CBD's Custom Copper Mail Boxes Page

Better than a Standard Mailboxes

For most people, they do not get all that excited about a special mailbox, so they just continue with what was there for many years. Long after it had gone rusty, but that's not why you are here reading this. A custom mailbox like these are not cheap, given how it takes me a whole week to build one. There is no way I could come close to competing with mass-produced items. Just the ground freight alone would cost more than a typical security mailbox found at your local hardware store. The cost or these are around $50 per pound of copper used, plus the hardwood, a custom crate w/padding, and ground freight.

These are more functional works of art, made to last, stronger, better solid brass hinges, and durable outgoing mail flag. Best of all is how it makes you smile each time to go to check the mail. It's like getting a vanity plate for your car. It's totally unnecessary, but can be fun to bring a little joy each day. (my SUV plate says 'COPPER', & Tia's EV has 'GHOSTS' on it)

My main philosophy is: why use a life-time metal like copper if it is made with thin flimsy metal? Below are the list of detailed advantages of what I have designed and built for our clients and myself, along with making a custom wood crate with padding. I believe in over engineering, trying to build things sturdy and made to last.

Better Health:
Especially in these modern days of pandemic concerns, a copper mailbox is going to remain by far more germ-free than most other metals or plastics commonly used. As long as the copper is left raw; exposed to the elements and allowed to develop a nice deep patina. Not covered with a paint or clear coat. This is best for your health and that of your mail carriers, whom may be transferring germs to all the houses on their route.

Better Strength:
I make mailboxes that are much sturdier with a minimum thickness of 0.032", which is 24oz copper, or thicker upon request. Built with better solid brass hinges, and improved features not found elsewhere.

To use 32oz copper for this would make it about twice as strong as 24oz copper, at just 33% more copper used.

The 0.063" 48oz copper is just twice as thick, yet over 6X stronger, and can even possibly resist the impact of a baseball bat. Colder regions have suffered regular damage from the effect of snowplows blasting their mailbox over and over again, so this should help. There's also some swing-away mounts to minimize that type of severe impact. I even saw a mailbox hanging from a pair of chains.

Note: A well built copper mailbox will still not be able to resist the impact of a car or delivery truck smashing into it of course. Not even a brick mainbox enclosure with reinforsed steel bars could resist that kind of abuse. There are several clever ways to make a swing-away mounting system to help minimize the damage from an impact. Placing a lazy-Suzan bearing in the back, with a spring-ball friction latch in front can do this without changing the apearance or having to build a whole new mounting post.

Better Designs:
The traditional curved arch top style mailbox that is commonly seen (covered-wagon style) is a very clever simplistic design with minimal seams. That is just one of the most efficient designs to use the least and thinnest sheet metal possible with a reasonable amount of strength and a fairly simple fabrication. That does not mean it is the best design, or required by USPS. Their are some basic requirements for the placement and height, but the shape is not one of them.

You are not even limited to just these designs shown below. These are just a few examples of what CBD can do for you. Feel free to request a custom size and style that you want, along with your custom address numbers mounted.

Larger Size:
The traditional standard size for most mailboxes seems a bit small to me, so I like a larger container, so things like magazines and larger envelopes do not have to be folded in half in order to stuff them inside. Not to mention small packages. A standard mailbox is just 6.5"W X 9"T X 19"D. I have not made one of these less than 9.5" wide, which is about 50% wider. More like a rural size mailbox.

Our Unique Mailbox Design

This was made a little larger than a standard size mailbox that I made back in 2004. It was made with a sturdy 0.032" 24oz copper on a solid wood floor, hardwood reinforced door with brass hinges, brass knob, friction or rare earth magnet closure, flag, along with polished brass address numbers, and all fastening hardware runs about $1.5k plus packaging and shipping costs, which can run as much as another $500, so you would be looking at around $2k, depending on the final details you request.

I had made several of these copper mailboxes for for friends and neighbors as gifts back in the early 2000's. I made these designed with a taper down towards the back of the mail tube, and a tapered hood extension out front for a little added style and better weather protection while accessing your mail. I built this with a 3/4" hardwood plywood in the door for added strength, and a solid 2X10 wood floor that was cut with groves in the floor for draining any water that might get in, so the mail would stay dry. The wood was varnished and I also have pure tung oil to use on it. Although, I now would use a removable stainless steel screen mat inside for this purpose, instead of those cut groves, which is a lot easier to clean. These can also be made with a copper floor if you want.

