What Is a Starter Strip?

The first row of shingles at an eave has two weaknesses. The slots between its tabs sit directly over bare underlayment, and nothing holds its lower edge down against wind. Starter strip addresses both. It is a narrow, solid band with a factory sealant line placed so the first full course sticks to it, and it runs the full length of the eave. Many systems run it up the rakes as well, where the same edge exposure applies. Installers set it so it just overhangs the drip edge, fasten it per the manufacturer’s pattern, and start the field shingles over it.

Starter appears on estimates as its own line, measured in linear feet of eave and rake rather than in squares, so a scope that prices only shingles can quietly leave it out. A rep reviewing an adjuster’s estimate should check that the edge lengths from the measurement report have a matching starter quantity. On retail bids it is a spot where corner-cutting hides, because many shingle manufacturers name a specific starter course in their installation instructions and warranty terms.

The common shortcut is cutting the tabs off ordinary shingles and using them as starter. That can put the sealant strip in the wrong place, away from the edge it is meant to hold, and whether it is acceptable depends on the manufacturer’s instructions for that product. Another error is skipping the rakes, which see as much wind as the eaves. And a starter row never replaces drip edge: they do different work at the same edge.