Built-up roofing, or tar and gravel, is the century-old system still protecting Keller buildings that were roofed before single-ply existed, and still a legitimate choice for the right structure.
BUR builds a roof in redundant layers: alternating bitumen and reinforcing felts topped with gravel that shields the assembly from UV and traffic. Existing BUR in Keller often earns maintenance and restoration over replacement, since the mass and redundancy that made it heavy also made it durable.
We install and service built-up roofing (bur) across Keller and the surrounding DFW communities. That includes free written estimates, documented inspections, and honest guidance on whether this system actually fits your home and budget.
What is different in Keller
The honest starting point for Built-Up Roofing (BUR) in Keller is the street you live on, not the sample board. These are streets where roofs have been replaced before. Layered history, patched decking, and flashing choices from three owners ago come with the territory. For those roofs, single-ply is a systems conversation, and attachment method, insulation, and flashing details carry more of the outcome than the membrane brand.
Keller handles roofing permits the way most Tarrant County cities do: required where structure or full replacement is involved, quick when the paperwork is right. We file it. The weather here is not hypothetical: single-ply shows bruise fractures that a chalk circle will not catch; instrument surveys find what walking the roof misses. The install map around Keller includes Fort Worth and Arlington, and seeing a five-year-old local roof beats any sample board. One inspection turns the general case into your case, with photos and numbers attached.
THE SYSTEM
Built-Up Roofing (BUR), up close.
Flat / low-slope membrane. Single-ply and built-up systems chosen by what the roof actually does all day.
PUBLIC RECORD
The local record behind Built-Up Roofing (BUR) in Keller
How a roof system holds up in Keller depends on the storms it has to take and the houses it sits on. Here is what the public record shows.
31
Hail days, 1 in.+ since 2006
9
Golf-ball-size hail days
4.25 in.
Largest stone on record
1999
Median year homes built
Hail near Keller
NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 31 days since 2006 with hail one inch or larger reported within 5 miles of Keller. On 9 of those days, the stones were golf ball size or bigger. Hail that size was reported in 16 of the last 20 years. The largest stones on record nearby measured 4.25 inches (grapefruit size) on May 24, 2011. The most recent report: 1.25-inch hail on April 28, 2026.
May 24, 2011: 4.25-inch hail (grapefruit size)
April 28, 2021: 3.25-inch hail (teacup size)
March 14, 2024: 3-inch hail (teacup size)
March 30, 2009: 2.75-inch hail (baseball size)
June 11, 2023: 2.5-inch hail (tennis ball size)
How old Keller homes are
The median home in Keller was built in 1999. A large share of the city's 16,892 housing units are now old enough that original roofs are coming due, while 19% were built in 2010 or later.
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database (hail reports since 2006 within 5 miles of Keller); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Data pulled September 2026.
Common questions about built-up roofing (bur) in Keller
My Keller building has tar-and-gravel. Replace it?
Not automatically. Sound BUR restores and maintains well; its redundancy is real. A moisture survey tells you whether the assembly beneath the gravel is dry, and that answer decides.
Why did BUR fall out of fashion?
Weight, installation labor, and odor during application. Single-ply installs faster and lighter. Neither of those points makes an existing sound BUR roof bad.
Should we match the original material when re-roofing in Keller?
Not automatically. A roof on its second or third cycle is a chance to rethink: Class 4 asphalt for the insurance math, metal or premium systems where the home and horizon justify them. We quote the honest options against your actual house.
How often does hail hit Keller?
NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 31 days since 2006 with hail one inch or larger reported within 5 miles of Keller, including 9 days with golf ball size stones or bigger. Hail that size was reported in 16 of the last 20 years. The most recent report was 1.25-inch hail on April 28, 2026.
How old are most homes in Keller?
The median home in Keller was built in 1999, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. 10% of the city's housing units predate 1980 and 19% were built in 2010 or later. Many homes here are reaching the age when original roofs come due.
