Short answer
A brick mailbox that something hit is a rebuild, not a patch. Look for a wood or steel post in the rubble first. A brick shell around a post is the cheapest version of this job, because a mason sets a new post and relays the sound brick. Solid brick from the ground up comes out and goes back in full, and a footing cracked through gets broken out and poured again.
Tell a shell rebuild from a full rebuild in five minutes
- Keep clear of any brick still standing. A cracked column drops its top courses without warning.
- Look for a post in the middle of the pile. A 4x4 wood post or a steel pipe means the brick was only a shell.
- Push the post with a gloved hand if it is still upright. A post that moves or has snapped at the ground gets replaced either way.
- Find the concrete pad under the brick and brush the loose mortar off the top of it.
- Look for cracks running all the way through the pad. A pad in one solid piece can be built on again.
- Sort the brick. Whole bricks with clean faces go back in the wall, and broken halves go in the debris pile.
- Look through the rubble for wire or a lamp fixture. Some brick mailboxes carry a low-voltage light.
- Take one wide photo from the street and one close photo of the footing.
If a post sits in the middle and the pad is solid, you are looking at a shell rebuild. If the brick runs solid to the ground, or the pad is cracked through, the structure comes out and a new footing goes in.
Repair or replace
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Brick shell cracked, post inside snapped, pad solid | Repair. Set a new post, relay the broken courses, keep the sound brick. |
| Brick shell mostly collapsed, pad solid | Rebuild the shell on the existing pad. The footing stays and the job stays small. |
| Solid brick collapsed at the base, footing intact | Rebuild the column on the old footing. Expect about half the brick to be reusable. |
| Solid brick down and the footing cracked through | Replace the whole structure. A new column on a broken pad leans again within a year. |
| Still standing but leaning, mortar joints open | Replace. Take it down before it falls, because nothing holds a tilted column together. |
| Metal box bent, crushed or missing its door | Replace the box. A new insert is the cheapest line on this job. |
What it costs
Runhome contractor estimates for demolishing and rebuilding a hit brick mailbox ran from $610 to $1,975 as of October 2026, including the trip and assessment.
| Option | Range |
|---|---|
| Rebuild a brick shell around a new post | $610 to $1,480 |
| Rebuild a collapsed all-brick mailbox, footing sound | $850 to $1,900 |
| Rebuild a collapsed all-brick mailbox, footing broken up | $950 to $1,975 |
Can I do it myself?
No for the masonry, yes for the cleanup. You can stack the loose brick to one side, bag the broken pieces and mount a temporary box on a wood post so mail keeps coming. The wall itself needs a mason, because the footing goes below the frost line and the courses have to run plumb. Hire for this if any part of the structure is still standing and leaning, because an unstable brick column can come down on whoever pulls bricks off it.
What a contractor will ask you
Have these ready and you skip the back-and-forth.
- A wide photo of the whole mailbox from the street, plus a close photo of the base.
- The date it happened and what hit it.
- Whether it is leaning, partly collapsed or fully down.
- Whether it is solid brick from the ground up or a brick shell around a wood or steel post.
- Whether the post inside is still upright or snapped at the ground.
- Whether the brick is in large chunks or scattered as loose bricks.
- Whether the concrete footing is still solid or cracked and broken up.
- Whether the metal box still shuts and latches.
- Whether any wire or light fixture is in the rubble.
- How close a truck can park and what landscaping sits in the way.
Common questions
- Who pays for a brick mailbox a car hit?
The driver's auto liability covers it when someone else hit it, so get their insurance details before the brick gets hauled away. If you or a household member hit it, your homeowners policy may cover the structure minus the deductible. Photograph the pile and the footing before cleanup either way.
- Can the old bricks be used again?
Usually about half of them. Whole bricks with clean faces go back in the wall, and the mason makes up the rest with new or salvaged brick. New brick next to 20 year old brick shows, so ask for salvaged brick if the match matters to you.
- Am I allowed to rebuild it in brick?
Often not in the same solid form. Many road authorities treat a solid masonry mailbox in the right-of-way as a hazard, because it does not give way when a car hits it. The usual compliant rebuild is a thin brick shell around a breakaway post, so have your contractor check the local rule before anyone buys brick.
- Where does my mail go while the mailbox is down?
Mount a temporary box at the same spot and height, or ask your post office to hold your mail. Carriers stop delivering when there is no box at the curb. A cheap box on a wood post keeps delivery running until the mason comes.
- Is it cheaper to put a normal post in instead?
Yes, by a lot. A post and box costs a fraction of a brick rebuild and meets the breakaway rule everywhere. Owners who rebuild in brick are usually matching the street or an HOA rule.