Tag Archives: batavia

Mailbox Improvement Week May 21-27

Every year the USPS designates the week of May 21-27 to Mailbox Improvement Week for to encourage it’s customers to examine, and if necessary improve, repair or replace worn, broken or missing mailboxes and posts.

A neat looking and made to specification mailbox can not only make the postal couriers job easier and safer, but it can also improve property values and appearances in your neighborhood.

Per the postal service website at this link https://about.usps.com/postal-… you should inspect your mailbox for the following :

1. The mailbox itself should be approved by the Postmaster General.

2. It should be designed to protect the mail from weather.

3. It should be safe to use.

4. It should be conveniently located. (Click for guidelines on post and wall mounted mailboxes and slots)

5. It should be neat in appearance. (Your neighbors will appreciate this also)

Please note that brick built mailboxes are considered a “deadly fixed object” and can be a liability in the event of an automobile collision.

Here are some checks you can perform to check your mailbox for safety:

1. Wiggle the post.. is it loose? leaning? is the arm supporting the mailbox loose?

2. Is the mailbox securely fastened to the support arm?

3. Is the mailbox rusty? Does it have sharp edges and does the door hinge operate properly?

4. Do you have your address properly displayed on the flag side or front of the mailbox? 2″ or larger numbers on the flag side, 1″ or larger numbers on the door if in a cluster. This also helps emergency responders find your home.

5. Does the mailbox itself hang over the roadway making it a target for sideview mirrors?

If your mailbox fails any of these tests, it’s probably a good time to repair or replace your old mailbox and/or post.

MailboxFast.com can make the task of repairing or replacing your old mailbox painless whether it’s a maintenance issue or if it becomes damaged. We are experts in the repair and replacement of post mounted mailboxes and have solutions to fit nearly any budget. Whether you need parts for your expensive Keystone mailbox or want an economy mailbox mounted on a steel stake be sure to make MailboxFast.com your first call!

Now is the time, while the ground is still soft, and before any landscape features you may have installed around your mailbox have begun to bloom. No need to wait until mailbox improvement week.

Contact MailboxFast.com at 630-215-7343 now to improve your mailbox and post!

Mailbox Fast is a 5 star rated professional mailbox and post installer serving Naperville, Wheaton, Lisle, Plainfield, Aurora and the west suburbs of Dupage, Cook, Kane and Will and Kendall counties.

French Gothic Cedar Mailbox and Post Combination

Our French Gothic Cedar Mailbox and Post Package includes the post, the mailbox and mounting plate, up to 4 address numbers and installation.

Price $350

Preserve the natural beauty of your cedar post by adding an optional UV protective clear coating or stain for $100

Scroll down to look at our sample photos or click here to visit our recent installations page.

Mailbox Fast Installation Service Area

Mailbox Fast Mailbox Post Installation and Service Area

The below map shows the areas we serve best but does not cover our entire territory. Below the map is a more exhaustive list.

Below is a more exhaustive list of communities we serve, please keep in mind that we are located in the Naperville-Wheaton area so while we can and do service the below list of communities, some areas we do have a travel surcharge.

Dupage County


Addison
Addison Township
Aurora
Bartlett
Batavia
Bensenville
Bloomingdale
Bloomingdale Township
Bolingbrook
Burr Ridge
Carol Stream
Clarendon Hills
Darien
Downers Grove
Downers Grove Township
Elk Grove Village
Elmhurst
Glendale Heights
Glen Ellyn
Hanover Park
Hinsdale
Itasca
Lemont
Lisle
Lisle Township
Lombard
Milton Township
Naperville
Naperville Township
Oak Brook
Oakbrook Terrace
Roselle
Schaumburg
St. Charles
Villa Park
Warrenville
Wayne
Westmont
West Chicago
Wheaton
Willowbrook
Willow Springs
Winfield
Wood Dale
Woodridge
Unincorporated communities
Belmont
Cloverdale
Eola
Flowerfield
Fullersburg
Keeneyville
Lakewood
Mammoth Springs
Medinah
Munger
North Glen Ellyn
Palisades
South Elmhurst
Swift
Wayne Township
Winfield Township
York Center
York Township

Will County


Aurora
Beecher
Bolingbrook
Braceville
Braidwood
Channahon
Coal City
Crest Hill
Crete
Diamond
Elwood
Frankfort
Godley
Homer Glen
Joliet
Lemont
Manhattan
Matteson
Minooka
Mokena
Monee
Naperville
New Lenox
Orland Park
Park Forest
Peotone
Wilmington

Kane County


Aurora
Algonquin
Barrington Hills
Bartlett
Batavia
Big Rock
Burlington
Campton Hills
Carpentersville
East Dundee
Elburn
Elgin
Geneva
Gilberts
Hampshire
Hoffman Estates
Huntley
Kaneville
Lily Lake
Maple Park
Montgomery
North Aurora
Pingree Grove
Sleepy Hollow
South Elgin
Sugar Grove
St. Charles
Virgil
Wayne
West Dundee
Yorkville

Kendall County


Aurora
Bristol
Joliet
Lisbon
Millbrook
Millington
Minooka
Montgomery
Newark
Oswego
Plainfield
Plano
Sandwich
Yorkville

