Snowplow mailbox damage: what each city pays
Mailboxes sit in the public right-of-way, so plows hit them every winter. Most cities pay only when the plow blade or truck touches the mailbox, not when the weight of thrown snow knocks it over, and most cap the payout at $40 to $100.
39 cities and utilities in 10 states, each checked against official sources in November 2026.
| City | Rule | Key detail | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Hartford, CT | $25 (post not included). | East Hartford pays $25 for a damaged mailbox and $50 for a damaged post, after a highway or public works super | Reimbursement available |
| Harwinton, CT | Direct plow contact. | Harwinton compensates only for damage from direct plow contact | Only if the plow hits it |
| Antioch, IL | Up to $75. | Antioch reimburses up to $75 for eligible mailbox damage caused by direct contact with a village plow. | Only if the plow hits it |
| Huntley, IL | Standard mailbox and post. | Huntley replaces plow-damaged mailboxes with a standard box and post, or pays up to $45 if you do the replacem | Reimbursement available |
| Itasca, IL | Up to $100 (raised from $75 in 2024). | Itasca reimburses up to $100 for mailboxes damaged by village snow plows, from direct or indirect damage | Plow hit or plowed snow |
| Lake Villa, IL | $50. | Lake Villa pays a maximum of $50 toward replacing a mailbox damaged by snow removal operations. | Reimbursement available |
| South Holland, IL | Cost of the standard village mailbox or post. | South Holland reimburses the cost of its standard village mailbox or post when village plowing damages yours | Only if the plow hits it |
| Sugar Grove, IL | Damage from village equipment. | Sugar Grove reimburses mailbox damage caused by village equipment, but not damage from the windrow of snow com | Only if the plow hits it |
| Wadsworth, IL | $100. | Wadsworth repairs, replaces or reimburses plow-damaged mailboxes up to $100, but only if the mailbox was prope | Reimbursement available |
| Ayer, MA | $50. | Ayer caps mailbox reimbursement at $50 and does not cover boxes or posts damaged by the weight of the plow win | Only if the plow hits it |
| Franklin, MA | $50 per incident, per household, per year. | Franklin's DPW pays no more than $50 per incident, per household, per year for plow-damaged mailboxes. | Reimbursement available |
| Holden, MA | Up to $40. | Holden reimburses up to $40 to replace a mailbox damaged by a plow hitting it. | Only if the plow hits it |
| Norfolk, MA | Up to $300. | Norfolk pays up to $300 for a mailbox directly hit by a plow, one of the highest caps we found | Only if the plow hits it |
| Southborough, MA | Direct hits by a town or contracted plow. | Southborough reimburses only when a town or town-contracted plow directly hits a mailbox, and treats mailbox u | Only if the plow hits it |
| East Grand Rapids, MI | $40 for the box plus $40 for the post. | East Grand Rapids reimburses up to $40 for a mailbox and up to $40 more for a post when a plow blade or plowed | Plow hit or plowed snow |
| Traverse City, MI | Physical contact by plow equipment. | Traverse City repairs or replaces a mailbox or post only when plow equipment physically hits it | Only if the plow hits it |
| Blaine, MN | Up to $50. | Blaine repairs, replaces or reimburses up to $50 when city equipment physically hits a standard mailbox | Only if the plow hits it |
| Jackson, MN | Plowing, winging, or snow blown beyond the curb. | Jackson, Minnesota repairs or reimburses a damaged mailbox when city plowing, winging or blowing snow past the | Plow hit or plowed snow |
| Lake Elmo, MN | At the city's discretion. | Lake Elmo replaces plow-damaged mailboxes at its discretion | Only if the plow hits it |
| Owatonna, MN | Breakaway mailbox support. | Owatonna replaces a plow-damaged mailbox and support with a breakaway type that follows USPS recommendations | Reimbursement available |
| Stillwater Township, MN | Up to $75. | Stillwater Township reimburses up to $75 for a damaged mailbox, but only when plow contact caused the damage. | Only if the plow hits it |
| Woodbury, MN | A plow striking a standard, USPS-compliant mailbox. | Woodbury repairs or replaces a mailbox that a city snowplow accidentally strikes, as long as it is a standard | Only if the plow hits it |
| Chesterfield Township, NJ | $25. | Chesterfield Township pays $25 for a new mailbox and $50 for a new post after the public works manager investi | Reimbursement available |
| West Milford, NJ | Up to $50. | West Milford reimburses up to $50 when a township snowplow or plow truck strikes and damages a mailbox, withou | Only if the plow hits it |
| Newburgh, NY | Highway Superintendent or designee. | The Town of Newburgh highway department repairs or replaces mailboxes damaged by snow removal when they meet i | Reimbursement available |
| Nichols, NY | $25. | The Town of Nichols issues a $25 check toward a new mailbox when a town plow directly hits yours. | Only if the plow hits it |
| Canal Winchester, OH | Failures caused by snow impact. | Canal Winchester pays nothing for mailbox failures caused by the impact of plowed snow, and expects mailboxes | Only if the plow hits it |
| Perry, OH | Repair, a generic replacement, or $50 cash. | The Village of Perry, Ohio repairs a plow-damaged mailbox, installs a generic replacement, or pays a $50 cash | Reimbursement available |
| Caernarvon Township, PA | Direct plow strikes. | Caernarvon Township in Berks County reimburses mailbox damage only when the plow directly strikes the mailbox, | Only if the plow hits it |
| Liberty Township, PA | Up to $75 for a post and/or mailbox. | Liberty Township in Adams County reimburses up to $75 for a new post or mailbox when the plow hits it | Only if the plow hits it |
| Northampton Township, PA | $60. | Northampton Township in Bucks County limits mailbox repairs to cases where a snowplow directly contacts the ma | Only if the plow hits it |
| Solebury Township, PA | Direct plow strikes. | Solebury Township's policy, approved February 3, 2026, covers only direct plow strikes | Only if the plow hits it |
| Elm Grove, WI | Direct contact with plow equipment. | Elm Grove takes responsibility only when snow plow equipment directly hits a mailbox | Only if the plow hits it |
| Janesville, WI | Up to $50 for a replacement you buy. | Janesville reimburses up to $50 when you buy and install a replacement for a mailbox damaged during city plowi | Reimbursement available |
| Madison, WI | Up to $75. | Madison reimburses up to $75 when a city plow operator damages a mailbox while working within the curb line, a | Only if the plow hits it |
| New Berlin, WI | $50. | New Berlin covers mailbox damage whether the plow or truck hits the box or the plowed snow knocks it down, wit | Plow hit or plowed snow |
| Oak Creek, WI | City inspection first. | Oak Creek inspects reported plow damage, then repairs the mailbox or reimburses the owner | Reimbursement available |
| Three Lakes, WI | Direct plow strikes during the plowing season. | The Town of Three Lakes covers a mailbox only if a plow struck it during the plowing season | Only if the plow hits it |
| Wausau, WI | Up to $75. | Wausau stopped repairing plow-damaged mailboxes itself and now reimburses up to $75 | Only if the plow hits it |
Step by step
- Take photos of the damage and the plow path before you clear anything.
- Report it quickly. Some places want a call within 24 hours, others set a spring deadline.
- Check that your mailbox met USPS height and setback rules, since many policies require it.
- Keep receipts for the new box and post if you replace it yourself.
- Put up a temporary box so mail delivery does not stop.
What it costs
City payouts usually run $40 to $100, with a few higher. A standard post and box from a store often costs more than the cap, and a custom or masonry mailbox is usually only covered up to the standard amount.
Full guide: what to do when a snowplow hits your mailbox.
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