Back to Blog Materials What Is Drip Edge and Why Does Your San Antonio Roof Need It?
Mark WhiteJuly 5, 20254 min read Drip edge is a simple L-shaped metal strip installed along the edges of your roof, at the eaves and rakes. It costs about $1-$2 per linear foot (roughly $200-$400 for a whole house), adds maybe 30 minutes of installation time, and prevents some of the most expensive water damage your home can suffer.
So why do some roofers skip it? Because homeowners don't know to ask about it, and skipping it saves the roofer time and materials. It's a corner that's invisible from the ground.
What Drip Edge Does
Without drip edge, water running off your shingles wraps around the edge of the roof deck through capillary action, water's tendency to 'travel' along surfaces. This water contacts the fascia board, the soffit, and sometimes the wall sheathing behind them. Over years, this causes rot, mold, and pest intrusion.
Drip edge creates a clean break point. Water flows off the shingle, hits the drip edge's angled lip, and drops cleanly into the gutter. No wrapping, no fascia contact, no hidden rot.
Texas building code requires drip edge on new construction. On re-roofs, it's not always enforced, but at Legacy, we install it on every single roof regardless. It's too effective and too inexpensive to skip.
How to Check If You Have Drip Edge
Look at the edge of your roof where it meets the gutter. You should see a thin metal strip extending slightly past the roof deck edge, directing water into the gutter. If the shingle edge just hangs over the deck with no metal strip, you don't have drip edge, and your fascia is probably taking water damage.
If you're getting a roof replacement, ensure drip edge is explicitly listed in the estimate. If it's not mentioned, ask. Any roofer who pushes back on adding drip edge isn't worth hiring.
Got a roofing question? Something keeping you up at night? (Besides that mysterious dripping sound?) Email me personally at mwhite@legacytx.com. I read and answer every single one.
MW Mark White
Owner, Legacy Home Improvements · San Antonio since 1999
Mark has been in the roofing business for over 25 years. He personally inspects homes, works with insurance adjusters, and answers every email at mwhite@legacytx.com.
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