LIMITED POWER OF ATTORNEY FOR
SECTION 16 REPORTING OBLIGATIONS
        Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and
appoints each of James H. Graass, David A. Greenblatt and Scott M. Wilson, or
any of them signing singly, and with full power of substitution, the
undersigned's true and lawful attorney-in-fact to:
         (1) execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigned's
capacity as an officer and/or director of Eagle Materials Inc., a Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), Forms 3, 4, and 5 in accordance with Section 16(a)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules thereunder;
         (2) do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the
undersigned which may be necessary or desirable to complete and execute any such
Form 3, 4, or 5, complete and execute any amendment or amendments thereto, and
timely file such form with the SEC and any stock exchange or similar authority;
and
         (3) take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with the
foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit to,
in the best interest of, or legally required by, the undersigned, it being
understood that the documents executed by such attorney-in-fact on behalf of the
undersigned pursuant to this Limited Power of Attorney shall be in such form and
shall contain such terms and conditions as such attorney-in-fact may approve in
such attorney-in-fact's discretion.
         The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power
and authority to do and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever
requisite, necessary, or proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights
and powers herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the
undersigned might or could do if personally present, with full power of
substitution or revocation, hereby ratifying and confirming all that such
attorney-in-fact, or such attorney-in-fact's substitute or substitutes, shall
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue of this Limited Power of Attorney and
the rights and powers herein granted. The undersigned acknowledges that the
foregoing attorneys-in-fact, in serving in such capacity at the request of the
undersigned, are not assuming, nor is the Company assuming, any of the
undersigned's responsibilities to comply with Section 16 of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934.
         This Limited Power of Attorney supersedes any Section 16 power of
attorney previously granted by the undersigned with respect to the undersigned's
holdings of and transactions in securities issued by the Company and shall
remain in full force and effect until the undersigned is no longer required to
file Forms 3, 4, and 5 with respect to the undersigned's holdings of and
transactions in securities issued by the Company, unless earlier revoked by the
undersigned in a signed writing delivered to the foregoing attorneys-in-fact.
         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Limited Power of
Attorney to be executed as of this 29th day of January, 2008.

                                                        /s/ Arthur R. Zunker