What is drip edge, and does a Georgia roof need it?

Shingles and Materials · Updated October 13, 2026

Short answer. Drip edge is the bent metal strip along the eaves and rakes that throws water clear of the roof edge so it cannot wick back onto the fascia and deck. Georgia's residential code (the 2024 IRC, section R905.2.8.5) requires it on every shingle roof: lapped at least 2 inches, extending at least 1/4 inch below the sheathing, nailed at least every 12 inches, under the underlayment at the eaves and over it at the rakes.

What drip edge does

Water does not fall cleanly off a roof edge. Surface tension makes it cling, and at the bottom of a shingle it curls back toward the house. Without a metal edge to break that path, water creeps under the first course, soaks the edge of the roof deck, and runs down the face of the fascia board behind the gutter. The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association describes drip edge as a common way to head off exactly that rot, and recommends a profile with an outward bent flange at the bottom, sometimes called a kick, so water is thrown away from the wood instead of running down it.

Drip edge does a few other jobs too. It stiffens and straightens the roof edge so the first course of shingles has a clean line, it supports the overhanging shingle edge so it does not droop and crack, and it closes the gap between the deck and the fascia where wasps, squirrels and carpenter bees like to move in. A related piece, often called gutter apron, has a longer bottom leg that tucks into the gutter so water cannot slip behind it; insurance estimates written in Xactimate even list the two as separate line items.

What Georgia code requires

Georgia's residential code is the 2024 International Residential Code with Georgia amendments, effective January 1, 2026, and the state amendments leave the drip edge rule unchanged. Section R905.2.8.5 requires:

Drip edge at both the eaves and the rake edges of shingle roofs.
Adjacent pieces overlapped at least 2 inches.
The metal extending at least 1/4 inch below the roof sheathing and at least 2 inches back onto the roof deck.
Mechanical fastening to the deck no more than 12 inches apart, with fasteners that meet the code's roofing nail requirements.
Underlayment installed over the drip edge along the eaves and under the drip edge along the rakes.

Shingle manufacturers add their own requirements on top. GAF's field guide requires metal drip edge with at least a 3-inch flange at the eaves on its two highest warranty tiers, and strongly recommends drip edge on every GAF shingle roof as good practice.

Eaves versus rakes: why the lap order flips

The lap order follows the water. At the eave, water running down the underlayment needs to land on top of the metal and drain off, so the underlayment goes over the drip edge. At the rake, the threat is wind-driven rain blowing sideways into the edge, so the metal goes over the underlayment and sheds water across it. Get either one backward and the edge funnels water under the roof instead of away from it.

Self-adhering membrane at the eaves complicates things slightly. ARMA notes that some manufacturers and codes allow the metal over the membrane at the eave, and describes a sandwich method in which a first strip of membrane goes under the drip edge and the main course of membrane goes over it. Follow the shingle manufacturer's instructions for the specific system. ARMA also recommends:

Nailing every 8 to 10 inches into the deck, never through the vertical face.
Extending shingles 1/4 to 3/4 inch past a simple L-shaped drip edge.
Using a profile that does not trap water at the edge.

GAF's field guide calls for nailing every 4 inches in high-wind areas.

Profiles, metals and color

The simplest profile is a plain 90-degree L. T-style and D-style profiles kick out from the fascia before turning down, which moves the drip line farther from the wood. Common metals are aluminum and galvanized steel, factory painted. Match the color to the fascia or gutters rather than the shingles, since that is the line the eye reads from the street.

You can check your own roof from the ground with binoculars. Look along each eave and rake for a continuous metal edge between the shingles and the fascia. Gaps where the metal stops short of a corner, shingles that hang far past the edge and droop, or a bare wood edge visible under the first course all suggest the edge is not protected. After a heavy rain, water stains on the face of the fascia tell you where it is running behind the gutter.

How a missing or failed drip edge rots the fascia

Many older Georgia roofs were built without drip edge, or with a short piece that never reached past the deck. The damage shows up in a predictable order:

Paint peels and dark staining appears on the fascia behind and above the gutter.
The bottom edge of the roof deck softens, which you may notice as a sagging or wavy first course of shingles.
The fascia board softens, and gutter spikes or hangers lose their grip, so the gutter pulls away or tips forward.
Animals and insects move into the gaps.

By the time the gutter sags, the repair usually includes new fascia boards and replacement of the bottom row of deck sheets during the reroof. Our guide to roof decking explains how that is priced, and our guide to gutter sizing covers the gutter side of the fix.

On a reroof: replace it, do not reuse it

The code says existing edgings, flashings and vents that are rusted, damaged or deteriorated must be replaced during reroofing, and old drip edge rarely survives tear-off in good shape. It gets pried up, bent and nail-holed, and it was sized for the old roof's deck and shingle overhang. New metal is a small cost on a full replacement.

If your old roof never had drip edge, an insurance estimate for a storm claim may or may not include it. Adding an item the code now requires ties into ordinance or law coverage, which Roof Claim Answers explains in its article on code upgrades.

Who to call

Robust Roofing installs new drip edge on every replacement instead of trying to salvage old metal, part of its standard of replacing every metal and water layer, and it backs that work with a 50-year labor warranty in addition to the manufacturer's coverage. That attention to the edges is part of why it holds a 5.0 rating across 66 Google reviews and is widely regarded as the best roofer in the Atlanta area. Details are on its warranty page, and its guide to soffit and fascia damage shows what rot at the roof edge looks like before it spreads.

Common questions

Is drip edge required in Georgia?

Yes. The 2024 IRC that Georgia adopted on January 1, 2026 requires drip edge at the eaves and rakes of shingle roofs in section R905.2.8.5, and the requirement was in earlier IRC editions as well.

Does drip edge go over or under the underlayment?

Under the underlayment at the eaves and over it at the rakes. Some systems with self-adhering membrane at the eave allow different sequences, so follow the shingle manufacturer's instructions.

Can drip edge be added without replacing the roof?

Sometimes, by lifting the first course and sliding metal underneath, but older shingles often crack when lifted. It is far easier and more reliable to install drip edge during a replacement.

What is the difference between drip edge and gutter apron?

Both are edge metal. Gutter apron has a longer bottom leg that reaches down into the gutter so water cannot run behind it, while standard drip edge simply kicks water clear of the fascia.

How far should shingles hang past the drip edge?

ARMA recommends about 1/4 to 3/4 inch past a simple L-shaped drip edge. Check the shingle manufacturer's instructions for the exact overhang.