Electronic – Plated hole without circles on layers

Blind and buried vias add a lot to the cost of a multi-layer board, and are only used on high-density, high-performance systems. The increase in cost is because the layers have to be drilled separately, assembled, and then the holes are plated. Blind vias are sometimes back-drilled (the unwanted plating is removed with a slightly larger drill from the back) which reduces the cost, as the layers are stacked before drilling.

No, you don't want just a oversized via. Step back and think about the problem a bit. You don't just want a mounting hole, but rather a genuine electrical part. This part should show up in the schematic, be something you place on the board, have a pin connected to a net, and a pad that connection can be routed to, just like other electrical parts.

The correct answer is therefore to use such a part. This would have a schematic symbol with one connection. The package would be a thru-hole pad with the hole size matching your mounting screw and the pad diameter a little larger than the screw head diameter. If you want this to be a ground connection, connect it in the schematic to your ground net.

I have done this before and have a few such mounting hole parts in my library, including one for a #4-40 machine screw.