Resources
Choosing the
Right Mailbox
Tips for choosing decorative mailboxes for your home or community — USPS approval, replacement parts, materials, and direct-burial posts.
- USPS approved
- Replacement parts
- Direct burial
Getting Started
Getting started
There are many factors to consider when choosing your decorative mailboxes for your home or community. Although how a mailbox looks is important, it’s also important to consider mailbox durability and maintenance.
We are here to assist you every step of the way, including helping you find the right decorative mailboxes for your community. Let us know if you have any questions and we will be happy to help.
Best tips for choosing the right decorative mailbox
Choose a mailbox that is USPS approved.
The importance of this has nothing to do with whether or not your postman will deliver mail to the box. To be USPS approved a mailbox must pass dozens of rigorous tests that ensure it will withstand years of abuse. Examples include opening the door 7000 times, pressure testing in extreme heat, cold and humidity. How to tell? The text “Approved by the Postmaster General” will appear on the door.
Replacement parts are important.
The post, mailbox, bracket, number plate, etc. should all be bolted together. When damages occur it shouldn’t mean a whole new mailbox system. When evaluating a mailbox ask yourself “What happens if this piece breaks?”
Choose the right material.
Steel? Very popular 10-20 years ago. Negatives of steel mailboxes include issues with rust and no replacement parts. Wood mailboxes? Nice for certain applications, but very expensive to replace. Is the company making the beautiful custom posts for you going to still offer them 5 years from now? Couple this with the constantly decreasing quality of wood on the market and you can see why it’s important to be wary of this route. Aluminum mailboxes? Rust and rot free. Can literally last 20+ years if quality aluminum is used. Replacement parts, durability and availability make aluminum a tough choice to beat.
Single piece, direct burial post is the way to go.
Many of today’s decorative mailboxes feature two and three piece posts. Why? Small pieces fit in smaller boxes. The longer the box the more it costs to ship it. Great for retail distribution, bad for long term installations. Over time joints loosen. Tightening the five bolts on your mailbox is doable. Multiple that times 50, 100, 200 etc. and the result is a lot of loose bolts and crooked posts.
Home Improvement Stores?
Seems a logical place to buy a mailbox, but risky for neighborhoods looking to standardize their mailboxes over the long term. Product lines change and what’s available today probably won’t be available two seasons from now.
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