Upgrading Commercial Mailboxes During Renovations

A commercial mailbox upgrade is perhaps one of the most overlooked aspects of a commercial building renovation. Even a new construction project provides the opportunity to upgrade to more modern commercial mailboxes.

In this article by The MailboxWorks, the nation’s leading supplier of commercial mailboxes, you’ll find some helpful tips to successfully transition to your commercial mailbox upgrade during construction and/or renovations.

These tips include advice on:

• Checking with your local postmaster
• Using temporary mailboxes during the transition
• The relocation of commercial mailboxes

Check with Your Local Postmaster Prior to Commercial Mailbox Upgrade

Whether your site has outdoor or indoor, pedestal or surface mounted commercial mailboxes, the launch of a new construction project or renovation provides the perfect opportunity to upgrade. You can now integrate commercial cluster mailboxes into your construction project.

While new construction is certainly easier, as there is no ongoing mail delivery process to be transitioned, the commercial mailbox upgrade for renovations can be successfully managed by discussing two key commercial mailbox transitions with your local postmaster:

1. Transitioning from current to temporary commercial mailboxes
2. Re-location of the new commercial building mailboxes

Transitioning from Current to Temporary Commercial Mailboxes

The first transition to discuss with your postmaster is the one that most project managers either forget or make it low on the priority list. How will you transition from your current commercial mailboxes to your temporary commercial cluster mailboxes?

New construction and renovations invariably create havoc for regular mail delivery. Often safety considerations for the project mean limited access to the indoor or outdoor cluster mailboxes (or no access at all), depending on their location to the construction.

In many scenarios, commercial cluster mailboxes are removed during the demolition schedule. In such instances, planning must be done to consider where mail delivery will take place during the interim period when construction is ongoing and there is limited or no access to the project’s commercial mailboxes.

Experienced project managers suggest that the temporary relocation is positioned safely away from the renovation or construction to reduce the potential for injury to your tenants, the mail carrier, and the public.

In all such instances, it is wise to consider a few safe locations for the temporary commercial cluster mailboxes and then present such proposals to your local postmaster for their approval prior to commercial mailbox upgrade.

Re-location of the New Mailboxes

The second transition to discuss with your local postmaster is the one that has likely been submitted for approval to your local and state building officials, which is the actual new location of the new or relocated commercial building mailboxes.

Yet, even though the local and state building officials have approved the new location for your commercial mailboxes, it is still strongly recommended that you also seek the input and approval of your local postmaster.

It is suggested that in this second transition, you should meet twice with the local postmaster.

1. First, it is recommended that you meet with the postmaster before the project’s launch to gain approval for the final location of the new or relocated commercial mailbox upgrade.
2. Second, since many months often transpire between the initial approval and the final commercial mailbox installation, it is advisable to touch base again with your local postmaster prior to the transition from the temporary location over to the previously approved new commercial mailbox location.

Strong communication will provide smooth transitions from one location to the next but the real coup de gras during renovations or construction is the commercial mailbox upgrade.

To learn more about USPS regulations regarding a commercial mailbox upgrade, visit this USPS PDF file entitled, Centralized Mail Delivery Commercial Applications.

For additional advice or for helping placing a commercial mailbox order, please contact our commercial mailbox experts at 1-866-717-4943.

Categorized in: DIY Mailbox Installation & Upgrades