What lengths does drip edge come in?
Why 10 feet is the standard
Ten-foot sticks are easy to carry up a ladder, ship without bending, and handle without kinking. Longer runs of thin metal also expand and contract more in the Georgia sun, so short overlapping pieces actually help the edge stay flat. You will find the same 10-foot length for the common profiles: the L-shaped or Type C edge, the D-style with a kicked-out drip lip, and gutter apron, which has a longer face that tucks into the gutter.
How to figure how many pieces you need
- Add up the length of every eave (the bottom edges where gutters hang) and every rake (the sloped gable edges).
- Divide by about 9 feet 10 inches, which allows for the 2-inch overlap the code requires at each joint.
- Round up and add one or two extra pieces for corners, cuts and mistakes.
Example: a ranch house with 140 feet of eaves and 100 feet of rakes has 240 feet of edge. That works out to about 25 pieces, so buying 27 leaves room for corner cuts.
Custom bent drip edge
Some installers bend drip edge on a portable brake from coil stock. That lets them match an unusual fascia color or make a deeper face to cover rotted trim edges, but the pieces are still kept to manageable lengths and lapped the same way.
See drip edge explained for what it does, and how roofers measure a roof for how edge footage ends up on an estimate.