We just went through the deck permit process in Mississauga for a 400 sq ft composite deck with aluminum glass railing. Sharing the process because I couldn’t find a clear breakdown anywhere.
Application:
- Submitted online through Mississauga’s ePlans portal
- Required: site plan (I drew it in Google Drawings, it was accepted), deck framing plan showing joist/beam sizes, footing locations
- Engineer’s stamp: NOT required for standard residential decks — only if over a certain size or unusual configuration
Timeline:
- Submitted: March 11
- Permit issued: March 28
- 12 business days — much faster than I expected
Inspections required:
- Footing inspection before pouring concrete (or setting helical piers)
- Framing inspection before decking goes on
- Final inspection when complete
Cost:
- Permit fee: $175 flat (under 50 sq m)
- Inspector was thorough on the footing inspection — ours were 1.4m deep (we oversized slightly for peace of mind)
Contractor vs DIY:
- We used a contractor for everything except the permit application, which I did myself
- Total deck cost: $27,400 (Trex Transcend decking, aluminum/glass railing, aluminum posts)
Anyone else done permits through Mississauga’s ePlans? Curious if others found the portal easy to use.