There is usually an aluminum angle -- "L" shaped piece -- placed on the edge of the roof and fascia area between gutter and roofing to protect the wood from rotting from water exposure. That may be what this is. Believe it is called a drip edge.

https://www.iko.com/na/pro/building-professional-tools/learn-about-roofing/guide-to-drip-edges-for-shingle-roofs/

Thank you @suezbell! Whenever I did a search on my own the one description that I thought could be it were "bargeboards" - but then noticed that all the sources were from the UK so I was really stumped. I noticed today that one of the homes in my neighborhood did indeed paint that white piece to match the gutter, and it looks good, gives a more uniform look, rather than have the white stick out (like you pointed out, gutter was not white.) Thanks again.

It is unclear which item you are asking about. You should have 2 separate parts:

A "birdstop/eave closure" to close the end of the roofing tile:

Under that a drip edge which carries any water over into the gutter, and might vary being seen as your gutter should be sloped:

Thanks @3onthetree - originally when I posted the picture I thought the white part between the gutter and roof tile was just ONE piece.

But now with what you posted I am realizing the white in my picture is made up of 2 pieces - the birdstop/eave closure (right under the tile) - and the drip edge, right "below" / adjacent to the eave closure.

I want to see as little of the drip edge (or not at all) as possible - are you saying that there is a way of installing the gutters that would help hide the drip edge. (I also wonder if the eave closure can be painted so it's not so stark white).

It also seems that some people in my neighborhood have either TALLER gutters that hide the drip edge - OR they matched the drip edge color to the gutter.

Thanks so much for this, I am more clear now what I am looking at and will help when speaking with gutter installers.

For the drip edge, the gutter goes behind it if the gutter is installed high enough to interfere with it.

At the high end of your sloped gutter, you will see less of the exposed drip edge leg, as opposed to the low end of gutter length, where more of the drip edge leg will be exposed. The downward leg of the drip edge is usually only about 1 1/2" - 2" though, so it is small compared to the exposed birdstop.

Both can be painted.

This is so awesome, @3onthetree because one of the reasons we want to install gutters is of course to protect the house and the walls, and the paint job! This house has gutters only in the front (as seems common in Florida) and so it's been pretty beat up by rain for about 10 years now.

Is the drip edge something that the gutter installers will do, or is that a roof person thing.

Would I need to make sure they're installing the drip edge over the gutter, so that the water drips into there and not the fascia? (not sure if this can be a common mistake even professionals can make)

Sometimes, if you had a steep roof pitch, like in Colorado, many roofers do not install drip edges, and that is acceptable to some. I assume in FL you have one already put in when the roofing was done. Many gutter installers don't know or care - they are just looking for something solid to screw into - but there is a little "kick-out" at the end of a preformed drip edge that will direct water flow into the gutter. Just have a conversation with your chosen sub when they're writing your bid estimate.

As far as colors look at many examples; probably will find most drip edges are gutter color and birdstops are nearer to roof tile color if not mortared in.

Hi @3onthetree - would love to get your help on a couple of follow up questions.

I called the roofing manufacturer rep but he never called me back so I am hoping you can help me.

We had the old gutters removed, now it's easier to see what my set up is.

Drip edge

Small fascia board (behind drip edge, not visible unless you look from underneath)

Large fascia board (visible)

And here's my assumption of what the ideal/proper gutter install would be to avoid water getting onto the fascia board/s (the hanger / screw part I still have a question about - ideal more meaning between the small fascia board and the drip edge.)

None of the installers on their own suggested installing the gutter "behind" the drip edge. When we inquired, they said they could do that if we give them permission to manipulate the drip edge.

One installer said that if we wanted that they would have to screw onto the drip edge, and they would seal the screw holes. But said that it would be just fine to install the gutter below the small fascia board - avoiding having to screw into the drip edge - and that there would be no issues with water getting into the fascia boards.

I am now thinking that perhaps all the installers were planning on screwing into the drip edge, they just didn't mention it and I didn't realize/think to ask how it would be attached.

What are your thoughts on screwing into the drip edge - is it necessary? and if so, is it still preferable to installing below the small fascia board?

Or is installing below the small fascia board OK?

Thank you so much for any guidance you might be able to give me!

Drip edges should have the little "kick-out" at the bottom - that allows the water to "drip" down instead of wicking back against the fascia/wall - the purpose and namesake of a drip edge. It's a little difficult to install a gutter against that kick-out, and when you have the trim/shadowboard behind the drip edge, the gutter will eventually lean forward because the back is not fully supported.

I would just install the gutter on the (main) fascia.

Thank you so much @3onthetree

I am afraid I thought I understood but I don't think I do.

First I am noticing that my drip edge is completely straight - no kickout. Would it be worth looking into replacing it was my first thought.

And second is that I assumed the screws going into the drip edge would be above any kickout and not so low on the drip edge. When you said "installing against that kickout" I understood that to that the gutter would be in front of the drip edge kickout - and what I was visualizing, what I thought we were trying to get is the drip edge "resting" inside / emptying inside the gutter.

I must have gotten something mixed up. :/ so sorry I got confused again.

By main fascia - do you mean the large fascia board.

Doing roof repair this month myself and found these for my own purposes -- there are You Tube videos that might be helpful to you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfIjAeOezsE

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#sent/CllgCJTHVwtqWhSdmSqzCcJsqPcTnwqQZzJTTJMGPNnVNFZqRRLpcNMFsGQBBgzMJxzvMWnhZTg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM3dX1T3Mj4

Sometimes drip edges are formed by hand brake on site rather than prefab - and the installer doesn't put the kick-out. If your drip edge has a gap between it and the fascia behind it, and the fascia also extends below the soffit, I wouldn't worry too much about not having the kick-out.

Here's where I would install the gutter in your situation:

Right of that is a sketch of how installing onto the drip edge kick-out would be. Next to that is what can happen over time when you have a shadowtrim and install the gutter up high to the shadowtrim. Next to that is how a trim backer is added when you have a shadowtrim to give a solid straight backing to the gutter.

@3onthetree once again, thank you SO much for continuing to help me and explaining details like this.

And all the visuals are super helpful thank you for that extra effort.

Thank you for clarifying what installing onto the drip edge kickout and installing high up onto the shadowtrim (what I've been calling small fascia board) would be and what issues it would cause. The "forward sagging or pulling" issue would be lessened because I don't have a kickout but this makes it easy to see what could happen over time. The main difference I see is that the sketches show the drip edge behind the gutter - which is not what we were looking to do.

Your 3rd picture - with the shadowtrim support - I am recognizing that as the setup that another installer suggested. He said he would install wedges (same or similar to "trim backer" I'm assuming) every x feet to support the gutter. This was by far my favorite installer in the way he explained things and what seemed attention to detail - but he was more than DOUBLE the price of everyone else.

And lastly - I am now clear that you would install the gutter onto the main fascia board. Which is likely what one installer means when they say "under the small fascia board." Although they also said "6”inch gutter will need to go all the way in to the top of the small fascia wood in order to catch more water". Which seems to contradict that. So I need to clarify this with them.

Thank you again so much for your help.

I started reviewing those @suezbell thank you.

The second link you sent doesn't seem to be a link to a video.

I wish this was all easier to clarify. Each contractor seemed to have a different answer.