Built-up roofing, or tar and gravel, is the century-old system still protecting McKinney 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, finished with gravel that shields the assembly from UV and foot traffic. An existing BUR roof on a McKinney building often deserves maintenance and restoration before anyone talks about replacement, because the same mass that makes it heavy also makes it durable.
Building owners get a free written estimate and an inspection documented in photos. We never waive a deductible, per Texas law, and we are not a public adjuster.
What McKinney Storms Mean for a BUR Roof
Hail an inch or larger has come within 8 miles of McKinney on 39 days since 2006, and 18 of those days brought golf-ball-size stones. The gravel surface on a built-up roof absorbs a good deal of that energy, but impacts can still fracture the plies underneath, and water finds those cracks slowly. That is why a moisture survey, not a quick walk across the gravel, decides whether a BUR roof gets restored or replaced.
Most of the city’s housing is recent, with a median year built of 2007 and only 8 percent dating before 1980, so built-up systems here sit mainly on commercial property rather than homes. For those owners the useful question is how much service life the existing layers still have, and the survey answers it with evidence. Our commercial crews also maintain built-up roofs in Allen and Fairview.
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 McKinney
How a roof system holds up in McKinney depends on the storms it has to take and the houses it sits on. Here is what the public record shows.
39
Hail days, 1 in.+ since 2006
18
Golf-ball-size hail days
4.5 in.
Largest stone on record
2007
Median year homes built
Hail near McKinney
NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 39 days since 2006 with hail one inch or larger reported within 8 miles of McKinney. On 18 of those days, the stones were golf ball size or bigger. Hail that size was reported in 16 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: 1-inch hail on March 29, 2025.
March 24, 2019: 4.5-inch hail (softball size)
May 28, 2024: 2.75-inch hail (baseball size)
April 21, 2017: 2.75-inch hail (baseball size)
May 19, 2023: 2.5-inch hail (tennis ball size)
June 15, 2023: 2-inch hail (hen egg size)
How old McKinney homes are
The median home in McKinney was built in 2007. A large share of the city's 77,617 housing units are now old enough that original roofs are coming due, while 40% were built in 2010 or later.
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database (hail reports since 2006 within 8 miles of McKinney); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Data pulled September 2026.
Common questions about built-up roofing (bur) in McKinney
My McKinney 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 McKinney?
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 McKinney?
NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 39 days since 2006 with hail one inch or larger reported within 8 miles of McKinney, including 18 days with golf ball size stones or bigger. Hail that size was reported in 16 of the last 20 years. The most recent report was 1-inch hail on March 29, 2025.
How old are most homes in McKinney?
The median home in McKinney was built in 2007, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. 8% of the city's housing units predate 1980 and 40% were built in 2010 or later. Many homes here still have their original builder-installed roof.
