Vermont Catalog of Pre-approved Middle Housing Designs Harkens Back to Sears Catalog Homes

Vermont has launched a publicly accessible catalog called 802 Homes of construction-ready housing types as part of its effort to diversify its housing stock and make housing more affordable. 

As Chris Cochran explains in CNU's Public Square, “The initiative does not treat design, permitting, infrastructure, and finance as separate problems. It treats them as parts of a single production system — one that must function predictably if incremental infill is to move from theory to reality.”

The catalog includes a range of housing types including ADUs, duplexes, townhomes, cottage homes, and small multiplexes, many of which are newly legal to build again under recent zoning reforms. “The goal is clear: reconnect legalization with production and make small-scale housing feasible on a large scale.”

The project aims to make housing development more predictable and therefore faster and more cost-effective. “By shifting design vetting upstream — before projects enter review — the catalog reduces front-end uncertainty. Builders can select plans that are technically resolved and code-aligned, lowering soft costs and minimizing redesign. When paired with administrative approval pathways, predictability shortens timelines and reduces financing risk — critical for incremental development.”