McHenry County


Algonquin
Barrington Hills
Bull Valley
Cary
Crystal Lake
Fox Lake
Fox River Grove
Greenwood
Harvard
Hebron
Holiday Hills
Huntley
Island Lake
Johnsburg
Lake in the Hills
Lakemoor
Lakewood
Marengo
McCullom Lake
McHenry
Oakwood Hills
Port Barrington
Prairie Grove
Richmond
Ringwood
Spring Grove
Trout Valley
Union
Wonder Lake
Woodstock

Cook County


Alsip
Arlington Heights
Barrington
Barrington Hills
Bartlett
Bedford Park
Bellwood
Bensenville
Berkeley
Berwyn
Blue Island
Bridgeview
Broadview
Brookfield
Buffalo Grove
Burbank
Burnham
Burr Ridge
Calumet City
Calumet Park
Chicago
Chicago Heights
Chicago Ridge
Cicero
Country Club Hills
Countryside
Crestwood
Deer Park
Deerfield
Des Plaines
Dixmoor
Dolton
East Dundee
East Hazel Crest
Elgin
Elk Grove Village
Elmwood Park
Evanston
Evergreen Park
Flossmoor
Ford Heights
Forest Park
Forest View
Franklin Park
Glencoe
Glenview
Glenwood
Golf
Hanover Park
Harvey
Harwood Heights
Hazel Crest
Hickory Hills
Hillside
Hinsdale
Hodgkins
Hoffman Estates
Hometown
Homewood
Indian Head Park
Inverness
Justice
Kenilworth
La Grange
La Grange Park
Lansing
Lemont
Lincolnwood
Lynwood
Lyons
Markham
Matteson
Maywood
McCook
Melrose Park
Merrionette Park
Midlothian
Morton Grove
Mount Prospect
Niles
Norridge
North Riverside
Northbrook
Northfield
Northlake
Oak Forest
Oak Lawn
Oak Park
Olympia Fields
Orland Hills
Orland Park
Palatine
Palos Heights
Palos Hills
Palos Park
Park Forest
Park Ridge
Phoenix
Posen
Prospect Heights
Richton Park
River Forest
River Grove
Riverdale
Riverside
Robbins
Rolling Meadows
Roselle
Rosemont
Sauk Village
Schaumburg
Schiller Park
Skokie
South Barrington
South Chicago Heights
South Holland
Steger
Stickney
Stone Park
Streamwood
Summit
Thornton
Tinley Park
University Park
Westchester
Western Springs
Wheeling
Willow Springs
Wilmette
Winnetka
Worth

So You Think You Want a Brick Mailbox

Many people have asked us if we install brick mailboxes.

Well, the answer is quite simply, “Nope!”

While you may see many brick mailboxes throughout your community, most local municipalities have banned new installations.

There are many reasons for this, but the foremost is safety.

Mailbox posts are supposed to be designed to break away in the event of a collision with a moving vehicle.  Regulations state that a post must be made of:

Wood- No greater than 4″ diameter square or round.

Steel- Thin wall steel  no greater than 2″ diameter round or square.

Even if you look at road signs mounted on a 6″ wooden post, you will notice that near the bottom there are 2″ holes drilled into the post so it will break away in the event of a collision. The ones made of steel are perforated for the same reasons.

What happens when you create a mailbox out of brick or any kind of heavy duty material such as a railroad tie or heavy steel is you create what the DOT (Dept. of Transportation) calls a,” Deadly fixed object.”

If a vehicle (municipal such as a snowplow or privately owned) strikes your heavy duty mailbox you can be held liable for damages incurred to the vehicle or any injury (or God forbid) death incurred by the collision.

So, what most municipalities have done is require a building permit for brick mailboxes, but if you actually apply for one, it will NEVER be approved, putting you out the fees for the permit application. Some communities make you apply for land use covenants which are complicated to obtain.

If you find a contractor who is willing to work without permits to install your brick mailbox you could end up out of a lot of money and a possible liability lawsuit later. For instance you give your contractor a deposit, he starts the work and an inspector drives by… the inspector can halt the work immediately and make you remove whatever work has been started. Likewise, if an inspector notices a brand new brick mailbox in a given neighborhood he can make you dismantle it. Either way your out of a lot of money! Lastly, if someone runs their car into your brick mailbox and goes head first into their windshield and they lawyer up, you can be taken to court and sued.

So be wise in your decision about what type of mailbox you wish to install. There are a lot of elegant post mount mailboxes that are sure to compliment your landscape and your beautiful home.

Additional links regarding mailboxes by some of the local communities:

Naperville Illinois mailbox guidelines

Lisle Illinois mailbox guidelines

Wheaton Illinois  mailbox guidelines

Downers Grove Illinois mailbox guidelines

Batavia Illinois mailbox guidelines

Geneva Illinois mailbox guidelines

Plainfield-Shorewood Illinois mailbox guidelines

St. Charles Illinois Mailbox Guidelines

There are too many municipalities to list here, but if you are planning to build a brick mailbox, it’s always a good idea to check with your community’s building department.