Somewhere between picking board colors and scheduling the build, every homeowner hits the same wall: "Wait - do I need a permit for this?" Short answer: for almost any deck or covered structure in the Metro East, yes. Here's how it actually works - and why it shouldn't be your problem.
Who issues your permit depends on where you sit
Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Maryville, Troy, and Collinsville each run their own building departments with their own submission requirements. Properties outside village limits - common around Marine and St. Jacob - typically fall under Madison County permitting instead. Two houses a quarter-mile apart can answer to two different offices.
What the permit process involves
- Site plan: where the structure sits relative to property lines, easements, and setbacks.
- Structural drawings: footing depth and diameter, beam and joist sizing, ledger attachment detail.
- Submission and review: usually one to three weeks depending on the office and season.
- Inspections: typically at footing holes (before concrete) and at final.
The footing inspection is the one that catches DIY projects: the inspector wants to see open holes at depth before any concrete goes in.
What happens if you skip it
Unpermitted structures surface at the worst possible time - when you sell. Title companies and buyers' inspectors flag them, and the fix ranges from retroactive permitting (often requiring partial demolition to expose footings) to tearing the structure out entirely. Insurance is the other risk: a claim involving an unpermitted structure gives your carrier an easy reason to deny it.
How we handle it
Permits are part of every Threshold project, not an add-on. We determine which office has jurisdiction, produce the drawings, submit, and meet the inspectors - it's baked into the timeline and the itemized quote. You'll see the permit line on your quote; you'll never have to visit a village hall.
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