Built-up roofing, or tar and gravel, is the century-old system still protecting Sunnyvale 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 Sunnyvale 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 Sunnyvale 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.
On the ground in Sunnyvale
There is a Sunnyvale version of the Built-Up Roofing (BUR) decision, and it is not the generic one. Much of the housing here has already been through a roof cycle or two, with mature trees, settled framing, and decking that has absorbed decades of North Texas heat. That inventory rewards the boring commercial virtues: documented seams, maintained drains, and a membrane matched to the building’s actual use.
Sunnyvale handles roofing permits the way most Dallas County cities do: required where structure or full replacement is involved, quick when the paperwork is right. We file it. When the next core drops through Dallas County, single-ply shows bruise fractures that a chalk circle will not catch; instrument surveys find what walking the roof misses. Because Dallas, Irving, and Garland share our dispatch routes, examples of this exact system nearby are easy to arrange. If the roof is not a fit for this system, the inspection says so. That answer is free too.
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 Sunnyvale
How a roof system holds up in Sunnyvale depends on the storms it has to take and the houses it sits on. Here is what the public record shows.
10
Hail days, 1 in.+ since 2006
5
Golf-ball-size hail days
3.5 in.
Largest stone on record
2006
Median year homes built
Hail near Sunnyvale
Reported hail is less frequent around Sunnyvale: NOAA lists 10 days since 2006 with hail one inch or larger within 5 miles. Fewer reports can also reflect fewer storm spotters in smaller communities, so a quiet record is not a guarantee. Hail that size was reported in 8 of the last 20 years. The largest stones on record nearby measured 3.5 inches (teacup size) on April 3, 2012. The most recent report: 1.5-inch hail on May 28, 2024.
April 3, 2012: 3.5-inch hail (teacup size)
June 2, 2017: 2.5-inch hail (tennis ball size)
June 13, 2023: 1.75-inch hail (golf ball size)
April 30, 2011: 1.75-inch hail (golf ball size)
February 5, 2008: 1.75-inch hail (golf ball size)
How old Sunnyvale homes are
The median home in Sunnyvale was built in 2006. A large share of the city's 2,792 housing units are now old enough that original roofs are coming due, while 37% were built in 2010 or later.
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database (hail reports since 2006 within 5 miles of Sunnyvale); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Data pulled September 2026.
Common questions about built-up roofing (bur) in Sunnyvale
My Sunnyvale 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.
Can you match the premium materials common in Sunnyvale?
That's our premium catalog's home turf: tile, standing seam, stone-coated steel, and composite slate and shake, installed to manufacturer specification with the documentation the home's value deserves.
How often does hail hit Sunnyvale?
NOAA lists 10 days since 2006 with hail one inch or larger within 5 miles of Sunnyvale. Smaller communities have fewer storm spotters, so reports tend to undercount what actually falls. The most recent report was 1.5-inch hail on May 28, 2024.
How old are most homes in Sunnyvale?
The median home in Sunnyvale was built in 2006, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. 7% of the city's housing units predate 1980 and 37% were built in 2010 or later. Many homes here still have their original builder-installed roof.
