Postmaster Rochelle Eastman provides tips for choosing and caring for mailboxes.
- There are several ways to improve a mailbox. Adding materials to shelter it from the elements is a good idea, as is any improvement that will make your mail carrier's job safer and more convenient.
- Do not hang flowers or plants from a mailbox because these can attract bees.
- Any loose hinges on the mailbox door should be replaced so that both the carrier and the owner can have easy access to the box. Sharp edges on a mailbox may injure the mail carrier or tear the mail.
- The bottom of the mailbox should be 42 inches from the ground.
- Mail slots are often not large enough for the mail to all fit through at once, which makes delivering the mail an inconvenience for the carrier. Make sure the mail receptacle is adequate for the volume of mail that is generally received.
- Make sure that the address on the mailbox is clear and that the house address is next to the mailbox.
- All mailboxes that are designed for use on the edge of a roadway or curbside must be approved by the U.S. Postal Service. All curbside boxes must have the following legible inscription on the carrier service door, "U.S. Mail" and "Approved by the Postmaster General."
- Metal mailbox posts should be at least two inches in diameter. Secure the pole in concrete to minimize wobbling.
