Rake Board Replacement — Rotted Barge Boards on Gable Ends
The trim running up the gable is soft at the bottom, split at the peak, or the paint will not stay on it. We replace the rake boards in PVC or wood, match the fascia, and fix the reason it rotted.
Rake board replacement means pulling the rotted trim that runs up the sloped edge of a gable roof, the rake or barge board, and putting up new PVC or primed wood cut to the same width as the eave fascia, with the peak joint and the bottom return done right. JMB Builders does it across the Twin Cities metro, along with the rake soffit and drip edge behind it. Priced per project, quoted from your photos within one business day.
- Priced per project, per gable end
- PVC or primed wood, matched to the fascia
- Drip edge and rake soffit checked with it
- Quote from photos in 1 business day
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
The rake board, sometimes called the barge board or rake fascia, is the trim that runs up the sloped edge of a gable roof. It is the most exposed piece of wood on the house: rain runs down it, the sun hits it all afternoon, and the bottom end sits where the gable meets the eave and catches everything the gutter overflows. That bottom end and the joint at the peak are where rake boards rot first.
What rots a rake board is water getting behind it. On most houses the shingles overhang the rake with a metal drip edge underneath; when the drip edge is missing, short or bent up, water runs down the back of the board instead of off the front. The bottom return, where the rake meets the eave fascia, is a mitered joint that opens up over the years and drinks. A new board without those two things fixed rots exactly like the old one.
We replace the rake board in cellular PVC or primed wood, cut to the same width and thickness as the eave fascia so the corners meet clean, with the peak joint mitered and glued, the bottom return cut to fit the fascia, and drip edge added or corrected under the shingles. The rake soffit board that closes the underside of the overhang usually comes off with the rake board and goes back new. Aluminum wrap over the new wood is an option if the rest of the house is wrapped.
What you supply
- Photos: the whole gable from the yard, a close-up of the bottom end where the rake meets the eave, and one of the peak
- One photo of the eave fascia so we can match the width and the aluminum wrap if there is one
- Whether you want PVC, primed wood, or new wood wrapped in aluminum to match the house
- Paint color if the new board is primed wood or you want the PVC painted; painting is quoted as a separate line
What JMB supplies
- Removal of the rotted rake board, rake soffit and any soft sub-rake behind it
- New rake board in cellular PVC or primed wood, matched to the eave fascia dimensions
- Mitered and glued peak joint, bottom return cut to the eave fascia
- Metal drip edge added or straightened under the shingles along the rake
- New rake soffit board or panel on the underside of the overhang
- Aluminum wrap bent to match the eave fascia wrap, when the house has it
- Stainless or hot-dipped fasteners, caulked joints, primed cut ends on wood
- Photos before and after in your job folder
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Length of the rake on each side of the gable and how many gables
- Height of the peak; a two-story gable needs staging or a lift instead of ladders
- PVC vs. primed wood vs. wood with an aluminum wrap
- Whether the rake soffit and the sub-rake framing behind the board are also rotted
- Drip edge missing along the rake and shingles that have to be lifted to add it
- Decorative barge boards with a profile or a cutout that has to be copied
- Painting the new board
A photo of the bottom end of the rake board with a screwdriver pushed into it, and one looking up at the underside of the overhang, tells us whether the soffit and framing are going too.
How long it takes
One gable end on a single-story house: one day. A two-story gable with rotted rake soffit and drip edge added: two days.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
PVC rake board
Cellular PVC in the same width as the fascia, glued at the peak with PVC cement, fastened with stainless nails. It never rots and can be left white or painted as a separate line. The usual choice on a house that has had trim rot before.
Primed wood, painted
Primed finger-joint or clear pine or cedar rake board for a house with painted wood trim everywhere else. Cut ends get primed before they go up. Painting is quoted as its own line or left to you.
New wood wrapped in aluminum
On a house with aluminum-wrapped fascia and soffit, the new rake board goes up and gets wrapped in matching coil bent on site, so the gable matches the eaves and never needs paint.
