Built-up roofing, or tar and gravel, is the century-old system still protecting Denton buildings that were roofed before single-ply existed, and still a legitimate choice for the right structure.
Built-up roofing is layered redundancy: alternating plies of bitumen and reinforcing felt, topped with gravel that shields the assembly from UV and foot traffic. The mass and redundancy that make BUR heavy also make it durable, so an existing BUR roof in Denton often earns maintenance and restoration rather than replacement.
Building owners get a free written estimate and an inspection documented with photos. We never waive a deductible, per Texas law, and Cedar Crest is not a public adjuster.
Keeping built-up roofs working in Denton
Start with the storm record. Denton has seen hail an inch or larger in 19 of the past twenty years, with 19 days of golf-ball size or bigger since 2006. Gravel surfacing takes much of that punishment, and a documented inspection after a storm shows whether the gravel and the plies beneath it are still doing their job. For an older BUR roof, that record is what supports a restoration plan instead of a tear-off, and it gives the owner a clear baseline if a later storm leads to a claim. The broader building stock is maturing too: Denton’s median home dates to 1997, which puts much of the city’s construction decades behind it. We cover built-up roofing in Corinth and Argyle as well, across Denton County.
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 Denton
How a roof system holds up in Denton depends on the storms it has to take and the houses it sits on. Here is what the public record shows.
46
Hail days, 1 in.+ since 2006
19
Golf-ball-size hail days
4.25 in.
Largest stone on record
1997
Median year homes built
Hail near Denton
Hail is a regular event around Denton. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 46 separate days since 2006 with hail one inch or larger reported within 9 miles of the city, and on 19 of those days the stones reached golf ball size or bigger. Hail that size was reported in 19 of the last 20 years. The largest stones on record nearby measured 4.25 inches (grapefruit size) on March 26, 2017. The most recent report: 1.25-inch hail on September 21, 2025.
March 26, 2017: 4.25-inch hail (grapefruit size)
April 3, 2014: 4.25-inch hail (grapefruit size)
April 11, 2016: 4-inch hail (grapefruit size)
March 14, 2024: 2.5-inch hail (tennis ball size)
September 21, 2023: 2.5-inch hail (tennis ball size)
How old Denton homes are
The median home in Denton was built in 1997. A large share of the city's 60,531 housing units are now old enough that original roofs are coming due, while 25% were built in 2010 or later.
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database (hail reports since 2006 within 9 miles of Denton); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Data pulled September 2026.
Common questions about built-up roofing (bur) in Denton
My Denton 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 Denton?
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 Denton?
NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 46 days since 2006 with hail one inch or larger reported within 9 miles of Denton, including 19 days with golf ball size stones or bigger. Hail that size was reported in 19 of the last 20 years. The most recent report was 1.25-inch hail on September 21, 2025.
How old are most homes in Denton?
The median home in Denton was built in 1997, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. 27% of the city's housing units predate 1980 and 25% were built in 2010 or later. Many homes here are reaching the age when original roofs come due.
