Mailbox Requirements

MAIL BOXES

The Following are guidelines the St. Croix County Highway Department follows with respect to the installation and ongoing maintenance of mailboxes on the county trunk highway system (CTHS).

In Wisconsin snow removal operations frequently conflict with mailboxes.  A standard for mailbox installation has been developed which has reduced the number of mailboxes damaged or demolished by snow plows.

The recommended placement of the box is on a 24-inch minimum arm length at a minimum height of 46 inches.  The front of the box should be aligned with the outside edge of the shoulder.

Locating mailboxes along the roadside is complicated by many factors other than snow removal.  These require balancing the maximum convenience to the patron with safety considerations for highway traffic, and with postal carrier convenience and safety.  You must also take into account existing roadside conditions such as proximity to intersection; blind spots caused by curves, hills and vegetation; utility poles, guard rails, nearby bridges, and other physical installations.

GUIDELINES FOR SAFE INSTALLATION

It is best to keep the entire mailbox installation as light weight as possible.  This permits a vehicle crashing into it to break off the mailbox with less damage to the vehicle.  The heavier the installation, the less likely it will move instantaneously, causing more damage to the vehicle and injury to its occupants.

• Use support posts which will easily break off or move out of the way.
• Mount no more than two mailboxes on one support post.
• Attach the mailbox firmly to the support post using adequately strong bolts and plates.
• Consider roadside conditions in selecting a site.

SUPPORTS

The postal service requires that the bottom of the box be 42 to 48 inches above ground level.  the Wisconsin Department of Transportation has these standards for supports which will ensure that they will break away on impact:

• Pipes should be two inches inside diameter or less.
• Square wood supports should not be larger than four inches by four inches. Round wood posts should not be larger than  four and one-half inches in diameter.
• Metal channel posts should not weigh more than two pounds per foot.
• Imbed supports no more than 24 inches into the ground and do not imbed them in concrete.
• Do not use anchor plates with metal posts.  Anti-twist flanges are acceptable as long as they do not project more than 10 inches into the ground.  These should be attached to the metal post or pipe with two and three-eights inch (nominal) muffler clamp.