Built-up roofing, or tar and gravel, is the century-old system still protecting Murphy 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 Murphy 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 Murphy 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 Murphy
In Murphy, the Built-Up Roofing (BUR) conversation usually starts with the roof that is already up there. This is growth-corridor stock: recent builds, builder-spec roofs, and owners discovering the difference between the shingle the builder chose and the one they would choose. 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.
The permit runs through Murphy’s building department; we handle the filing and the inspection scheduling as part of the job. 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. Crews rotate through Plano, Frisco, and McKinney on the same routes, which keeps Murphy scheduling flexible. Everything above gets specific, in writing, once we have looked at the actual roof.
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 Murphy
How a roof system holds up in Murphy depends on the storms it has to take and the houses it sits on. Here is what the public record shows.
19
Hail days, 1 in.+ since 2006
7
Golf-ball-size hail days
5.25 in.
Largest stone on record
2005
Median year homes built
Hail near Murphy
NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 19 days since 2006 with hail one inch or larger reported within 4 miles of Murphy. On 7 of those days, the stones were golf ball size or bigger. Hail that size was reported in 10 of the last 20 years. The largest stones on record nearby measured 5.25 inches (softball size) on April 11, 2016. The most recent report: 1.25-inch hail on April 27, 2026.
April 11, 2016: 5.25-inch hail (softball size)
June 13, 2012: 3.25-inch hail (teacup size)
March 25, 2025: 2.25-inch hail (hen egg size)
April 23, 2021: 2-inch hail (hen egg size)
April 6, 2018: 2-inch hail (hen egg size)
How old Murphy homes are
The median home in Murphy was built in 2005. A large share of the city's 6,030 housing units are now old enough that original roofs are coming due, while 18% were built in 2010 or later.
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database (hail reports since 2006 within 4 miles of Murphy); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Data pulled September 2026.
Common questions about built-up roofing (bur) in Murphy
My Murphy 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 Murphy?
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 Murphy?
NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 19 days since 2006 with hail one inch or larger reported within 4 miles of Murphy, including 7 days with golf ball size stones or bigger. Hail that size was reported in 10 of the last 20 years. The most recent report was 1.25-inch hail on April 27, 2026.
How old are most homes in Murphy?
The median home in Murphy was built in 2005, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. 5% of the city's housing units predate 1980 and 18% were built in 2010 or later. Many homes here are reaching the age when original roofs come due.
