DIY mailbox post ideas that use common tools and install quickly

You have decided to take the DIY mailbox post route and you worry that it might be a big job. Setting a new mailbox post in concrete requires a significant amount of labor and not to mention that you are tearing up a hole in your yard. Further, if it’s right in the middle of winter and the ground is frozen, you can forget about it until spring.

Did you know that USPS regulations recommend that you should not set your mail post in concrete? The best mailbox supports are stable but bend or fall away if a car hits them. Similarly, the Federal Highway Administration recommends that you avoid unyielding and potentially dangerous supports like heavy metal pipes and concrete posts.

So not only does it sound like a better plan to avoid the digging and concrete, it is recommended! As a result, here are a few DIY mailbox post ideas to accomplish this task.

Anchor & Post Kit

This inexpensive option includes the anchor and a wooden post. First, you drine the anchor into the ground using a hammer. Then, you take the supplied wooden post (which already has a hole in the bottom) and you fit it over the top of the anchor. Be aware that this post is the type used for sliding a one-piece mailbox/post over the top. You do not mount the mailbox itself to this post as it is to short.

Anchor & Full Cedar Post Kit

This post is the same concept as the previous one in regards to installation. However, this post is full height which allows for mounting an individual mailbox. Also, this post is made of cedar whereas the previous one is made of pine.

Heavy-Duty Steel Drive-In Post Kit

This post, available in black or white, is another type that you just drive into the ground. You set it at the correct depth so that the mailbox height is at the USPS regulation of between 41″ – 45″. You then just mount your mailbox on the post and cross-arm.