Document what you have
Record the lot's shape, sun and shade patterns, drainage, and existing structures. Photos and rough measurements help right away.
Read the local context
The flat prairie the Illinois Central built across in 1855 gives deck work here a different governing constraint than a hilly city has. Slope is rarely the issue; frost is. East-central Illinois frost depth is substantial, and a footing that does not reach below it will lift a little more each winter, racking the frame and working the ledger connection at the house loose over several seasons -- which is why footing depth matters more here than almost any decision made above the deck surface. The housing eras matter for the ledger itself: in the older neighborhoods that date to the railroad town and its 1861 charter, what sits behind the siding is frequently not what a modern attachment detail assumes, and it needs to be opened up rather than guessed at.
Ask what won't stay visible
A written scope should explain the preparation and verification that will no longer be visible at completion, not just the finished appearance.
Compare full scopes, not prices
Check for protection, access, materials, permits, testing, cleanup, restoration, exclusions, warranty, and change-order terms.
What official local sources add
Footing excavation is ground disturbance, and Champaign is the permitting authority for land-disturbing activity, which can require an approved stormwater control plan for qualifying projects. That makes the scale and siting of a deck a question worth settling before design rather than after. A deck also changes how a lot sheds water, so where a project alters drainage enough to need a new or modified connection to the municipal system, the city's stormwater-connection permit applies. Properties near the Urbana or Savoy boundaries should confirm which authority reviews them.
Sources were reviewed 2026-07-26. Confirm parcel-specific flood zones, historic-district status, permits, and current requirements with the relevant authority before authorizing work.