Installing a Modern Mailbox

We now interrupt this never-ending kitchen project for exciting news! We installed a modern mailbox! And it only took about an hour!

This is what our mailbox looked like before the weekend. It’s a pretty standard shape, typical of most freestanding mailboxes you would find in the suburbs. But, it doesn’t really match our style. Since our house is set back a bit and the mailbox is curbside, it’s the first thing you see, so we wanted the new mailbox to make a pretty awesome first impression.

Ew, gross.

When removing a mailbox, sometimes it’s very easy to pull it out of the ground, but most of the time it’s stuck in concrete. We tried to play nice, but unfortunately, things got unfriendly very quickly.

After digging out the concrete around the old post, make sure the hole is the right depth and size for your new mailbox pole. If you’re installing a mailbox for the first time, a good rule of thumb is to dig the hole about one foot deep but always measure the height to make sure it works for you (and your mail person!). If you’re unsure where to put it, contact your local post office for regulations. Edit: here’s the USPS link for mailbox regulations.

And then, after all that work, realize that your new mailbox is not as deep as your old mailbox, and therefore you can’t use the old hole anyway. You’re gonna have to dig a new hole closer to the curb. Oops!

Mix the concrete.

Put the post in the hole and pour in the concrete until it’s just below the surface.

Use an object to poke out any air bubbles and move the concrete around.

Level the post from front to back.

And then from side to side. And now it’s time to wait!

Wait a few hours until the concrete seems to have dried (we used quick-dry concrete, but make sure you read the instructions on your concrete). Then, cover the concrete with dirt and put down some grass seed.

Affix your mailbox to the post using bolts.

Step back, admire, and wait for the mail person to come and deliver your mail!

We purchased our mailbox from BoxDesignUSA.com, a USA distributor of modern powder-coated aluminum letterboxes from New Zealand. The style we chose is called Metro and it comes in nine fun colors. The mailbox, pole and red mail flag are sold separately.

They also offer cool modern peel-and-stick numbers for your mailbox, so we bought these too.

We love our new mailbox and its crazy orange color. Do you have a cool modern mailbox? I want to see it!