Built-up roofing, or tar and gravel, is the century-old system still protecting Glenn Heights 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 Glenn Heights 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 Glenn Heights 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.
Built-Up Roofing (BUR) in Glenn Heights, specifically
Built-Up Roofing (BUR) behaves differently on Glenn Heights roofs than the brochure version suggests. A large share of homes here are young enough that their original builder-grade roofs are only now meeting their first serious hail test. On those buildings, the membrane decision is driven less by material fashion than by what the roof does all day: equipment traffic, ponding zones, and the tenant below.
The permit runs through Glenn Heights’s building department; we handle the filing and the inspection scheduling as part of the job. Hail is the tax every DFW roof eventually pays, and single-ply shows bruise fractures that a chalk circle will not catch. Instrument surveys find what walking the roof misses. We work this system in Waxahachie and Ennis as well; ask and we will point you at nearby examples with a few years of weather on them. The next step costs nothing: a documented inspection and a straight answer on whether this system fits.
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 Glenn Heights
How a roof system holds up in Glenn Heights depends on the storms it has to take and the houses it sits on. Here is what the public record shows.
19
Hail days, 1 in.+ since 2006
1
Golf-ball-size hail days
2.25 in.
Largest stone on record
2004
Median year homes built
Hail near Glenn Heights
NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 19 days since 2006 with hail one inch or larger reported within 5 miles of Glenn Heights. On 1 of those days, the stones were golf ball size or bigger. Hail that size was reported in 12 of the last 20 years. The largest stones on record nearby measured 2.25 inches (hen egg size) on September 24, 2023. The most recent report: 1.25-inch hail on June 6, 2026.
September 24, 2023: 2.25-inch hail (hen egg size)
June 13, 2023: 1.5-inch hail (walnut size)
April 9, 2021: 1.5-inch hail (walnut size)
June 6, 2026: 1.25-inch hail (half dollar size)
March 1, 2023: 1.25-inch hail (half dollar size)
How old Glenn Heights homes are
The median home in Glenn Heights was built in 2004. A large share of the city's 6,073 housing units are now old enough that original roofs are coming due, while 34% were built in 2010 or later.
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database (hail reports since 2006 within 5 miles of Glenn Heights); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Data pulled September 2026.
Common questions about built-up roofing (bur) in Glenn Heights
My Glenn Heights 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.
Is upgrading from builder-grade shingles worth it in Glenn Heights?
Usually at the first replacement or claim: Class 4 impact-rated systems earn many Texas carriers' premium discounts, and newer communities' HOA standards generally approve them easily. The math works hardest on homes facing decades of DFW hail.
How often does hail hit Glenn Heights?
NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 19 days since 2006 with hail one inch or larger reported within 5 miles of Glenn Heights, including 1 days with golf ball size stones or bigger. Hail that size was reported in 12 of the last 20 years. The most recent report was 1.25-inch hail on June 6, 2026.
How old are most homes in Glenn Heights?
The median home in Glenn Heights was built in 2004, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. 11% of the city's housing units predate 1980 and 34% were built in 2010 or later. Many homes here are reaching the age when original roofs come due.
