I want to move my mailbox

[TDKPE]

I'm just curious what position relative to the driveway that people put their mailboxes.  Kinda don't want to have to replace it when I run over it.

In my case, a minimum of 10 ft from either side of the driveway would be a minimum, based on the tire tracks from DW's car.  And her sister's.  And the MIL's.  And that's without the added snow cover to camouflage the edges.  

[Cooler]

The snow plow took off my mail box a few years back and I had to install a new one in the winter (frozen ground).  I got a plastic post that used a steel spike to mount to the ground.  I hammered the spike into the ground and then attached the plastic post.  

I bought a new wood post but the plastic one has not yet failed, it is wobbly though.

My neighbor had a stone mason build a 3' x 3' x 5' stone post with the mail box set inside.  It is certainly strong enough, but in violation of both town and postal requirements.  Our town does not allow such rigid structures that close to the roadway.  A complaint could force them to have that removed.

Apparently the regulation is to protect drivers who lose control and hit a mail box.  

I designed my new post to be two 6" x 6" posts joined by a horizontal piece upon which the mail box would attach.   The 6" x 6" posts would extend above the mail box and I would make a "roof" from 2" x 8" pressure treated lumber.  The hope is that this would be more vandal resistant and kids riding by with baseball bats would not be able to destroy the mail box.

[KC]

The Post Office or your State DOT has requirements for the location of a mailbox and how it may be installed.  Sorry, I can't remember which.  Contact them to find out the details and what latitude you have. 

John

In rural Texas, both have rules.  Put it in wrong and they'll dig it up and lay it on the side of the road for you.  DAMHIKT.

[EricU]

My neighbor had a stone mason build a 3' x 3' x 5' stone post with the mail box set inside.  It is certainly strong enough, but in violation of both town and postal requirements.  Our town does not allow such rigid structures that close to the roadway.  A complaint could force them to have that removed.

Most of the houses (including mine) in my neighborhood in Utah had masonry mailbox "posts."  The snowplow drivers there are artists, it almost never caused a problem.  We also had curbs, which we don't here in my neighborhood. But really, it's not a big deal if someone hits the masonry posts, they just crumble.  A real problem would be something like a steel pipe or beam.  I have thought about getting one of the vandal-proof mailboxes, but so far we don't have that problem.  Knock wood.

You can't hire a mason here, so that's not even an option.  I think there is one in the entire area, and he is so busy you can forget a callback.

[daddo]

We lived here for 28 years and never had any problems.

 I finally made a nice box and a year later BOOM!  Man swerved to miss the neighbor who was backing out of his driveway way too fast.

 He paid for it, but I didn't make another one.

  I should have known better.

[Lynden]

When I moved my mailbox, I just asked my mailman and he gave me the OK. You could just go ahead and move it and see what happens. Use a 4x4 and the post base linked below in case you have to change its location. As the saying goes, it's better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Simpson-Stron.../100655352 -- says it's "great for mailbox posts"

[R Clark]

As the saying goes, it's better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.

Around here, they won't give forgiveness.  The P.O won't get mad.  The P.O. will just stop delivering your mail.

My mailbox is on the opposite side of the highway from the entrance to our driveway.  It's a numbered U.S. highway with a 55 mph speed limit.  To make it better, the driveway is just past the crest of a steep hill, making it a blind entrance.  Because of a hill on the north side of the mailbox, drifting snow will hide the mailbox completely.  I asked the post office if I could relocate to the other side of the highway.  Nope.  That would mean changing the route and they're not going to do that.

So LOML and I have to cross the highway, sometimes snow/ice covered and slick, to get back and forth to the mailbox.  We've thought about getting a P.O. box, but it would mean an extra 8-mile round trip into town to check mail, most of which is junk anyway.   We just live with it.

[EricU]

I can see why they won't do it on a truly rural route where putting it on the other side of the road would mean miles of extra travel or a couple of u-turns across a busy highway.  They are not making much money on rural routes these days.

[chips ahoy]

I live in a rural area,no sidewalks and very little shoulder to the road. Some people from the postal service stopped one day and requested that I move my mail box back so the postal vehicle could get safely off the road. This would take up a small portion of my lawn but no big deal. They had a device to show where the mail box was to be moved to and marked it with rebar. Next day I bought a new mailbox and post and did the job. Called the postal service,they came and inspected it and all was well.So I lost a few feet of lawn,big deal and the person plow driver can't get at it now. Sometimes you just have to be reasonable.


Mel

[ronlaughlin]

No, i disagree, you don't  have to be reasonable.  However,  isn't  it  the for the best, if one is reasonable?