Posts, Spreader Bars, and Mounting

Our goal is to provide you with the least expensive way to truly protect your incoming mail. So we wanted you to save you money by designing our mailbox to be able to use your existing post when possible or just install a new 4 x 4 (actual size 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" wooden pressure treated post from your local home improvement center for about $13.00 plus a $3.00 bag of cement. In most cases, you should be able to use your existing post by shorting it by a few inches.

For those who want a matching powder coated aluminum post for mounting in cement. You’ll find it through the ORDER NOW page.

Our post is made of 1/16" aluminum. It can be greatly strengthened by at least partially filling the post with cement. Check with your local laws and State's Department of Transportation regarding any break-away post laws and regulations before strenthening your post by filling it with cement.

Wood 4x4 mounting	Aluminum post mounting

We offer horizontal spreader bars for mounting 2, 3, or 4 mailboxes in a row using your posts or ours. Three and four mailbox spreader bars require two 4 x 4 posts.

2 mailbox model – $54
3 mailbox model – $64
4 mailbox model – $74

You can view images of the spreader bar by CLICKING HERE

You can order the spreaders bars through our ORDER NOW page.

Mounting on a horizontal shelf.

Buy a 1” to 2” thick x 10” wide x 17” long piece of solid wood (no particle board) shelving to use as a spacer under the mailbox. You can attach the mailbox to the horizontal shelf by using four of the eight predrilled holes on bottom of the mailbox and bolt down through the mailbox and the spacer and into or through your horizontal shelf (wooden spreader bar). The diagram below shows the bolt pattern. You must purchase the appropriate type and size of screws or bolts, washers and nuts for your particular mounting situation. Cover any large, rough or sharp bolt or screw heads with heavy wide tape or silicone to prevent any possibility of injury when reaching in our around your mailbox. You should allow 14” in width for each mailbox, as these mailboxes are 11” wide and you need to allow access to the flag on the right side. 

Wood spacer for shelf mounting

Mounting different sizes of our mailboxes on the same horizontal shelf?

You should make sure that the incoming mail slots are all at the same correct height as designated by your local Postmaster by adding wooden spacers under the shorter mailboxes. 

ALWAYS CHECK WITH YOUR POST OFFICE
Customers are required to contact their local Post Office before installing the mailbox to ensure its correct placement and height at the street. Generally, locking mailboxes are installed at a height of 36" to 38" from the street level to the bottom of the incoming mail door on rural routes. On city routes that distance is generally 50" to 52". The presence of a curb is the biggest difference. The set back is usually 6" to 8", which is the distance from the front face of the mailbox incoming door to the front face of the curb or road edge. Your Post Office may have a differing opinion from you about whether your route is considered Rural or City. All posts must be of adequate strength and size, and be solidly anchored, preferably in a 24" deep hole and in cement. You must contact your local underground utilities locating service before digging such a hole. It is also your responsibility to meet any local codes regarding mailboxes and their installation.

Please, save yourself the time and expense of reinstalling the mailbox by checking with your local Post Office for the exact specifications for your address.

From the Trailboss

Here is something no other mailbox website will tell you – Don’t buy our $65.00 post, any good 4x4 (3.5” x 3.5” actual size) treated wooden post will work just as well and is very natural look.  Spend your money on our value priced quality built mailboxes, not on a 1/16” aluminum post that you may not need. (We only recommend buying our post if a matching color post is important to you)

From the Trailboss

Remember, to tell your Postmaster that you're installing a locking mailbox, so the distance from the ground to the bottom of the incoming mail door slot is the important distance, not to the bottom of the mailbox like your old conventional model.