds per square foot and identifies primed-for-field-paint and ColorPlus finish choices. Those specifications help define the order; they do not supply a labor surcharge or a lifespan estimate. Ask for the complete supplied-and-installed price of each finish option rather than deriving an allowance from its weight.
Inspect the delivery against that schedule. Have the contractor show where each vented and unvented section will be installed. Ask for a change record if the intended distribution changes during work, particularly where an obstruction or hidden framing condition affects the layout. The completed schedule should describe the eave you receive.
A vented face still needs a clear path behind it
Seattle's adopted residential-code Chapter 8, R806.3, states:
Where eave or cornice vents are installed, blocking, bridging and insulation shall not block the free flow of air. Not less than a 1-inch (25 mm) space shall be provided between the insulation and the roof sheathing and at the location of the vent.
This provision applies where eave or cornice vents are installed. The visible presence of a perforated panel leaves that concealed path to be checked.
Ask the installer to document the existing condition behind the soffit and the proposed path into the vented attic or rafter space. Have it identify any retained underside material and show where air can pass through it. Request photographs before the new panels conceal that work and have the completed path included in the installation scope.
Hardie's HZ5 installation instructions, printed page 79, state that adding an insect screen reduces net free ventilation. Ask what screening is proposed and how its effect is included in the ventilation schedule. Do not rely on the unmodified panel rating after adding an unaccounted covering.
Ask the local authority to review the complete ventilation arrangement where required. If a contractor proposes an unvented roof assembly, request the applicable design and review rather than applying vented-attic ratios automatically. The correct roof assembly needs to be identified before deciding that every eave should receive the same panel pattern.
Attic ventilation: IRC R806.2 as adopted in Seattle
Seattle's city-hosted 2021 Residential Code, Chapter 8, R806.2, PDF page 48, states:
The minimum net free ventilating area shall be 1/150 of the area of the vented space.
Its exception begins:
The minimum net free ventilation area shall be 1/300 of the vented space provided both of the following conditions are met:
The two conditions read:
- In Climate Zones 6, 7 and 8, a Class I or II vapor retarder is installed on the warm-in-winter side of the ceiling.
- Not less than 40 percent and not more than 50 percent of the required ventilating area is provided by ventilators located in the upper portion of the attic or rafter space. Upper ventilators shall be located not more than 3 feet (914 mm) below the ridge or highest point of the space, measured vertically. The balance of the required ventilation provided shall be located in the bottom one-third of the attic space. Where the location of wall or roof framing members conflicts with the installation of upper ventilators, installation more than 3 feet (914 mm) below the ridge or highest point of the space shall be permitted.
The vapor-retarder condition expressly names Climate Zones 6, 7 and 8; it is not an unconditional vapor-retarder requirement for every climate zone. The distribution and placement condition also belongs to the exception. Do not choose the smaller ratio without reviewing the complete applicable provision. These ratios concern vented spaces; the same chapter separately addresses unvented assemblies in R806.5.
This is a jurisdiction-specific quotation from Seattle's adopted IRC text. Have the authority for your address identify the applicable edition, amendments, roof-space area, and arrangement. The manufacturer panel rating tells you what one product provides under its specified conditions; it does not establish the ventilation required for your particular house.
Ask for the accepted calculation and drawing to identify both intake and upper ventilation. Record the product ratings, their units, usable area or length, distribution, and any screens or blocked sections. Keep that document with the bid so a later material substitution can be reviewed against the same intended requirement.
Read the soffit warranty separately from its finish
CertainTeed's manufacturer warranty effective March 1, 2023, pages 3–4, includes soffit in its covered vinyl-product definition. Its lifetime provision applies while the qualifying original individual homeowner lives in and owns the single-family home. Subsequent owners have a prorated 50-year term measured from the original installation; fade protection does not transfer.
The CertainTeed document also excludes unauthorized painting or coating over the original finish. Request the selected color and any planned site coating before comparing coverage. A contractor's ability to apply paint does not establish manufacturer approval for that proposed alteration.
Hardie's HZ5 manufacturer warranty, effective February 2024, includes Hardie Soffit HZ5 panels in its 30-year product term from purchase. It identifies covered purchasers/owners and the first transferee, requires installation under its instructions and applicable codes, and excludes payment for labor or accessory materials.
Ask each seller to supply the applicable product and finish warranties for the actual order. Hardie's submittal separately labels the ColorPlus finish warranty; obtain that document if the order includes that finish. Do not carry a soffit substrate term across paint, fascia, or installation work simply because those parts share a brand name.
Fascia board, subfascia, and metal wrap need a condition record
RemodelingExpense's fascia guide identifies wrapping over sound wood separately from replacement and flags rafter-tail condition as a project variable. Ask the contractor to show what it found, which wood stays, and what it proposes to remove. A new visible covering should not be the sole description of the underlying work.
