Built-up roofing, or tar and gravel, is the century-old system still protecting Frisco buildings that were roofed before single-ply existed, and still a legitimate choice for the right structure.
Built-up roofing stacks redundant layers: alternating bitumen and reinforcing felts, capped with gravel that shields the assembly from UV and foot traffic. On Frisco buildings, existing BUR often earns maintenance and restoration instead of replacement, because the mass and redundancy that made it heavy also made it durable.
Our estimates are free and written, our inspections are documented with photos, and we never waive deductibles, which Texas law prohibits. Cedar Crest is not a public adjuster.
Built-Up Roofs and the Frisco Hail Record
For a building owner in Frisco, the hail numbers drive the maintenance plan. Within 8 miles, 22 days since 2006 brought golf-ball-size hail or larger, and the record stone measured 4.5 inches on March 24, 2019. Gravel surfacing absorbs a lot of that punishment, but stones that size can displace aggregate and leave the felts beneath exposed, so a post-storm walk with a photo record is worth scheduling after every major event. Roofs carrying equipment, ponding zones, or tenants below deserve the closest look.
Frisco’s building stock also runs young by Collin County housing figures, with a 2009 median build year, so restoration is often a realistic path for a BUR roof that is still sound. We service built-up systems in Plano and The Colony as well.
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 Frisco
How a roof system holds up in Frisco depends on the storms it has to take and the houses it sits on. Here is what the public record shows.
47
Hail days, 1 in.+ since 2006
22
Golf-ball-size hail days
4.5 in.
Largest stone on record
2009
Median year homes built
Hail near Frisco
Hail is a regular event around Frisco. NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 47 separate days since 2006 with hail one inch or larger reported within 8 miles of the city, and on 22 of those days the stones reached golf ball size or bigger. Hail that size was reported in 15 of the last 20 years. The largest stones on record nearby measured 4.5 inches (softball size) on March 24, 2019. The most recent report: 2-inch hail on June 2, 2026.
March 24, 2019: 4.5-inch hail (softball size)
June 11, 2023: 3.5-inch hail (teacup size)
April 13, 2019: 2.75-inch hail (baseball size)
April 21, 2017: 2.75-inch hail (baseball size)
April 10, 2011: 2.75-inch hail (baseball size)
How old Frisco homes are
Frisco is young by roofing standards: the median home was built in 2009, and 47% of its 80,353 housing units date to 2010 or later. Many of those homes still have the roof the builder installed, now working through its first hail seasons.
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database (hail reports since 2006 within 8 miles of Frisco); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Data pulled September 2026.
Common questions about built-up roofing (bur) in Frisco
My Frisco 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 Frisco?
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 Frisco?
NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 47 days since 2006 with hail one inch or larger reported within 8 miles of Frisco, including 22 days with golf ball size stones or bigger. Hail that size was reported in 15 of the last 20 years. The most recent report was 2-inch hail on June 2, 2026.
How old are most homes in Frisco?
The median home in Frisco was built in 2009, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. 2% of the city's housing units predate 1980 and 47% were built in 2010 or later. Many homes here still have their original builder-installed roof.
