Built-up roofing, or tar and gravel, is the century-old system still protecting Waxahachie 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 Waxahachie 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 Waxahachie 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.
What is different in Waxahachie
Waxahachie gives Built-Up Roofing (BUR) a specific job to do, and it is worth naming. A large share of homes here are young enough that their original builder-grade roofs are only now meeting their first serious hail test. On those buildings, the membrane decision is driven by what the roof does all day more than by material fashion. That means equipment traffic, ponding zones, and the tenant below.
Waxahachie handles roofing permits the way most Ellis County cities do: required where structure or full replacement is involved, quick when the paperwork is right. We file it. 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 Ennis and Midlothian see the same crews and the same spec, so 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 Waxahachie
How a roof system holds up in Waxahachie depends on the storms it has to take and the houses it sits on. Here is what the public record shows.
24
Hail days, 1 in.+ since 2006
8
Golf-ball-size hail days
3.75 in.
Largest stone on record
2004
Median year homes built
Hail near Waxahachie
NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 24 days since 2006 with hail one inch or larger reported within 7 miles of Waxahachie. On 8 of those days, the stones were golf ball size or bigger. Hail that size was reported in 13 of the last 20 years. The largest stones on record nearby measured 3.75 inches (teacup size) on June 14, 2023. The most recent report: 1-inch hail on May 25, 2026.
June 14, 2023: 3.75-inch hail (teacup size)
May 30, 2024: 2-inch hail (hen egg size)
May 24, 2024: 1.75-inch hail (golf ball size)
September 24, 2023: 1.75-inch hail (golf ball size)
May 3, 2021: 1.75-inch hail (golf ball size)
How old Waxahachie homes are
The median home in Waxahachie was built in 2004. A large share of the city's 16,840 housing units are now old enough that original roofs are coming due, while 39% were built in 2010 or later.
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database (hail reports since 2006 within 7 miles of Waxahachie); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Data pulled September 2026.
Common questions about built-up roofing (bur) in Waxahachie
My Waxahachie 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 Waxahachie?
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 Waxahachie?
NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 24 days since 2006 with hail one inch or larger reported within 7 miles of Waxahachie, including 8 days with golf ball size stones or bigger. Hail that size was reported in 13 of the last 20 years. The most recent report was 1-inch hail on May 25, 2026.
How old are most homes in Waxahachie?
The median home in Waxahachie was built in 2004, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. 27% of the city's housing units predate 1980 and 39% were built in 2010 or later. Many homes here are reaching the age when original roofs come due.