Request a section drawing identifying the visible fascia, retained backing, gutter connection, roof-edge material, and soffit termination. Have the bidder describe how those parts connect and which instructions govern the selected products. Identify who will inspect concealed conditions after removal and how the findings will reach you before further work is authorized.
For visible deterioration, ask for the repair to be described separately from the finish covering. Request photographs of the exposed condition and the accepted repair before wrapping or panels conceal it. Keep the repair record with the invoice so a later concern can distinguish product condition from the construction it covers.
If only some sections need replacement, ask for a marked schedule of repaired, replaced, wrapped, and untouched areas. Have the company identify the resulting transitions and finish. That gives a partial repair quote a clear scope without inventing a universal repair allowance or assuming every edge of the house needs the same treatment.
Agree on gutters and roof-edge responsibilities
HomeGuide's fascia replacement discussion explicitly includes removal and reinstallation of existing gutters in its stated fascia fee. That inclusion belongs to the source's estimate. Ask whether your contractor's installed total includes the same work, rather than transferring the publisher's scope to every bid.
Request the proposed gutter treatment in writing: retained and reinstalled, separately repaired, or replaced. Have the company identify any exclusions for damaged sections and state who supplies the final connection details. Ask which roof-edge components remain and which require another trade's involvement. Keep those responsibilities alongside the eave schedule.
If roofing or gutter work is occurring at the same time, request the sequence and acceptance point for each company. Ask who inspects the exposed edge before the next component hides it and who addresses an unresolved connection. A combined schedule is useful only when each company understands which work it owns.
At completion, ask for a walk-through of the agreed gutter and roof-edge work, supported by photographs of concealed connections. Record unfinished sections and the follow-up commitment. The completed fascia appearance should be assessed alongside the actual contract description, including the work that was deliberately left to another company.
Specify finishing, access, and restoration before comparing totals
Write down the chosen material, color, texture, and finish for each component. Ask for samples where a new soffit must meet retained siding or where a painted fascia must match another surface. Identify who performs field finishing and how completion will be recorded. Keep product and locally applied finish coverage separately stated.
Have the bidder describe access and protection for each elevation. Show it landscaping, fences, additions, porch roofs, utility equipment, and any areas where access is restricted. Request the affected surfaces and restoration work in the scope. Avoid using an unspecified single-story publisher range to settle the cost of a project with a different access arrangement.
Request removal and disposal details, including which materials remain in place. For work that depends on conditions exposed later, ask for the change process and the party who approves additional scope. Put known work in the original contract and conditional findings in a documented procedure, with an understandable route from inspection to revised price.
At handover, match the installed materials to the accepted product schedule. Obtain the ventilation documentation, manufacturer instructions, applicable warranties, repair photographs, finishing records, and any required approval records. Ask the installer to identify how to report loose panels, finish concerns, or an unresolved roof-edge issue under its own workmanship agreement.
What we could not verify
- The ICC-hosted 2021 IRC Chapter 8 returned HTTP 403 on a plain fetch. A browser-user-agent retry exposed a subscription shell without the section text; same-site search did not provide a usable full R806.2/R806.3 extraction. The ventilation quotations use Seattle's reachable city-hosted adopted-code PDF instead.
Questions to ask before you compare quotes
Sources
All retrieved 2026-09-30.
- Clear Home Projects, "Soffit and Fascia Replacement Cost: 2026 Pricing by Material" (visible installed component tables; no separate publication date or named local market supplied)
- RemodelingExpense, "Soffit Cost: 2026 Installed Price Calculator," updated June 19, 2026
- RemodelingExpense, "Fascia Cost: 2026 Installed Price Calculator," updated June 19, 2026
- HomeGuide, "How Much Does It Cost to Replace Soffits and Fascia Boards?" visible date November 7, 2025 (older price context; visible body fetched through web tool after ordinary HTTP request returned 403)
- CertainTeed, "Triple 3-1/3-inch Solid and InvisiVent Super Ventilated Soffit Specification Sheet," January 2021 (primary-document extraction; manufacturer PDF hosted by distributor)
- CertainTeed, "Vinyl Siding Products Lifetime Limited Warranty," effective March 1, 2023, printed January 2024 (primary-document extraction; manufacturer PDF hosted by distributor; opened through web tool after ordinary HTTP 403)
- James Hardie, "Hardie Soffit Panels Submittal Form / Specification Sheet 06," February 2024 (primary-document extraction; manufacturer PDF hosted by BuildSite)
- James Hardie, "Hardie Siding and Trim Express Limited Product Warranty," HZ5, effective February 2024 (primary-document extraction; actual fetched PDF is the February 2024 version, despite older indexed descriptions)
- James Hardie, "HardieSoffit Panels" HZ5 installation instructions, April 2018 (primary-document extraction; printed page 79, screening provision)
- Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections, "2021 Seattle Residential Code, Chapter 8 — Roof-Ceiling Construction," R806.2 and R806.3 (primary-document extraction; PDF page 48)