For many people, relocating a residential mailbox is sometimes necessary. We get a lot of customers asking, “Can I move my mailbox?” or “Where can I place my mailbox?”
If you’re not happy with the current location of your home mailbox, do your homework first. You should take note of the USPS rules on relocating a residential mailbox before you begin your move.
can I move my mailbox?
In some cases, it may be difficult to access your residential mailbox. or it may be located in a position that makes the mail vulnerable to theft or vandalism. Generally, you can relocate a residential mailbox without violating USPS mailbox guidelines by following four easy steps.
- Contact your local postmaster first.
- Consider the weather & mailbox exposure
- consider night lines to home mailbox
- do not oversize your mailbox posting
1. please contact your local postmaster first.
the usps does not legislate the relocation of residential mailboxes nationwide. rather, they allow local postmasters to decide what is best for their geographic location and mail service. fast travel or call your local post office first. You can get great advice from a postal expert on how and where you can move your mailbox. you might even get your relocation approved. USPS mailbox location rules are strict. It can save you a lot of heartache if you take the time to call or visit the post office before you change your home mailbox.
2. Consider weather exposure when moving your house mailbox.
If you plan to move your mailbox out of your home, consider how the location is affected by the weather during different seasons. While relocating a residential mailbox in front of your driveway or moving your mailbox across the street may seem convenient, that very location could cause problems. for example, your mailbox will be buried by snowplows or drifts in winter.
Also, if possible, consider relocating your home mailbox somewhere that is protected from the sun. In direct sunlight, a mailbox can become a miniature oven, cooking your mail.
While you may easily see heat damage to some mail order items, you may never notice damage to other items. for example, it would be easy to spot heat-damaged crayons or makeup. but you may not notice the potential harm from mail-order pharmaceuticals.
In a July 2011 heat wave, some mail-order customers began complaining to their GPs that their medications no longer seemed to be effective. As pharmaceutical companies investigated, they discovered that medications being shipped were being placed in exposed mailboxes that exceeded the medication’s heat tolerance. therefore, the drugs became ineffective in just a few hours. here is an article on how temperature can affect drug stability.
Be aware of how long your home mailbox will be exposed to direct sunlight.
3. consider sight lines when relocating a residential mailbox.
When the weather is stormy, you can look out the window to see if the red flag on the mailbox has moved down. If you can see your mailbox from home, you can avoid an unnecessary trip to your curbside mailbox during inclement weather.
Before relocating a residential mailbox, check sight lines from your home. Make sure your home mailbox can be placed in a visible location so you can check the delivery status from the comfort of your window. Highly visible mailbox locations can also deter thieves and vandals.
4. avoid over-designing your mailbox post.
you can ask “can I move my malbox?” if you have been a victim of mailbox vandalism. Some people respond by oversizing the replacement mailbox post for the new residential mailbox. This may also seem like an intuitive response to homeowners whose mail has been knocked out of their mailbox by snowplows or vandals.
However, a mailbox post that won’t bend can be a liability trap, which can backfire. For example, imagine the liability you could incur if a neighbor loses control of their vehicle and hits your mailbox. According to the USPS, the mailbox post should break at the base and give way to the impact.
conclusion
By considering these four steps before relocating your residential mailbox, you can ensure that your new residential mailbox location is both legal and ideal for long-term service.
installing a wall mounted mailbox? Be sure to read our article on installing residential wall mount mailboxes and visit our installation gallery on flickr. Also, check out our mailbox FAQ page.
mailbox installation services
If you’re not comfortable relocating a residential mailbox, contact a licensed maintenance person in your area. Although mailboxworks is one of the leading online retailers of residential mailboxes, you can get quicker answers to your specific mailbox relocation questions by speaking with a local installer. Thanks for visiting us and thanks for reading!
Categorized In: DIY Mailbox Installation & updates