Bricking a mailbox

MandyMilller

We should have plenty of brick leftover from our house to do a brick mailbox, but the estimate from the guy our project manager recommends was a bit high IMO considering we already have the brick and we'd just be paying for labor.

Has anyone had this done (or gotten estimates on one)?

northhillsbride

I say just do it yourself! I'm sure there is a YouTube video out there that shows you how to do it!

Signed,
Wife who'll sit back and watch handy husband do it

MrsAmers

In addition to labor, you'll also being paying for some sort of concrete foundation, the mortar and probably some other material (concrete, limestone) for the cap. Plus, even though it is small, the labor for a mailbox would be higher than the labor on a wall because there will probably be more cutting and math involved. I'm not sure what the going rate is for mason labor or what a reasonable cost is, I'm just saying that the cost of the brick is probably only 30% of the total cost for a bricked mailbox.

MandyMilller

I can't hang a shelf myself... I don't think all of the YouTube tutorials in the world would help us DIY at that level! Although our new neighbor is a shop teacher, so presumably he's handy. We need to be friends with him

amyjoy18

northhillsbride:

I say just do it yourself! I'm sure there is a YouTube video out there that shows you how to do it!

Signed,
Wife who'll sit back and watch handy husband do it

Great plan! 

Signed,

Wife who is already making plans for husband to figure out how to add stone to their not-built-yet porch (on their not-yet-started house) like the picture she pinned on pinterest.

AmandaJLewis

amyjoy18:

northhillsbride:

I say just do it yourself! I'm sure there is a YouTube video out there that shows you how to do it!

Signed,
Wife who'll sit back and watch handy husband do it

Great plan! 

Signed,

Wife who is already making plans for husband to figure out how to add stone to their not-built-yet porch (on their not-yet-started house) like the picture she pinned on pinterest.

hahaha... I have mentally laid a new patio with built in fire place in my back yard. it is spectacular. My husband was only involved in the hauling heavy objects part of the imaginary project. hahaha

MandyMilller

See, there's math involved! That's another strike against me.

It's too bad Ryan doesn't offer this as an upgrade. It sounds like it would be less $$ than doing it on our own.

balbacm

I'd check your HOA rules first unless you are an "ask for forgiveness" type person like myself

4EvR&4AlWz

Definitely check your HOA.  We all have to have the same mailbox (critique if you want but I love seeing the same mailboxes and not a variety).  Likewise, I would be concerned for a brick casing as the snowplow may cause damage and they are not responsible for it if it's less than X feet from the road which it may be if it's for a mailbox (bc it would need to be within x feet from the road).  

LittleD8081

northhillsbride:

I say just do it yourself! I'm sure there is a YouTube video out there that shows you how to do it!

Signed,
Wife who'll sit back and watch handy husband do it

LittleD8081

northhillsbride:

I say just do it yourself! I'm sure there is a YouTube video out there that shows you how to do it!

Signed,
Wife who'll sit back and watch handy husband do it

LOVE. 

MandyMilller

It's allowed in our plan. Our project manager's the one who gave us a recommendation for someone to do it, and there are others in the plan. Our HOA rules are very lienient (short of owning farm animals we can do what we want)!

Temp752290812504671

I agree with Amy, a mason is not cheap. My parents had some bricks replaced on their front stoop replaced from my dad hitting it with the snow blower. He replaced the bricks (they had extras) and re-mortared the rest and it was about $1200. There was no "building" involved and minimum cutting.