Cedar mailbox post installation

Warranty 90 Day Limited. Compatible with These Mailboxes. Arlington Post Mount Brunswick Post Mount Elite Post Mount Elite Large Post Edson Post Mount Edwards Post Mount Franklin Post Mount Garrison Post Mount Patriot Medium Post Patriot Large Post Hamilton Locking Post Grayson Post Mount Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers.

Please log in with your username or email to continue. No account yet? Create an account. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article parts. Tips and Warnings. Things You'll Need. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. Contact an expert to locate your utilities. Most countries will offer a service that will visit your property to mark the location of utilities in your yard.

Look online for the service in your local area, and make sure you dig away from the spaces that are marked. If you want to move it, you should get your utilities marked out.

In the United States, you can call to get your utilities marked out for free within 2 days. Once they are marked, you will have 10 days to install your mailbox post in a safe area. Check your local regulations for mailboxes. Look online to find any regulations in your area, and make sure you conform to them when marking the placement of your mailbox post. Make sure that you factor in the size of the mailbox when installing your mailbox post.

Remove the old mailbox post. If you have an old mailbox post you want to replace, you'll need to remove it before you can put in a new one. Use a shovel to dig up the ground around the old post and lift it directly up and out of the ground. If it's too hard to lift, use some scrap pieces of wood to make a lever that will help pry it free.

Otherwise, fill it in and dig a new hole in a different location. Mark the location where your post will be installed. It may take a little trial and error, but you should be able to find a location that works perfectly.

Make a small cross on the ground with spray paint to mark the location. Use a post digger to dig a hole around 20 inches 51 cm deep. A post digger is a tool designed for digging small yet deep holes that should be available at your local hardware store.

Use the post digger to dig a hole in the location you have marked, digging until the hole is at least 20 inches 51 cm deep. Check the depth of the hole with a tape measure as you dig it.

Add approximately 4 to 6 inches 10 to 15 cm of gravel to the hole. Gravel, small stones, or something similar will help with providing proper drainage to the bottom of the hole.

Pour enough into the bottom of your hole so that it comes up around 4 inches 10 cm , leaving you with a 16 in 41 cm deep hole. You'll need roughly 10 to 30 pounds 4. Check the depth of the hole again once you've added your gravel, to make sure you will still comply with the requirements for mailboxes in your area. If there's gravel in the hole from an old mailbox post you've removed, you shouldn't need to add anymore gravel as long as it is deep enough and sets your post at the right height.

Part 2. Place the post in the hole and check its height. Lift your mailbox post up and drop it into the hole so that it sits against the gravel. Use a tape measure to check that it is sitting at the right height above the curb, adding or removing gravel to adjust it as necessary. You can make your own mailbox post by cutting a 4 by 4 in 10 by 10 cm piece of wood to size. It should be around 65 inches cm in length, with the cut end sitting in the hole.

Either purchase waterproof wood, or waterproof the wood yourself. Pour concrete powder into the hole, leaving 4 to 5 inches 10 to 13 cm of space at the top. Keeping the mailbox post as level as you can, begin pouring the dry concrete powder into the hole. Space it evenly around the post, so that the post remains in the center of the hole. Leave 4 to 5 inches 10 to 13 cm of space at the top to cover with soil.

Check that your post is level with a bubble level, and make any final adjustments before moving on. You'll need roughly 50 pounds 23 kg , depending on the size and depth of your hole. The space left at the top of the post can be covered with soil, which will prevent concrete from showing at the base of your mailbox post. Get someone else to hold the post in place while you pour the concrete over it.

Hold the bubble level on each face of the post and check that the bubble is in the middle of the level before proceeding. Cover the concrete with water. Water will convert your concrete powder to concrete, which will keep your mailbox post in place for years to come.