Coal tar built-up roofs were invented in Pittsburgh during the 1850's. The roofs originally used felts made from paper, rag, hessian and other commonly available fibers that were then saturated with coal tar. Coal tar, at that time, was a by-product produced during the conversion of coal into coke for steel production and the extraction of coal gas from coal for street lighting. Coal tar and rag felts continued in use until the 1930's, when refined asphalt arrived as a by-product from the refining of crude oil into gasoline. Rare, naturally occurring asphalt had been used since Babylonian times for waterproofing such famous historical structures as the Hanging Gardens in Babylon, the Pharohs' Tombs in ancient Egypt, and Moses' basket of reeds on the Nile. Widely available asphalt and rag felts gained in popularity over coal tar during the 1940's, 50's and 60's, a time in which gasoline consumption leaped and U.S. population growth fueled numerous building booms.

The asphalt industry was changed forever in 1973 when, in response to the oil crisis in the Middle East, refineries were required to extract more petroleum from crude oil. This resulted in inferior petroleum products, and asphalt exhibited a loss in stability and flexibility. By the end of the 1980's, rag felts had been replaced with fiberglass felts, and most coal tar was eliminated by environmental regulations covering hot kettle fumes. Safety regulations for hot asphalt and the incorporation of synthetic rubber and other polymers into asphalt further changed the nature of what is commonly referred to as a "tar roof" or a "tar and gravel roof."