Commercial mailboxes play a key role in your business operations. That’s why it’s essential to choose the right one for your needs.
Cluster mailboxes offer a number of advantages over individual street-side mailboxes. These include security, convenience and fuel savings.
In addition, these units come with parcel lockers, which prevent package theft from affecting the mail carrier or the recipient.
1. Size and Shape
Cluster mailboxes come in several varied sizes and shapes, depending on your needs. Some of the most common are rectangular and square. These mailboxes are ideal for office buildings, apartment complexes, military bases, and other locations that require centralized mail distribution.
Many cluster mailboxes also feature parcel lockers that are used for large envelopes and packages that don’t fit in an individual compartment. These lockers are often equipped with a key that allows recipients to access their parcels when they are delivered.
Parcel lockers work like regular mailboxes, but they are usually located in the back of the mailbox, behind the letter compartments. This way, you can easily find the parcel that you need to get.
Some of these mailboxes are even customizable to allow you to blend them into the environment. You can choose from a variety of colors, styles, and numbers to get the perfect look for your business.
These USPS-approved cluster boxes are designed to offer a secure way for mail carriers to deliver mail and packages. They’re made with heavy duty aluminum and stainless-steel hardware.
Each of these mailboxes has one, two, or four parcel lockers and a mail slot. In addition, there is a weather protection flap and anti-fish comb to help prevent tampering.
They’re also backed by a 5-year factory warranty, which means you can rest assured that they’ll last. In order to ensure that your commercial cluster mailbox stays in tip top shape, we recommend routine maintenance.
Typically, you can expect to receive a standard cluster box within 3-5 business days from the time that you place an order with us. If you’d like to make a custom order, we’ll be happy to work with you to make sure that your mailbox meets all the guidelines set by the United States Postal Service.
You can also purchase replacement locks, key blanks, cams, mailbox number decals, outgoing mail decals, and mounting hardware to keep your mailbox functioning as it should. These accessories will give your mailbox a fresh, new look.
2. Accessibility
The ADA and FHA requirements for mailboxes are not without their share of controversy. The ANSI ADA standard calls out the forward approach to an accessible mailbox as the top mark of excellence, but the requirement is a bit less rigorous when it comes to the side approach.
One of the most important considerations is choosing a mailbox manufacturer that understands the requirements and specifications for this type of installation. Salsbury’s USPS Approved 4C horizontal mailboxes and Cluster Box Units are built to meet these standards while delivering years of maintenance free service.
Most of our customers find that the most challenging part of choosing the right commercial cluster mailbox is choosing which model will best fit their building. With the help of our experienced technicians, we can recommend a variety of models based on your needs and specifications.
Our most popular products are listed below. Click on any product name to learn more about it or contact us for more information. We look forward to helping you make the right decision for your business! The best way to contact us is by submitting your inquiry online or by calling our customer service team directly. We will answer your questions as quickly as possible!
Hopefully, this has helped you decide which is the right commercial mailbox for your business. Call us at 888-980-9963 or email us to discuss your specific needs!
3. Security
When choosing the right commercial cluster mailbox for your business, you should be aware of the security measures it takes to keep your mail safe. A mailbox that is designed with a heavy-duty and high-security lock design will help you to protect your mail from vandalism or theft.
You should also look for a USPS-approved mailbox that has been tested to withstand weather conditions, as well as the type of materials and construction that are used to make it. A secure, robust mailbox will help you avoid expensive repairs in the future.
The size and shape of a mailbox will also determine how it is constructed and how much space it needs to store mail. A smaller mailbox will require more space to hold mail than a larger one. This will have an impact on how often your mailbox will need to be cleaned.
It is important to choose a mailbox that is secure and easy to access, as you want to be sure your mail is protected from theft. Fortunately, there are several security measures that are included in most residential and commercial cluster mailboxes to prevent thieves from breaking into them.
First, a parcel locker is often included in cluster mailboxes to help deter package theft. When a mail carrier delivers a large package to a resident, the carrier places a key to the parcel locker in a small slot within the recipient’s mailbox. The resident then uses the key to unlock the parcel locker and retrieve their package.
Second, most commercial cluster mailboxes come with a master door that lets the mail carrier access the outgoing mail compartment. This feature is a benefit to both the postal service and the community. It allows the mail carrier to deliver mail to multiple residences at one time. This saves time and fuel.
Third, the gate crossbars in regular and extra high security cluster mailboxes are reinforced with thicker and heavier gauge materials that impede break-in damage. These gates and the overlap seams on the master door foil any attempts by thieves to pry open the mailbox.
4. Maintenance
If you live in a neighborhood or subdivision that has a cluster mailbox, you might be wondering who is responsible for maintenance. Unlike a traditional curbside or front door mailbox, these centralized boxes are often the responsibility of the building or property manager. However, this can vary depending on where they were installed and who owns them.
If your cluster box is privately owned by a homeowner’s association, apartment community, or condo, the building or property owner is responsible for all maintenance and repairs. In some cases, however, these units are also owned by the United States Postal Service (USPS).
The USPS is the primary carrier that provides mail delivery service to residents across the country, and their postal workers are tasked with driving around neighborhoods to deliver to as many homes as possible. This makes neighborhood mailboxes an attractive option for these drivers, as they are more efficient and can cover a larger amount of ground in a shorter period of time.
As a result, the USPS has several standards that cluster mailboxes must meet to ensure they are safe and secure. These measures help streamline the delivery process and minimize costs for the USPS.
Some of the most important maintenance measures to take are clearing the area around your mailbox and keeping it clear of snow or ice. This will keep your mailbox free from damage and prevent the post office from having to pay for expensive snowplows or ice removers.
In addition, it’s important to keep your mailbox free of junk mail and other clutter. Leaving junk mail in your cluster mailbox can be a major safety concern, so it’s best to empty your mailbox once a week.
Another maintenance measure to take is to make sure that your cluster mailbox has a lock. This is important because without a lock, the USPS cannot deliver your mail. This also makes it difficult for a person to steal or break into your mailbox.
In most cases, you’ll receive three keys to your cluster mailbox from the USPS when you move in. In the event that you lose your keys, you’ll need to contact the USPS for replacements. Generally, it’s a good idea to store your keys somewhere safe so that you can retrieve them when you need them.
