Mailbox Guide · Address Numbers
| 4 Min Read | Updated June 2026 | The Adoorn Editorial Team |
Modern Address Numbers
Modern address numbers, 4" vs 6", and why most homes need both.
The 4-inch goes on the mailbox. The 6-inch goes on the house. Solid cast aluminum, brand-matched to the Adoorn mailbox line. Pick the set that finishes the front of your home, it's the easy part.
The modern mailbox brand named "Best Overall"1
| Architectural Digest | · | Oprah's O List | · | House Beautiful | · | Real Simple |
Free shipping · 30-day returns · Backed by warranty · Designed in Chicago · Ships fully assembled
Who This Is For
Most people who land here are in one of these situations.
- You upgraded the mailbox, but the numbers on the post are still the original stick-ons.
- Your address numbers are unreadable from the road, delivery drivers and guests drive right past.
- You're refreshing the front of the home, and the numbers are the last detail left.
- You want the mailbox and the house to read as one designed system. Mailbox and numbers move together.
The Direct Answer
Modern address numbers come in two sizes that do different jobs: 4-inch numbers identify the mailbox or post and read from about 50 feet, and 6-inch numbers go on the house facade and read from 100+ feet for visitors and emergency responders. Most homes need both, a layered system. Both sizes work together.
| 01 | The Layered System |
4-inch and 6-inch work together as a layered system.
Here's what nobody tells you when you search "4 vs 6": they're not two options for the same spot. They're two sizes for two different surfaces.
The 4-inch numbers live on the mailbox or the post, close to the street, read at car-window distance, around 50 feet. The 6-inch numbers live on the house facade, read from the road by a guest or an ambulance, 100+ feet out. One identifies the box. The other identifies the home. Most front-of-home setups need both, and once you see it that way, the decision stops being "which one?" and becomes "where does each go?", which is the easy version of the question.
And because they're all brand-matched to the Adoorn mailbox line, same font and matched finishes, the mailbox and the house finally read as one intentional decision instead of three mismatched ones.
| 02 | The 4-Inch |
The 4-inch Mailbox Address Numbers, for the mailbox or post.
These go where the street first meets your address: the face of the mailbox or the side of the post. Cut from 3 mm solid aluminum with a clean, modern face, they read clearly from about 50 feet, right where a carrier or a guest needs them. They install with included 3M adhesive backing: no drill, no template, no holes. Peel, place, done. Available in matte black and brushed aluminum. Pick for high contrast against the mailbox color: matte black on light or bright mailboxes, brushed aluminum on dark mailboxes.
Shop The 4" Mailbox Numbers → $9.99 each
| 03 | The 6-Inch |
The 6-inch House Numbers, for the house facade.
These go on the house itself, beside the door, on the facade, wherever the address should be legible from the road. Cast in ½-inch solid aluminum with real depth and shadow, they read from 100+ feet, which is what a guest hunting for the right driveway, or an emergency responder at night, actually needs. They mount with an included drill template and hardware, in either a floating standoff or a flush install, your call. Available in matte black and brushed aluminum to match the 4-inch set.
Shop The 6" House Numbers → $14.99 each
At A Glance
Modern address numbers: 4-inch vs 6-inch, side by side
They're not rivals. They're a set, each sized for the surface it lives on.
| 04 | Install |
How to install address numbers, the easy upgrade.
This is the easiest upgrade Adoorn makes. No specialty tools, no contractor.
- 4-inch, on the mailbox: wipe the surface clean, peel the 3M backing, line up the numbers using the spacing guide, and press. No drill, no holes.
- 6-inch, on the house: tape up the included drill template, mark and drill the pilot holes, then mount the numbers floating or flush with the included hardware.
On vinyl siding, the 6-inch set mounts the same way, the template lines up your holes so the spacing stays even across the boards. Most people finish both sets in an afternoon.
| 05 | The Full Set |
When you want the full set.
The whole point of the layered system is that it's one decision and one delivery. A typical four-digit address, done both ways:
- Four 4-inch numbers for the mailbox, $39.96
- Four 6-inch numbers for the house, $59.96
- The full layered system, about $100, and the front of your home reads as one piece.
Build the set once and the mailbox, the post, and the house all finally agree with each other.
| 06 | The Build |
Built to stay sharp at the curb.
Solid aluminum, half-inch thick, heavier than the hollow plastic or thin stamped metal you see at the hardware store, so the numbers hold their edges and their finish through sun, rain, and Chicago-grade winters. The face won't yellow, the finish won't peel, and the brand-matched font keeps the mailbox and the house speaking the same design language. The detail is small. Done right, it's the thing that makes the whole front of the home look finished.
What Numbers Buyers Say
"Love the large numbers. Plan on purchasing the same numbers in black for the front of the house."
Keith · Adoorn owner · 4" Mailbox Address Numbers
Finish the front of your home, the easy detail that makes everything else look done.
Modern address numbers, solid cast aluminum, brand-matched font, 30-day returns.
Pick your finish. Install in an afternoon. Designed in Chicago. Ships domestically.
The Modern Mailbox Buyer's Guide
Get the Modern Mailbox Buyer's Guide.
The short guide to finishing the front of your home, mailbox, numbers, and how the pieces work as one system.
| 07 | The Questions |
Frequently asked.
What is the difference between 4-inch and 6-inch address numbers?
They're sized for different surfaces. The 4-inch numbers identify the mailbox or post and read clearly from about 50 feet. The 6-inch numbers go on the house facade and read from 100+ feet, the distance a guest or emergency responder needs from the road. Most homes use both: 4-inch at the box, 6-inch on the house.
What size address numbers do I need?
The right size depends on the surface, since each is engineered for a specific reading distance. For the mailbox or post, use 4-inch numbers, sized for close, car-window reading. For the house facade, use 6-inch numbers so the address is legible from the road. If you're addressing both surfaces, you need both sizes, that's the layered system, and it's how most front-of-home setups are done.
Where should address numbers go on a house?
Put 6-inch numbers on the facade where they're visible from the street, beside the front door, on a porch column, or on a clearly sightline-friendly wall. Put 4-inch numbers on the mailbox or post at the curb. Together they identify the home from the road and the box at the street, which covers both the way guests and responders actually find you.
How do you install address numbers on vinyl siding?
Use the included drill template: tape it level on the siding, mark the holes, drill pilot holes, and mount the 6-inch numbers floating or flush with the included hardware. The template keeps spacing even across the boards. The 4-inch Mailbox Numbers skip this entirely, they use 3M adhesive backing, so there's no drilling on the mailbox at all.
Are bigger address numbers required for 911 or emergency visibility?
Larger facade numbers help responders find your address quickly, especially at night or from a moving vehicle. The 6-inch House Numbers read from 100+ feet, which is why they belong on the house itself. The 4-inch numbers handle close-range identification at the mailbox. Using both gives responders a clear read from the road and at the box.
Keep Reading
|
Mailbox Guide Browse the full mailbox guideEvery guide we've written on modern mailboxes, finishes, install, and security. |
Long Driveway Numbers for a house set back from the roadThe long-driveway system: Post Mount + 6-inch numbers on the facade + 4-inch on the mailbox. |
Adoorn modern mailboxes.
Written by The Adoorn Editorial Team