Built-up roofing, or tar and gravel, is the century-old system still protecting Dallas buildings that were roofed before single-ply existed, and still a legitimate choice for the right structure.
Built-up roofing creates redundancy layer by layer: alternating bitumen and reinforcing felts, topped with gravel that shields the assembly from UV and foot traffic. On Dallas buildings, an existing BUR roof often earns maintenance and restoration before replacement, because the mass and redundancy that make it heavy also make it durable. A moisture survey decides restore versus replace. Estimates are free and written, inspections come documented with photos, and deductibles are never waived, as Texas law requires. Cedar Crest is a roofing contractor, not a public adjuster.
Built-Up Roofs Under Dallas Hail
Hail is the first thing to weigh on a BUR roof in Dallas. Within a 13-mile radius of the city there have been 77 days of inch-plus hail since 2006 and 25 days of golf-ball-size stones, topped by a 4.25-inch hailstone on May 24, 2011. Gravel surfacing absorbs some of that punishment, but impact can still damage felts and open seams around penetrations and drains, which is why an instrument survey beats a walk-over after a storm. Instruments find what walking the roof misses. Dallas is also an older city, with a median housing year of 1981 and 48 percent of homes built before 1980, and plenty of roofs here carry layered history, patched decking, and flashing choices from earlier owners. Once we have surveyed the actual roof, the recommendation goes in writing. The same Dallas County crews service built-up roofs in Balch Springs and Cockrell Hill.
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 Dallas
How a roof system holds up in Dallas depends on the storms it has to take and the houses it sits on. Here is what the public record shows.
77
Hail days, 1 in.+ since 2006
25
Golf-ball-size hail days
4.25 in.
Largest stone on record
1981
Median year homes built
Hail near Dallas
Hail is a regular event around Dallas. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 77 separate days since 2006 with hail one inch or larger reported within 13 miles of the city, and on 25 of those days the stones reached golf ball size or bigger. Hail that size was reported in 20 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: 1.5-inch hail on June 2, 2026.
May 24, 2011: 4.25-inch hail (grapefruit size)
April 25, 2026: 3-inch hail (teacup size)
June 6, 2018: 3-inch hail (teacup size)
June 13, 2012: 3-inch hail (teacup size)
April 3, 2012: 2.75-inch hail (baseball size)
How old Dallas homes are
The median home in Dallas was built in 1981, and 48% of the city's 590,237 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 13 miles of Dallas); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Data pulled September 2026.
Common questions about built-up roofing (bur) in Dallas
My Dallas 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.
Does this material suit older Dallas homes?
Often, with eyes open: older decks get inspected board by board before any system goes down, and weight or structural questions get answered before quoting. The material conversation starts with what your specific roof can carry.
How often does hail hit Dallas?
NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 77 days since 2006 with hail one inch or larger reported within 13 miles of Dallas, including 25 days with golf ball size stones or bigger. Hail that size was reported in 20 of the last 20 years. The most recent report was 1.5-inch hail on June 2, 2026.
How old are most homes in Dallas?
The median home in Dallas was built in 1981, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. 48% 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.
