The roof cannot wear out faster whether an item is installed or not UNDER the roof. The drip edge kicks the water out away from the fascia and into the gutter. You shouldn't pay the contractor until you inspect the finished job to see all the job parameters have been completed and done to a skill level that is appropriate. It becomes more ardous for you now. If you paid for the drip edge then either get it installed or get a credit and call someone else in to do it. Get estimates first so you know how much of a credit to ask for. Ron

Gosh... I had *another* estimate today and *this* guy said that drip edges are not recommended by his company....more suitable for northern climates where the water drips off and sort of "in" from built up snow. This is not a cheap fly-by-night company and is an Owen's Corning preferred contractor (just like the other one). In fact, this one is the biggest in East Tennessee. These guys both normally charge a bit more than most. He said that they have found too many rotten facia boards hiding under the drip edge in this area. They seem to use very high quality (not cost cutting) in all of the items I asked about. They use those nails that have actual barb wires which prevent backing out, the Owens Corning "system", and a complete re-do of the chimney flashing. Given how inexpensive drip edge is, it's hard to imagine that he would be so insistent about it. He says his shingles will hang over about 2" into the gutter.

Go with white. This gives more options for changing house exterior and trim colors without going through the aggravation and extra costs of painting the gutters. Moreover, once gutters are repainted, they're more susceptible to blowing off the secondary coats when the house is pressure washed/cleaned. Florida beach homes are often painted in vivid colors and gray will make this home more somber looking. One benefit with going gray is the blackish/grayish streaks that are inevitable on FL gutters will require less cleaning than white since less observable. This is caused by roof runoff carrying a combination of dirt and breakdown of the roofing materials over time. A periodic soft wash will prevent this streaking from building up over time. Also consider whether gutters are needed around the entire house, especially since your landscape is established. It appears you have a gutter over the front entry to your home. Just walk around the house to see if there are ruts in the yard caused by heavy rainfall coming off the roof. If you have exterior concrete slabs or pavers, these should be protected by gutters as they'll eventually be etched by the falling water if not. To me, gutters serve a useful purpose where they're needed but cause unnecessary problems and costs in areas where they're not needed. Living in coastal Florida means strong wind storms coming off the ocean during the summer months and a reasonable chance for a tropical storm or hurricane. Post-hurricanes, one often sees gutters ripped off homes or damaged by flying debris. It appears you have one or more large trees close to your home (or overhanging the roof), and leaf litter each year will generate gutter cleaning work. The point is to install gutters where they're needed to avoid incurring an unnecessary initial investment cost and ongoing maintenance costs. On my FL coastal home, I have gutters on 3 sides (front, rear, and one side) since my non-guttered side has plant beds which deflect the water runoff and those plants can use the extra water. Think about where the substantial storm water runoff will be diverted. Placing the downspouts next to the house can cause problems with the landscaped area becoming soggy and saturated with water which can also attract subterranean termites. Moreover, constantly wet areas around a concrete slab can cause structural problems. The way around this, if deemed a potential problem, is to plumb in an underground pipe under the downspout so the water is moved away from the house, preferably to an area that either drains well or landscaped for water loving plants. There are pop-up devices that attach to the underground pipe that pop-up to release the water and then return to the ground surface when the rain event is over. Good luck with your project.

Wow! I've never reached out to this community before. The response has been wonderful! Thank you so much for your work and ideas. An especially big thank you to Flo and Melissa for the visuals. I really appreciate your time. You have given me such great ideas and much to think about. Thank you, thank you!