Built-up roofing, or tar and gravel, is the century-old system still protecting Palmer 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 Palmer 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 Palmer 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.
How Palmer changes the math
Palmer gives Built-Up Roofing (BUR) a specific job to do, and it is worth naming. The ring towns mix housing eras freely: a 1970s ranch, a 1990s two-story, and a this-year build can share one street, and each takes this system differently. On those buildings, the membrane decision is driven more by what the roof does all day than by material fashion: equipment traffic, ponding zones, and the tenant below.
Permit-wise, this work in Palmer runs through the city’s building department, and filing it is our job, not yours. Hail is the tax every DFW roof eventually pays, and single-ply shows bruise fractures that a chalk circle will not catch. Instrument surveys find what walking the roof misses. Nearby Waxahachie and Ennis see the same crews and the same spec; the install you would get has local addresses attached. The estimate comes with the local specifics in writing: scope, grade, timeline, and both warranty layers.
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 Palmer
How a roof system holds up in Palmer depends on the storms it has to take and the houses it sits on. Here is what the public record shows.
6
Hail days, 1 in.+ since 2006
2
Golf-ball-size hail days
2 in.
Largest stone on record
1989
Median year homes built
Hail near Palmer
Reported hail is less frequent around Palmer: NOAA lists 6 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 4 of the last 20 years. The largest stones on record nearby measured 2 inches (hen egg size) on May 27, 2024.
May 27, 2024: 2-inch hail (hen egg size)
April 26, 2011: 1.75-inch hail (golf ball size)
June 9, 2019: 1.5-inch hail (walnut size)
May 17, 2010: 1.5-inch hail (walnut size)
October 23, 2011: 1-inch hail (quarter size)
How old Palmer homes are
The median home in Palmer was built in 1989, and 33% of the city's 848 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 Palmer); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Data pulled September 2026.
Common questions about built-up roofing (bur) in Palmer
My Palmer 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 Palmer?
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 Palmer?
NOAA lists 6 days since 2006 with hail one inch or larger within 4 miles of Palmer. Smaller communities have fewer storm spotters, so reports tend to undercount what actually falls. The most recent report was 2-inch hail on May 27, 2024.
How old are most homes in Palmer?
The median home in Palmer was built in 1989, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. 33% of the city's housing units predate 1980 and 31% were built in 2010 or later. Many homes here are reaching the age when original roofs come due.
