Mildew treatment
Soffits get a mildewcide wash that kills spores at the root. Painting over live mildew just traps it, and the dark spots return through the new finish within one wet summer.
Fascia and soffit painting for Sarasota rooflines
Peeling fascia and gray, mildew-streaked soffits make an otherwise sound house look neglected, and failing paint on the roof edge lets water into the boards behind the gutter.
Quick answer
Fascia and soffit painting covers the trim boards along the roof edge and the underside of the eaves. We wash off mildew and chalk, repair soft wood, caulk joints, then prime and paint with a mildew-resistant exterior finish, keeping soffit vents clear so the attic can still breathe.
The roofline frames the whole house. Even a freshly painted wall looks tired under a fascia with peeling paint and a soffit freckled with black mildew. These surfaces are also the hardest for homeowners to reach, so they often go years past their repaint date while the walls get attention. Fascia faces rain head-on and sits behind gutters that overflow during summer storms. Soffits stay shaded, damp and still, which is exactly where mildew thrives.
Painting eaves well is mostly about the steps before the brush. Mildew has to be killed, not just covered, or it bleeds through the new coat within months. Soft fascia needs repair, and gaps where soffit panels meet the fascia need sealing against insects and wind-driven rain. Vented soffits, whether aluminum, vinyl or perforated wood, must stay open so the attic keeps breathing. Our painters work each elevation from ladders or staging, finishing the roofline before the walls below so drips never land on fresh paint.
Roofline work in every fascia and soffit job
Fascia inspection
We probe fascia boards, especially at corners, gutter ends and spots under roof valleys, and mark any soft wood for repair or replacement before primer goes anywhere near it.
Gutter coordination
Where gutters are attached, we paint the visible fascia around them carefully. If you are replacing gutters soon, it is worth scheduling so the fascia behind them gets painted while exposed.
Vent protection
Continuous soffit vents and perforated panels are cleaned and painted with a light hand, often sprayed and back-rolled, so the coating never bridges over the openings that ventilate the attic.
Joint sealing
Gaps between soffit and wall, at fascia miters and where the roof drip edge meets the board are caulked to keep out wasps, rain and the small lizards that nest in eave cavities.
Mildew-resistant finish
We use an exterior acrylic with mildewcide suited to shaded eaves, in a sheen that matches your trim. Aluminum soffit and fascia wrap get a bonding primer first.
How Sarasota weather wears down eaves and rooflines
Deep overhangs are common on Florida homes because they shade walls from the sun. The tradeoff is that soffits rarely get direct light, stay humid and become mildew farms, especially on north elevations and under dense oaks or palms. Fascia takes the opposite punishment: full afternoon sun on the west side and sheets of rain whenever a gutter overflows during a summer storm. Paint on a south or west fascia can chalk and fade in a few years while the soffit just a foot away grows black spots.
Many Sarasota homes have aluminum soffit and fascia wrap installed over the original wood. That wrap can be painted with the right bonding primer, though dents and loose seams should be addressed first. Wood fascia on older ranch and mid-century homes is more likely to hide rot, particularly under tile roofs where the drip edge sends water behind the board. During hurricane season, poorly sealed soffits can let wind-driven rain into the attic, so sealing joints is part of every job we do.
Signs your fascia and soffit need painting
- Black or green mildew spots spreading across the underside of the eaves
- Paint peeling off fascia boards in long strips behind the gutters
- Bare gray wood showing at fascia corners and along roof edges
- Wasps or mud daubers nesting in gaps between soffit and wall
- Chalky, faded fascia on the sunny side that rubs off on your fingers
How we paint fascia and soffits
Clean the eaves
We soft-wash fascia and soffits with a mildewcide solution, rinse at low pressure to protect vents and seams, and let everything dry before we start scraping or repairing.
Scrape and repair
Loose paint is scraped and sanded smooth. Soft fascia gets cut out and replaced, aluminum wrap is refastened, and damaged soffit panels are swapped where needed.
Caulk and prime
Joints and nail holes are sealed. Bare wood gets an exterior primer, and aluminum or vinyl gets a bonding primer so the finish coat adheres instead of flaking off.
Apply the finish
Soffits are painted first, often sprayed lightly and back-brushed, then fascia is brushed and rolled. Two coats go on the fascia, since it takes the most sun and rain.
Clean up below
We protect walls, windows and the lanai screen below while working. Drop cloths come up, masking is removed, and we check for drips on the walls before we leave.
What determines fascia and soffit pricing
We price fascia & soffit painting after seeing the job, and the written quote lists every item below that applies.
- Roofline length
- Total linear feet of fascia and soffit, including garage and lanai eaves, sets the base amount of work. Complex hip roofs with many corners take longer than a simple gable.
- Height and access
- Single-story eaves are reached from ladders. Two-story rooflines, eaves above a pool cage or a steep slope below may need staging or a lift, which adds setup time.
- Material type
- Wood needs scraping and priming. Aluminum wrap needs a bonding primer. Vented vinyl panels require careful spraying to keep vents open. Mixed materials add steps.
- Repair needs
- Clean, sound boards keep the job simple. Rotted fascia, missing soffit panels or loose wrap mean carpentry work before painting, which we list separately on the quote.
Get a written quote for fascia & soffit painting
Call the office any hour and we will set a walk-through time.
Fascia & Soffit Painting questions
Can you paint aluminum fascia and soffit on a Sarasota house?
Yes. Aluminum wrap and soffit panels take paint well when they are cleaned of chalk and oil, then coated with a bonding primer made for metal. Without that primer, paint on aluminum tends to peel in sheets after a summer or two. Vented panels need a light spray coat so the perforations stay open for attic airflow.
Why does mildew keep coming back on my soffits after painting?
Usually the mildew was painted over rather than killed, or the paint had no mildewcide. Shaded eaves in Sarasota stay damp almost year-round, so spores survive under a fresh coat and reappear. Our fascia and soffit painting starts with a mildewcide wash and uses a finish made for damp, low-light areas, which keeps regrowth slow.
Should fascia and soffit painting be done before or after new gutters?
If new gutters are coming soon, paint the fascia first while it is fully exposed. That way the board behind the gutter gets primer and finish, which protects it from overflow water for years. If the gutters are staying, we paint around them carefully and seal where they meet the fascia.
Can fascia and soffit painting be done without painting the whole house?
Yes, and it is a common request when the walls still look good but the roofline is peeling or mildewed. We match your existing trim color or help you choose a new one. If walls are close to their own repaint date, combining the work saves a second round of ladders and setup.
Often booked together
Wood Rot Repair
Rotted fascia, door jambs, window sills and trim are cut out, rebuilt or replaced with rot-resistant stock, then primed and painted to match your house.
Read moreExterior House Painting
Full exterior repaints with pressure washing, crack and wood repair, primers matched to each surface and two coats of acrylic made for sun and salt air.
Read morePressure Washing
Soft washing for stucco, tile roofs and lanai screens plus rotary surface cleaning for pavers and pool decks, for upkeep or as prep before painting.
Read moreWhere we do this work
Fascia & Soffit Painting is available across our whole service area, including: