The United States Postal Service® is proud to provide every new home and business with excellent, efficient mail delivery service. This guide will assist you in preparing your new development for mail service by planning locations and space for mail equipment early in the development process.
The U.S. Postal Service™ is responsible for establishing the method or “mode” of delivery for all new developments—both residential and commercial. The mode of delivery includes the following:
Centralized delivery is our preferred method of mail delivery. Centralized delivery equipment improves delivery efficiency and provides space for large mail items, including packages, which is a great benefit for customers. Freestanding, pedestal-style outdoor centralized mailboxes are called cluster box units or CBUs. CBUs are “package friendly” because they are designed to accommodate the majority of packages delivered through the U.S. Mail®. CBUs also include parcel lockers, which provide separate, locked storage for many packages.
Other types of centralized mailbox equipment are also available. Builders and developers are responsible for the purchase and installation of mailbox equipment. Property owners are responsible for ongoing maintenance, repairs, and replacement of mailbox equipment.
This guide provides information about the types of USPS®-approved mailbox equipment options available commercially and information about other aspects of mail delivery planning that may apply to your specific development.
With more than 150 million households and businesses served daily—and another 1 million new delivery points added on average every year—it is imperative that the U.S. Postal Service make its mail delivery network more efficient while still delivering the service our customers expect. We appreciate your assistance in furthering that objective, while at the same time helping provide new customers with convenient mail delivery for their new homes and businesses.
We also want to connect you with local USPS delivery planning individuals in your area—referred to as Growth Managers. Postal Service Growth Managers are available to assist you. Prior to submitting your master plan and plat to the local municipality and/or county for approval, you must arrange for a local USPS Growth Manager to review your development plans prior to commencing construction.
Thank you for reviewing the Postal Service’s mail delivery-planning standards—we look forward to working with you!
