Built-up roofing, or tar and gravel, is the century-old system still protecting Cleburne 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 Cleburne 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 Cleburne 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 Cleburne
In Cleburne, the Built-Up Roofing (BUR) conversation usually starts with the roof that is already up there. Out here lot sizes stretch and rooflines get more individual, and the inventory runs from older farm-town stock to brand-new builds on the same road. That building stock puts membranes to work: seams, penetrations, and drainage patterns matter more than brand names, and the moisture survey decides restore-versus-replace.
Permit-wise, this work in Cleburne runs through the city’s building department; filing it is our job, not yours. North Texas sits in the country’s most active hail belt, and single-ply shows bruise fractures that a chalk circle will not catch. Instrument surveys find what walking the roof misses. The same crews run Alvarado, Joshua, and Godley, so comparable local installs are usually close enough to go look at. Everything above gets specific, in writing, once we have looked at the actual roof.
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 Cleburne
How a roof system holds up in Cleburne depends on the storms it has to take and the houses it sits on. Here is what the public record shows.
23
Hail days, 1 in.+ since 2006
16
Golf-ball-size hail days
4.5 in.
Largest stone on record
1983
Median year homes built
Hail near Cleburne
NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 23 days since 2006 with hail one inch or larger reported within 6 miles of Cleburne. On 16 of those days, the stones were golf ball size or bigger. Hail that size was reported in 14 of the last 20 years. The largest stones on record nearby measured 4.5 inches (softball size) on April 28, 2026.
April 28, 2026: 4.5-inch hail (softball size)
May 9, 2024: 3-inch hail (teacup size)
April 19, 2011: 2.75-inch hail (baseball size)
March 16, 2023: 2-inch hail (hen egg size)
April 28, 2020: 2-inch hail (hen egg size)
How old Cleburne homes are
The median home in Cleburne was built in 1983, and 46% of the city's 12,467 housing units predate 1980. Many of these houses are likely on their second roof or nearing the point where they need one.
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database (hail reports since 2006 within 6 miles of Cleburne); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Data pulled September 2026.
Common questions about built-up roofing (bur) in Cleburne
My Cleburne 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.
Do you install this on shops and outbuildings near Cleburne?
Yes. Barns, workshops, and outbuildings are first-class projects out here, not afterthoughts, and the material conversation (usually metal-forward) covers them alongside the house.
How often does hail hit Cleburne?
NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 23 days since 2006 with hail one inch or larger reported within 6 miles of Cleburne, including 16 days with golf ball size stones or bigger. Hail that size was reported in 14 of the last 20 years. The most recent report was 4.5-inch hail on April 28, 2026.
How old are most homes in Cleburne?
The median home in Cleburne was built in 1983, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. 46% of the city's housing units predate 1980 and 14% were built in 2010 or later. Most homes here are well past the life of their original roof.
