The "pattern book" of low-rise designs including terraces, townhouse and manor houses would be ticked off for construction in 10 days.
The designs, whipped up by internationally renowned architects as part of a NSW government competition, will be available for purchase for just $1 for the first six months.
They will then rise to $1000, still well below the going rate.
It continued Premier Chris Minns' war on red tape, having repeatedly blamed a sluggish planning system for his state's poor progress on nationally-agreed housing targets.
NSW has produced six houses per 1000 people each year compared with Victoria's eight and Queensland's 10, the premier said.
"Ask anybody for the last 20 years in NSW how frustrating it has been to get approval for a family home, they'll all say the same thing, it is impossible," Mr Minns told reporters on Wednesday.
"We are falling behind when it comes to new development completions, alongside the fact that we are one of the most expensive cities on earth."
The NSW scheme will have a wider availability and lower up-front fees than a Victorian strategy which was limited to a single council area, Mr Minns said.
The state remains behind its target to build 377,000 new homes by July 2029 under a national housing agreement.
Master Builders Australia data released in 2024 found the state would come closer to building 300,000 by then.
Planning Minister Paul Scully said pattern-book housing had not before been matched with fast-tracked approvals.
He did not anticipate councils and local residents would object to the "great-looking, government and architect-endorsed" designs.
"People (just) don't want rubbish built next door," he said.
A mid-rise pattern book will follow, but designs will likely not be approvable in the same 10-day timeframe due to added complexity.
The government estimated the designs would typically cost upwards of $20,000 if developed through an architect.
Housing Now Alliance chair David Borger said that estimate was likely well short of market rates.
"The government is wrong to say it's 20 grand for a design, I've been through this process, it's $50,000 and up," he said.
"At $1, buy 10, you might need them in the future."
NSW government architect Abbie Galvin said pattern-book housing had been used since colonisation.
"Sometimes you need to look back to the past to make moves and progress into the future," she said.
A NSW Productivity and Equality Commission report in 2024 made several recommendations to boost housing supply, including zoning well-located areas for higher density and cutting apartment design requirements.
One of the government's signature planning policies involves the blanket rezoning of land around train stations for higher-density housing.
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