Building a Sign Post

[Rich Riddle]

I want to build a sign post to hold a couple of signs much like a real estate sign post. Would you make one out of wood, welded steel, aluminum, or plastic. It will have two signs hanging under it. One will hang under the arm and has the dimensions 18" x 24" wide and the second below that will be 9" x 24" wide. What would be your suggestions? Should I place a support arm between the horizontal and vertical posts? Should I place the post in concrete, gravel, etc.? Any suggestions you have will be appreciated. Here are a couple of examples found on the Internet. Thanks.

Sign Post.jpg sign.jpg

[Mel Fulks]

If it is going to be where a vehicle might run into it I would not use anything more than pressure treated 4x4. There are government specs for mail box posts for that reason. No doubt that there have been law suits over signs and beefy and fanciful mail boxes in the public right of way.

[John K Jordan]

I would build it out of wood - I've made several from rough-sawn 4x4 eastern red cedar cut on my sawmill and they last almost forever. Looks good naturally weathered, needs no painting or upkeep. I personally don't like the white plastic look. I do use a small 45 deg support for the arm.

Unless it will get some physical abuse you can easily support it with gravel. I dig the hole, add a little gravel in the bottom, tamp it well, set the post then tamp more gravel around it a little at a time. A good fence tamper helps. A hole a little larger than needed will support better. I use relatively coarse gravel.

JKJ

[Art Mann]

Most of the mail boxes in my neighborhood are made to match the houses and are solid brick pillars with the actual box mounted within. This is pretty typical for my area. I can't see how there would be any legal requirements for a break away mail box support in light of this observation.

If it is going to be where a vehicle might run into it I would not use anything more than pressure treated 4x4. There are government specs for mail box posts for that reason. No doubt that there have been law suits over signs and beefy and fanciful mail boxes in the public right of way.

[Mel Fulks]

A look at the USPS rules and a quick google search on the law suits will help you see.

[Jerome Stanek]

I would see if you could get cedar posts looks better than pressure treated

[Rich Riddle]

This will not be in an area where anyone would ever hit it. If they did, they would have gone into the gully and proceeded up the other side about 10' on a 45 degree incline. They would have far more problems than hitting the post at that point.

As far as mailboxes are concerned, this is the only information I ever found and what was used when building my stone mailbox.

https://www.usps.com/manage/mailboxes.htm

I have heard the wives tails but seen no objective data from the USPS on stone/brick boxes.

[Art Mann]

You are right. It took me only a few seconds to verify that the Federal Highway Administration recommends a break away post but does not require anything of the sort. I already knew that because new houses in our city are being built right now with brick pillar mail boxes.

A look at the USPS rules and a quick google search on the law suits will help you see.

[Jim Koepke]

There are government specs for mail box posts for that reason. No doubt that there have been law suits over signs and beefy and fanciful mail boxes in the public right of way.

Specs and law are not one and the same.

It also depends on state, federal, county, city and home owner associations.

If someone plows through a post, it is likely because they left the roadway. More likely they will be required to pay for damages instead of the damaged paying for their 'off road' venture.

"Your honor I was merrily driving over mail boxes when one mounted on a cement column trashed the front end of my car," is not likely to win a case.

jtk

[Mel Fulks]

Yeah, that's the way the law works. Damage a mailbox and you are liable. Get damaged by a mail box not installed according to safety guidelines and the owner has a big problem. Sign and mail box placements are the cause of lots of personal injury law suits even when all guide lines for placement are observed ; that's just the nature of law suits.

[Rich Riddle]

I also think people get confused with a "right of way" on many properties. On our main house, I have a fire plug, electrical box, gas meter, phone and cable for two other neighbors. All those utility right of ways don't allow anyone on my property. I cannot build along the strip they all claim (actually the same strip has all of it) except for a driveway. Those utility right of ways are actually quite far back from the street here and the mailbox is closer to the street than the utility right of way access. When something does break, they send some boring machine and only did a small hole.

On the farm which sits on a state highway, I am always chasing off people who think they have the right to park on my land. First off, if they do park there, it's always soaked and the side down toward the ditch will quickly sink to the axle. I have pulled more than one person out with the tractor. Second, they tend to damage the area. Third, it's right next to a sewer vent (no one knows that is what it is) and it can fumigate a car if the windows are left down.

This sign post will be up from the sewer vent about 10 feet. So if someone was going to hit it, they would likely first hit a 12" steel septic vent that looks like an upside down J.

[Jim Becker]

A good, tight lap joint on 4x4 wood will do the job easily and economically.

[Mel Fulks]

Rich, there is a difference a right of way, which is often a conditional use. And a "public right of way " which is a strip between the public road and private property which in most cases must be maintained by property owner but BELONGS to state or municipality. It is a constant source of trouble from "stay off my property " guys and it "ain't my property so I ain't cuttin' the grass". BOTH of the two types always lose in court around here.

[Art Mann]

If anyone in our neighborhood crashes into a brick mailbox and hurts himself to any degree, he was obviously going too fast. He is likely to get a summons to court for a reckless driving charge in addition to a hospital bill. I know it is getting increasingly rare, but I still live in a community where people are held accountable for their decisions and behavior.

[Myk Rian]

I had a water well guy offer to put an 8" pipe in the ground for my mailbox, after some idiot ran down several on the street.
As far as the OP, a 45º brace will help.