My mailbox is built into a brick structure, should I rip it out and replace it?

My mailbox is built into a brick structure, should I rip it out and replace it?

Brittany Andrews

Removing a mailbox from a brick structure is possible, but not advisable without professional help.   Unfortunately many people have learned the hard way by experience.  

What most people don't realize  is that the majority of metal mailboxes have a lip extending out approximately a quarter of an inch around the entire back of the mailbox - see images below.   There are also cavities on the bottom of the mailbox, and the original mailbox was set in wet concrete.   This means you can chisel all the way around the front of the mailbox  hoping to pull it out with ease..... but it won't budge.     As they were originally installed in wet concrete, they are often sealed in place as the concrete sets around the back lip and into the crevices underneath the mailbox. 


Often times, homeowners wrestle with the mailbox for hours, only to damage or destroy the masonry structure in the process.     Worse, because of the back lip on most mailboxes, once the old mailbox is removed, the new mailbox often wont easily fit in without removing even more of the concrete structure.  

That is  why the Bayshore Mailbox Company's RetroFit line of products were born in the first place.   After watching a neighbor spend his whole Saturday afternoon use a crowbar and chisel to frustratingly attempt to remove his rusty mailbox simply to replace the door, we knew there had to be a better way.   The result was our unique snap-in replacement doors.  The RetroFit products use the existing body of the mailbox structure to work for you, not against you, meaning no tools are needed to install our doors or internal rust sleeves!   Just remove the old door and snap the new in place.    Takes only minutes.   You can learn more about these products, including informative videos and installation videos, at www.bayshoremailbox.com