{
  "title": "What Is This Part of My House Called — and Who Fixes It?",
  "description": "Can't name the part that broke, fell off, or is leaking? Find it by where it is — roofline, walls, pipes, basement — get its real name, and the exact trade that fixes it.",
  "category": "home",
  "vertical": null,
  "tldr": "You can't search for a repair when you can't name the part. Find yours by location: the board behind the gutter is the fascia, the underside is the soffit, the metal around the chimney is flashing, the pipe under the sink is the P-trap. Each part below comes with the trade that actually fixes it, so you call once, not three times.",
  "who_to_call": [
    {
      "who": "Roofer",
      "when": "Anything on or attached to the roof plane — shingles, flashing, ridge vents, drip edge",
      "not_for": "Gutters alone — many roofers do them, but a gutter company is cheaper"
    },
    {
      "who": "Handyman",
      "when": "One broken board, screen, or trim piece — small, single-part jobs",
      "not_for": "The part is structural or connected to gas, water, or mains power"
    },
    {
      "who": "Plumber",
      "when": "Any named part with water in it — traps, valves, supply lines, stacks",
      "not_for": null
    },
    {
      "who": "Siding/exterior contractor",
      "when": "Wall-surface parts — siding, trim, weep holes, house wrap",
      "not_for": null
    },
    {
      "who": "General contractor / structural engineer",
      "when": "Anything holding the house up — beams, sill plates, joists, load-bearing walls",
      "not_for": null
    }
  ],
  "costs": [],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "A white plastic thing fell off my roof edge in the wind — what was it?",
      "a": "Most likely a section of drip edge (thin angled strip at the roof edge) or a piece of vinyl soffit or fascia cover. If it's flat and long, fascia cover; if it's vented or slotted, soffit. A roofer or handyman can replace a section — this is rarely urgent unless rain is due."
    },
    {
      "q": "What's the difference between a soffit and a fascia?",
      "a": "Stand under the roof overhang and look up: the flat surface you see overhead is the soffit. The vertical board facing you, where gutters attach, is the fascia. Soffits ventilate the attic; fascia carries the gutters."
    },
    {
      "q": "What is the pipe sticking out of my roof?",
      "a": "A plumbing vent stack. It lets air into the drain system so water flows and sewer gas exits above your roof instead of into your house. If you smell sewage indoors, a blocked or cracked vent stack is a common cause — that's a plumber."
    },
    {
      "q": "Who fixes the thing the downspout drains into underground?",
      "a": "That buried pipe is a downspout drain or underground extension. A gutter company or drainage contractor handles it — not a plumber, unless it ties into the sewer."
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "label": "Wikipedia: Fascia (architecture)",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascia_(architecture)",
      "accessed": "2026-08-11"
    },
    {
      "label": "Wikipedia: Soffit",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soffit",
      "accessed": "2026-08-11"
    },
    {
      "label": "Wikipedia: Flashing (weatherproofing)",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashing_(weatherproofing)",
      "accessed": "2026-08-11"
    }
  ],
  "updated": "2026-08-11",
  "url": "https://whodoicallfor.com/home/what-is-this-part-called/",
  "json_url": "https://whodoicallfor.com/home/what-is-this-part-called.json",
  "recommended_call": null
}