Built-up roofing, or tar and gravel, is the century-old system still protecting Highland Park 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 Highland Park 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 Highland Park 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.
The local case in Highland Park
Every city wears this system a little differently, and Highland Park is no exception. These are streets where roofs have been replaced before, which means layered history, patched decking, and flashing choices from three owners ago. 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 Highland Park 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 Dallas, Irving, and Garland, so comparable local installs are usually close enough to go look at. When we quote it, ask for nearby addresses. A real roof with weather on it is the honest brochure.
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 Highland Park
How a roof system holds up in Highland Park depends on the storms it has to take and the houses it sits on. Here is what the public record shows.
11
Hail days, 1 in.+ since 2006
4
Golf-ball-size hail days
2.75 in.
Largest stone on record
1977
Median year homes built
Hail near Highland Park
Reported hail is less frequent around Highland Park: NOAA lists 11 days since 2006 with hail one inch or larger within 4 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 8 of the last 20 years. The largest stones on record nearby measured 2.75 inches (baseball size) on June 13, 2012. The most recent report: 1.25-inch hail on June 11, 2023.
June 13, 2012: 2.75-inch hail (baseball size)
May 24, 2011: 2.75-inch hail (baseball size)
July 8, 2009: 1.75-inch hail (golf ball size)
April 13, 2007: 1.75-inch hail (golf ball size)
June 1, 2019: 1.5-inch hail (walnut size)
How old Highland Park homes are
The median home in Highland Park was built in 1977, and 51% of the city's 3,667 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 4 miles of Highland Park); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Data pulled September 2026.
Common questions about built-up roofing (bur) in Highland Park
My Highland Park 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.
Can you match the premium materials common in Highland Park?
That's our premium catalog's home turf: tile, standing seam, stone-coated steel, and composite slate and shake, installed to manufacturer specification with the documentation the home's value deserves.
How often does hail hit Highland Park?
NOAA lists 11 days since 2006 with hail one inch or larger within 4 miles of Highland Park. Smaller communities have fewer storm spotters, so reports tend to undercount what actually falls. The most recent report was 1.25-inch hail on June 11, 2023.
How old are most homes in Highland Park?
The median home in Highland Park was built in 1977, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. 51% 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.