Decorative barge board
An older house with a profiled or scroll-cut barge board gets the profile traced from the old board and cut into new PVC or cedar, so the gable keeps its look without the rot.
Rake Board Replacement — Rotted Barge Boards on Gable Ends: questions, answered
What is a rake board on a house?
The rake board is the trim board that runs along the sloped edge of a gable roof, from the eave up to the peak and down the other side. It is also called a barge board, rake fascia or gable trim. It covers the end of the roof framing on the overhang and gives the shingles and drip edge something to sit on. It is the most weather-exposed trim on the house.
Why is my rake board rotting at the bottom?
The bottom end of the rake sits where the gable overhang meets the eave, and water from the roof, the gutter end and the mitered corner all collect there. The end grain of the board is exposed at that joint and it soaks up water every time it rains. Add a drip edge that is missing or bent and water runs down the back of the board too. That corner goes first on almost every house.
Should I replace a rake board with PVC or wood?
PVC if the house has had trim rot before or nobody wants to paint the gable again; it does not rot and the peak joint can be glued solid. Primed wood if the rest of the house is painted wood and you want it to match, or the barge board has a profile that is easier to cut in cedar. Both get the same drip edge and the same bottom return. On a house with wrapped fascia we wrap the new board in aluminum either way.
Do you have to lift the shingles to replace a rake board?
Usually a little. The drip edge along the rake sits under the shingles and over the rake board, so to replace the board the drip edge comes off or gets lifted, and to add a drip edge where there was none the first course along the rake gets lifted. The shingles go back down with the drip edge under them. Brittle old shingles can crack, and we tell you that risk before we start.
Can you replace just the bottom few feet of a rake board?
Yes, when the rest of the board is sound. We cut the rotted end back to solid wood, splice in a new PVC or wood section with a scarf joint, and fix the return and drip edge at the bottom. The splice is caulked and painted and disappears from the ground. If the board is soft in more than one spot the whole run comes off; a patch on a patch never looks right.
Does the rake soffit need to be replaced with the rake board?
Often. The rake soffit is the board or panel on the underside of the gable overhang, and it is nailed to the same framing as the rake board. When the rake board rots the water usually got to the soffit too, and it comes off in pieces when the rake board is pulled. We replace it in matching PVC, wood or vented aluminum and it is on the quote as its own line so you can see it.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners and for the builders and dealers we sub for. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
Related jobs we do
Fascia Board Repair & Soffit Section Replacement
The gutter is pulling away, the fascia behind it is black and soft, and a soffit panel is hanging down. We replace the bad section, fix what caused it, and put the gutter back where it belongs.
Read moreGable Vent Trim Replacement — Rotted Gable Vents and Louvers
The wood louver at the peak of the gable is gray, the slats are split, and the bottom rail is soft enough to push a finger into. We replace the vent and the trim around it so it stops feeding water into the wall.
Read moreFrieze Board Replacement & Band Board Rot Repair
The wide board under the soffit is peeling and soft at the ends, or the belly band between floors has a black line along the top where the siding meets it. We replace the run and flash it so it stays dry.
Read morePVC Exterior Trim Replacement — Swap Rotting Wood for Cellular PVC
You have painted the same trim three times and it still rots at the bottom. Cellular PVC ends that, as long as it is flashed, glued and fastened the way the material needs.
Read moreSoffit and Fascia Replacement — Whole House in Vented Aluminum
Peeling, sagging, squirrel-chewed soffit and rotted fascia all the way around the house, replaced with vented aluminum that lets the attic breathe and never needs paint.
Read moreAluminum Window Capping — Wrap Exterior Window Trim in Coil Stock
The wood trim around the windows needs scraping and paint every few years and the bottom corners are starting to go. Capping it in aluminum coil ends the painting, as long as the wood under it is sound first.
Read morePage reviewed September 26, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All exterior trim pages
Where we work
Exterior trim near you
Based in Zimmerman, scheduling across the Twin Cities metro. Closest first: