The vast majority of homes built in Vancouver and the surrounding municipalities were not the work of local architects but from designs found in plan books. Published in the US and Canada, these books illustrated a variety of designs that were available in plan form from the publisher. Companies such as Radford, Keith, Wilson and others issued yearly catalogues, while others simply put out a few books now and then.

Plan companies covered all bases, with books on small houses, cottages, and barns and they kept up with the changing styles. In this 1911 advertisement from the Vancouver World we can see the popularity of the Craftsman style and which books were readily available in Vancouver.

A few of the illustrated covers are later editions of the books mentioned in the ad.