Built-up roofing, or tar and gravel, is the century-old system still protecting Gunter 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 Gunter 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 Gunter 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 Gunter
What Built-Up Roofing (BUR) costs and returns in Gunter depends on the houses it goes onto. This is growth-corridor stock: recent builds, builder-spec roofs, and owners discovering the difference between the shingle the builder chose and the one they would choose. That inventory rewards the boring commercial virtues: documented seams, maintained drains, and a membrane matched to the building’s actual use.
Gunter handles roofing permits the way most Grayson 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 Grayson County, single-ply shows bruise fractures that a chalk circle will not catch. Instrument surveys find what walking the roof misses. Because Van Alstyne, Dallas, and Fort Worth share our dispatch routes, examples of this exact system nearby are easy to arrange. Before you commit to anything, we put the whole thing in writing: findings, grade, price, warranty.
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 Gunter
How a roof system holds up in Gunter depends on the storms it has to take and the houses it sits on. Here is what the public record shows.
5
Hail days, 1 in.+ since 2006
1
Golf-ball-size hail days
2.5 in.
Largest stone on record
2004
Median year homes built
Hail near Gunter
Reported hail is less frequent around Gunter: NOAA lists 5 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 5 of the last 20 years. The largest stones on record nearby measured 2.5 inches (tennis ball size) on June 23, 2023.
June 23, 2023: 2.5-inch hail (tennis ball size)
August 16, 2020: 1.5-inch hail (walnut size)
May 3, 2021: 1-inch hail (quarter size)
April 13, 2018: 1-inch hail (quarter size)
April 24, 2007: 1-inch hail (quarter size)
How old Gunter homes are
The median home in Gunter was built in 2004. A large share of the city's 762 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 Gunter); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Data pulled September 2026.
Common questions about built-up roofing (bur) in Gunter
My Gunter 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 Gunter?
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 Gunter?
NOAA lists 5 days since 2006 with hail one inch or larger within 5 miles of Gunter. Smaller communities have fewer storm spotters, so reports tend to undercount what actually falls. The most recent report was 2.5-inch hail on June 23, 2023.
How old are most homes in Gunter?
The median home in Gunter was built in 2004, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. 21% of the city's housing units predate 1980 and 37% were built in 2010 or later. Many homes here are reaching the age when original roofs come due.
