HomeMy WebLinkAboutMailbox Placement Letter
Streets & Traffic Engineering Division
3800 Napoleon Ln.
Iowa City, IA 52240
319-356-5181
Fax: 319-356-5183
Dear Resident / Property Owner:
In accordance with a guide for erecting mailboxes published by the American Association Of State
Highway And Transportation Officials and due to the configuration of the snow plows now used by the
Iowa City Streets Division, the guideline for lateral placement of a mailbox is 6 inches from the back edge
of curb or pavement to the roadside face of the box. The bottom of the mailbox should be set at an
elevation between 39 inches and 42 inches above the roadway surface. Per City Design Standards, the
base of all mailboxes shall be a minimum of 18 inches from the edge of the pavement. Brick or other
masonry support structures are not allowed.
This guideline is being circulated by the Iowa City Streets Division in cooperation with the local Postal
Authority for the public’s best interest. Numerous related complaints and problems have again occurred
this past winter and forced this issue to be addressed and clarified.
A copy of this letter is sent to residents as the need arises. The Streets Division will only make repairs to
private mailboxes when an incident occurs where a mailbox is backed into by a city vehicle, the snow
plow jumps the curb or there was obvious operator error involved. The superintendent and/or his
assistant will investigate the cause in these instances.
By sending this notice, the City of Iowa City does not accept or acknowledge any responsibility or liability
for the placement, location or maintenance of mailboxes on City right-of-way. This letter is merely being
sent for informational purposes only.
If you have any comments or questions, please call me at 356-5482. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Brock Holub
Streets Superintendent