A regular peaked roof, as most colonial buildings have, lends itself to the construction technique of an under-roof followed by an applied roof. The under-roof is designed as part of the front wall of the building. It attaches to the side wall with tabs along the eaves of the peak and at the back edge. The over-roof starts as an exact replica of the under-roof, but with slight overhangs on the edges. A graphic with a shingle pattern is printed on the over-roof.

A peaked roof is not necessarily symmetric, and can have changes in slope. When a building has a long side dimension and a gradual slope to the roof, the under-roof plus building front piece may be so long that it will not fit on a piece of cardstock that can be accommodated by the printer. In that case, the designer must decide where to split the under-roof so that it can fit on the cardstock.

Hipped roofs may not be appropriate for this style of construction. The slope of the under-roof (as it extends from the building walls) may not necessarily match the slope of the actual roof, which may incorporate a wide soffit (overhang). This type of roof is challenging but possible to design, just not with this technique.