Florida mailbox placement belongs in the driveway plan

A mailbox seems too small to need a property file. Then it meets the driveway, ditch, road edge, or mail route.

For a curbside box, ask the local post office to confirm the spot before you move or install it. USPS generally calls for 41 to 45 inches from the road surface to the bottom of the box. It also calls for 6 to 8 inches between the curb and the box. Put the house or unit number on it. If the box sits on another street, add the full street address.

The road has its own rules. FDOT’s plan applies on a state-road right-of-way. A city, county, private road, or association may use a different rule. A shoulder, swale, wider driveway, or busy entrance can also change the safe spot.

First confirm the mail route, then find out who owns the road. Compare the spot with any driveway permit or road work. Before digging, contact Sunshine 811 and wait for the locate process. Keep the post-office answer, locate ticket, and final photos with the house records.