Fascia Gutters: The Gutter That Doubles as Trim

A fascia gutter is a gutter with a tall, flat front face that looks like a fascia board. On many houses it actually is the fascia: it fastens to the rafter tails and replaces the wood trim, so the roof edge shows one clean metal band instead of a board with a gutter hanging off it. The style is especially common on the West Coast, where it's often called California-style or 7-inch fascia gutter.

How it differs from a K-style gutter

From the street, a K-style gutter shows a curved molding profile in front of a wood fascia. A fascia gutter shows a smooth vertical face, usually 6 to 8 inches tall, with a small hem or bead at the top and bottom.

	Fascia gutter	K-style gutter
Front face	Flat and tall	Curved ogee profile
Fascia board	Replaced or fully covered	Stays exposed behind the gutter
Common sizes	6, 7 and 8 inch	5 and 6 inch
Capacity	High; the deep profile holds a lot of water	Good
Where you see it	California and the West, modern houses	Everywhere

Why people choose it

• One less thing to paint. Wood fascia behind a gutter rots where water wicks behind the gutter. When the gutter is the fascia, there's no wood there to rot.
• Clean lines. A flat metal band fits modern and mid-century houses better than a molded gutter.
• Capacity. The tall profile carries more water than a 5-inch K-style, which matters on large roof planes.

Install details

Fascia gutter is usually roll-formed seamless on site, like K-style. It mounts one of two ways:

1. Directly to rafter tails in place of a fascia board. The rafter ends must be cut straight and in line, because the gutter face will show every dip.
2. Over an existing fascia board. Simpler on a reroof or retrofit, but the board behind it should be sound and the drip edge has to carry water into the gutter, not behind it.

Hidden hangers or internal straps hold the shape, and the slope toward downspouts follows the same rule as other gutters: roughly 1/4 to 1/2 inch of fall per 10 feet. Because the face is tall and flat, any slope shows. Some installers set the gutter level and rely on its depth and extra downspouts instead, which keeps the face in line with the roof edge. Ask your installer which they plan before the job starts.

Downspouts for fascia gutters are usually 3x4 inch rectangular.

Downsides

• Fewer contractors outside the West stock the roll former for it, so pricing and availability vary by region.
• Repairs are harder. If a section is damaged, you're replacing gutter and trim at the same time.
• The flat face shows dents and waves more than a curved profile does.

Is it a fit?

Fascia gutters make the most sense on a reroof or new build where the fascia boards are bad anyway, and on modern or ranch-style houses where the flat metal edge suits the design. On a traditional house with crown molding details, a K-style or half round gutter usually looks more at home.