Built-up roofing, or tar and gravel, is the century-old system still protecting Westlake 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 Westlake 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 Westlake 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.
Built-Up Roofing (BUR) in Westlake, specifically
The honest starting point for Built-Up Roofing (BUR) in Westlake is the street you live on, not the sample board. The neighborhoods skew established: multiple roof generations behind them, big tree canopies overhead, and original decking that deserves inspection before anything new goes on. For those roofs, single-ply is a systems conversation. Attachment method, insulation, and flashing details carry more of the outcome than the membrane brand.
Like the rest of Tarrant County, Westlake wants roofing work documented: permits where required, inspections passed. That paperwork is included, not extra. The weather here is not hypothetical. Single-ply shows bruise fractures that a chalk circle will not catch, which is why instrument surveys find what walking the roof misses. The install map around Westlake includes Fort Worth and Arlington, and seeing a five-year-old local roof beats any sample board. One inspection turns the general case into your case, with photos and numbers attached.
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 Westlake
How a roof system holds up in Westlake depends on the storms it has to take and the houses it sits on. Here is what the public record shows.
21
Hail days, 1 in.+ since 2006
8
Golf-ball-size hail days
4.25 in.
Largest stone on record
2010
Median year homes built
Hail near Westlake
NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 21 days since 2006 with hail one inch or larger reported within 4 miles of Westlake. On 8 of those days, the stones were golf ball size or bigger. Hail that size was reported in 12 of the last 20 years. The largest stones on record nearby measured 4.25 inches (grapefruit size) on May 24, 2011. The most recent report: 1.25-inch hail on April 28, 2026.
May 24, 2011: 4.25-inch hail (grapefruit size)
April 28, 2021: 3.25-inch hail (teacup size)
March 14, 2024: 3-inch hail (teacup size)
March 30, 2009: 2.75-inch hail (baseball size)
June 11, 2023: 2.5-inch hail (tennis ball size)
How old Westlake homes are
Westlake is young by roofing standards: the median home was built in 2010, and 51% of its 567 housing units date to 2010 or later. Many of those homes still have the roof the builder installed, now working through its first hail seasons.
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database (hail reports since 2006 within 4 miles of Westlake); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Data pulled September 2026.
Common questions about built-up roofing (bur) in Westlake
My Westlake 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 Westlake?
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 Westlake?
NOAA's Storm Events Database lists 21 days since 2006 with hail one inch or larger reported within 4 miles of Westlake, including 8 days with golf ball size stones or bigger. Hail that size was reported in 12 of the last 20 years. The most recent report was 1.25-inch hail on April 28, 2026.
How old are most homes in Westlake?
The median home in Westlake was built in 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. 3% of the city's housing units predate 1980 and 51% were built in 2010 or later. Many homes here still have their original builder-installed roof.
