Installing a Residential Mailbox

When we think of country lanes, we think of mailboxes with wild flowers twining around the post. Surprisingly, at the present time, most curbside residential mailboxes are located in the cities and suburbs. The United States Postal Service encourages curbside delivery since it is cheaper than house-to-house delivery.

Installing a residential mailbox is not difficult. You might want to check with your homeowner’s association about any rules regarding residential mailboxes. After that, the first consideration is the location of the box. Do you live on a state road or a city street? Most states require break-away posts on residential mail boxes. The highway department will install the post for you; you only have to attach the mail box to the post.

If you reside in a city, you will need to check with City Hall before doing any digging. Evan if you live out of town it is necessary to call the county and have the water, gas, and telephone lines in the area spotted for you. This is good information to have and copies of maps, liens, and other documents should be filed with your important papers.

If you would like to place the residential mailbox post without concrete to hold it, dig down 16” or so; place the post upright in the hole; add gravel or soil gradually to the hole packing it around the base of the post with a pole or pipe. As the gravel is packed in around the post, depending on the soil, it will become tightly wedged in the ground.


Another option is to have a movable base on your mailbox. A large bucket or an old car wheel can be filled with concrete and the mailbox post put in the center. This option works well for several scenarios: it can be moved when you mow the grass; it can be moved if the city is working on the street; or if the streets in your neighborhood do not have curbs. This type of base is easy to build and easy to level when there isn’t a curb.

A third option is to dig down 8” – 12” and use concrete to secure the base of the mailbox post. This is the most common installation. As in all mailbox installations, be sure to get the post straight so the box will be level.

After the post is up, the mail box is installed on the top of the base with screws, bolts or hardware that comes with the box. All types of residential mail boxes are available: brick, antique-look, heavy-duty plastic, security boxes, and lots of decorative boxes from ducks to tractors. You also might want to consider installing solar-powered electric lighting on the box to illuminate your address for 9-1-1 purposes. A nice mailbox can dress up your address!