How to Install a Curbside Mailbox

Installing a new curb-mounted mailbox can be handy for you and the mail carrier - and add a little style to your home.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Concrete
• Concrete
• Mailboxes
• Posts
• Shovels
• Bolts
• Carts Or Wheelbarrows
• Drill Bits
• Hammers
• Levels
• Posthole Diggers
• Variable-speed Drills
• Drill Bits
• Hammers
• Shovels

1. Purchase the mailbox and mounting post of your choice.

2. Use posthole diggers to make a narrow hole about 2 feet deep, or deep enough to meet the manufacturer's recommended mounting height.

3. Mix a small amount of quick-drying concrete in a wheelbarrow or large bucket. Place the mailbox's pole in the hole.

4. Use a scrap of lumber to cover the top of the post, and take a hammer to tap the post slightly into the ground. This will help hold the post in place as you work.

5. Use a level to make sure the post is straight.

6. Shovel small spadefuls of concrete gently and evenly into the hole until the concrete is about 6 inches below the surface.

7. Shovel dirt into the hole until filled. Pack loosely for now and check with the level one more time.

8. Wait overnight for the concrete to dry properly.

9. Tamp more dirt into the posthole to give your mailbox an even more secure base.

10. Attach the mailbox to the pole.

Tips & Warnings

• A mailbox and pole are available at most hardware stores or lumberyards.
• Manual posthole diggers look like two small, long-handled spades that are hinged together near the bottom. They're driven into the ground and then worked like tongs, pinching the dirt between them, to lift the dirt out of the hole.
• Make sure to place the pole as close to the curb as possible for easy access for the mail carrier.
• Remember to check the post with a level often during the early stages of installation.
• Wet concrete is caustic. It can cause skin irritation, so wear leather or rubber gloves.

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on 7/21/2008 Be sure to check with your local utilities before you start digging. They will come out and mark if there is a service line in the area. In some areas it is the law (e.g. Ohio). Besides, what should be a simple job could become extremely dangerous and expensive if you damage a gas line, water line, power cable, etc.

on 6/30/2006 Remember to keep federal regulations in mind when placing the mailbox. When you replace an existing mailbox or install one for the first time, make sure that it will be easily accessible for your mail carrier. Keep these things in mind:

* The regulation height is 42" from the bottom of the mailbox to the ground.
* Your house number should be clearly marked on the mailbox with painted numbers or stickers no less than 1" high.
* The box should be on the right-hand side of the road as traveled by the mail carrier.
* It should be located approximately 2' from the side of the road to ensure the carrier can get off the road enough to clear traffic.

Check for underground utilities before digging. Before you begin any excavation (that means even digging a hole), you've got to call and have someone check for underground utilities. This isn't just a good idea, it's the law. The North America One Call Referral Service at 1-888-258-0808 connects you to a national directory of utility companies.

on 1/30/2006 When inserting the wooden post into the ground, make sure that the post has an edge that is parallel to the road. Failure to do so will result in your mailbox not facing the road correctly.

on 11/22/2005 Use paver base (crushed stone) instead of concrete for a secure post mounting. Place 1 or 2 inches of pea gravel in the bottom of the hole. This will allow water to move away from the post base. Place the post in the hole, begin to fill around the sides with the paver base. After adding a few inches of paver base, square-up and level the post. Tamp the paver base around the post with a rod or broom handle. Continue alternately filling and tamping until within a couple inches of ground level. Finish off the fill with dirt. The post is ready to use and will remain stable for years. It is easily replaced if broken off (auto, snow plow, etc.), and you don't have to worry about chiseling out concrete. Using this method my 4 x 4 cedar post lasted 18 years.

on 11/22/2005 Some localities prohibit the use of concrete footings to install support posts for curbside mailboxes. Check with your local post office before installing one.