This example takes about 10 square feet of copper to form and is noticeably larger than standard, but can be made larger to suit your needs. This was more of the rural size at 9.5" wide X 14" tall in the front. The inside mouth is 8.5" wide by 12" tall and 24" deep. The back drops down to just 7" tall inside. That tapered top helps to shed rain and debris.

I specialize in custom work, so this can be made in different sizes, styles, and copper thicknesses, so your cost would depend on your specific requirements.

This one below I had made in mid-2024 made with 32oz copper and cost them $2k delivered

To see all 27 images go to our Facebook photo gallery:

Small Envelope Style Wall Mount Mailboxes

In mid 2015 I was asked to make this wall mount mailbox project for a Client named Julia Swyer in Scarsdale, New York. She had sent me a specific design she wanted, which resembles an envelope, as you can see. This was made with a sturdy 24oz copper with safety hems bent along the outer edges for a soft edge that is also twice as strong. It can be made with an outgoing mail caddy and different style handles or knobs to open it with. She chose not to add them. I included a block of wood to step this out past the side molding on her column. The cost with ground freight is around $800.

The size of this was 3.5" D X 10" T X 12.5" W.

This can also be made in different sizes, copper thicknesses, knob or handle for the lid, and a flag or craddle for outgoing mail, so the cost would depend on your specific needs.

To see all 14 images go to our Facebook photo gallery:
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To see all 22 images of this 2020 project,
go to our Facebook photo gallery:
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A custom copper box I made in 9/22 to fit inside their iron frame shown here:

To see all 16 images of this 2022 project,
go to our Facebook photo gallery:
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A custom copper box I made in 4/24 to fit inside their brick wall opening shown here:

To see all 32 images of this 2024 project,
go to our Facebook photo gallery:
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More Traditional Mailboxes

These are the first I had made of this traditional larger than rural size mailbox. It was for Randy Kell in Annapolis Maryland (12/20). He asked me to build them this sturdy mailbox in a thick heavy-duty 48oz copper, to replace their thinner 16oz copper mailbox that got damaged. The walls of this mailbox is 3 times thicker, yet is about 12X stronger than the standard 16oz copper used by most sheet metal shops. It weighed a wapping 64.8 pounds in all. This is sturdy enough to stand on it. These take me over a week to build and crate up for shipping.

Keep in mind how my quote was way too low for what all this first one took me to build and the cost of copper and freight has increased since then.

Kell's $2.5k deluxe 48oz copper mailbox
delivered toAnnapolis Maryland (12/20)

Size: 12" W X 18"T X 26" L+ hood at 64.8#
(first to be made in this traditional style by CBD)

To see all 82 images go to our Facebook photo gallery

Joe Talty $5k deluxe 48oz copper mailbox
with a fancy mounting post, address sign above, & rear flagpole delivered to Chagrin Falls, Ohio (4/22)

Size: 13.75"W X 18"T X 26" L+ 4" hood at 66# & post
(first to have an overhead address sign, curved pipe mounting post, & rear flagpole)
To see all 78 images go to our Facebook photo gallery

Andy's $3k deluxe 32oz copper mailbox
delivered to Lafayette, Louisianna (5/22)

Size: 10"W X 13"T X 19"+ 3" hood at 26#
(first to have a metal floor)

To see all 40 images go to our Facebook photo gallery

Rieke's $3.6k deluxe 48oz copper mailbox
delivered to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin (9/25)

Size: 14.25"W X 20.5"T X 26.5"L+ 4" hood at 67#
(first to have a wood back wall, Bungie on the SS cable, & curved pipe flagpole)

To see all 45 images go to our Facebook photo gallery

Security Mailbox

This is a security mailbox I had made for myself (11-03) and still in use to this day. I built this wood frame with 3/4" birch plywood for dent resistance (boys will be boys), covered in 20oz copper. This shows some different versatile kind of design and fabrication work I can do. This could be made in different sizes and shapes to suit your personal desire.

This security mailbox was built 13" wide, 20" deep, and 19" tall to the tip of the roof, These days this would run about $4k to $5k with shipping.

I had gifted my neighbor this smaller mailbox on the right back in 2003

Year: 2025 (at it's 4th location)
It has a deep patina and the plastic flag has faded.