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Project Profile · Residential Development
Aspen Place CBU & Mail Kiosk Cover
Mitchell Metals fabricated and installed a 14-box cantilever CBU cover measuring 8' x 44' 2" in Bronze on 6x6 extruded aluminum posts and beams at Aspen Place, a D.R. Horton community in Thomasville, North Carolina.
Community
Aspen Place
Builder
D.R. Horton
Location
Thomasville, North Carolina
Structure
8' x 44' 2"
In short
Mitchell Metals supplied and installed a 14-box cantilever CBU cover at Aspen Place in Thomasville, North Carolina, for D.R. Horton. The structure measures 8′ x 44′ 2″ in Bronze on 6×6 extruded aluminum posts and beams. It is one of the first two pre-engineered CBU covers Mitchell Metals has completed for the D.R. Horton Greensboro division.
Overview
Two communities, one opening move
Aspen Place is a D.R. Horton community in Thomasville, North Carolina. Its mail center went in alongside a second one at Fiddlers Landing, and together they are the first two pre-engineered CBU covers Mitchell Metals has completed for the D.R. Horton Greensboro division.
Starting with two at once is unusual, and it was deliberate on both sides. The D.R. Horton Greensboro team took the pre-engineered model at face value from the first conversation, which meant we could run both communities through planning, submittal, and installation on the same track instead of treating each as a one-off.
What pre-engineered actually buys a builder
A custom canopy has to be designed, engineered, stamped, reviewed, and revised before anyone orders aluminum. That cycle is measured in weeks, and it happens at the end of a development when the schedule has the least slack left in it.
A pre-engineered cover skips the cycle. The spans, connections, and load ratings are already established, so the questions left are which configuration, how many boxes, and what color. Pricing is known earlier, submittals move faster, and fabrication starts without waiting on an engineering round. That is what the D.R. Horton Greensboro team leaned into, and it is why two communities could open together rather than one after the other.
Why cantilever here
Both covers are cantilever structures: the roof is carried on a single line of 6×6 posts set behind the cluster box units, leaving the entire approach side clear. Residents walk straight up to the boxes with nothing in the way, carriers can service the units without working around a post, and the structure tucks against a curb or a narrow pad in a way a post-on-both-sides canopy cannot.
At just over 44 feet, Aspen Place is the longer of the two runs D.R. Horton Greensboro opened with. Fourteen cluster box units in a single line means the whole mail center reads as one continuous piece of architecture rather than a cluster of separate boxes with a roof over them.
Both are extruded aluminum, so nothing on either structure rusts. Both are engineered to ASCE 7-16 wind and snow loads and designed to meet ADA and IBC requirements, with cluster box placement following the USPS Builders/Developers Guide.
Project Partners
Who we worked with
Home Builder
D.R. Horton, Inc.
The largest homebuilder in the United States by volume, founded in 1978 and having built more than one million homes. The D.R. Horton Greensboro division builds across the North Carolina Piedmont Triad.
D.R. Horton Greensboro Team
Cale Jordan, Otis Garrett and Marty Jones
Our points of contact at D.R. Horton Greensboro across both Aspen Place and Fiddlers Landing. Mitchell Metals coordinated planning, submittals, and installation for both communities through their team.
Manufacturer & Installer
Mitchell Metals, LLC
Headquartered in Marietta, Georgia, Mitchell Metals engineers and fabricates pre-engineered aluminum canopy systems in-house and delivers CBU mail centers, bus stop covers, and amenity covers as complete turnkey packages.
A special thank you to Cale Jordan, Otis Garrett and Marty Jones for their collaboration, communication, and trust throughout the process. With more installations already on the schedule, we look forward to many more projects with D.R. Horton Greensboro.
Project Specifications
What was installed at Aspen Place
| Project name | Aspen Place |
|---|---|
| Location | Thomasville, Davidson County, North Carolina |
| Builder / developer | D.R. Horton — D.R. Horton Greensboro |
| Market segment | Residential — single-family development |
| Product | Pre-engineered CBU mail kiosk cover |
| Canopy configuration | Cantilever |
| Mailbox capacity | 14-box cantilever CBU |
| Canopy dimensions | 8' x 44' 2" |
| Finish color | Bronze |
| Posts | 6x6 extruded aluminum |
| Beams | 6x6 extruded aluminum |
| Engineering standard | Rated for ASCE 7-16 wind & snow loads |
| Compliance | ADA & IBC compliant; USPS Builders/Developers Guide |
Why these specs were chosen
Cantilever configuration. Posts on one side only. The approach stays clear for residents and carriers, and the structure sits comfortably against a drive or a narrow pad where a two-sided canopy would not.
8′ x 44′ 2″. Sized to 14-box cluster box units in a single continuous run, at the standard 8-foot cover depth.
6×6 extruded aluminum posts and beams. A heavier profile than the minimum required, chosen for durability and for the visual weight it gives a structure this long. Extruded aluminum means nothing on the frame rusts.
Bronze finish. A factory-applied finish that holds color, hides road dust and pollen better than lighter finishes, and coordinates with the dark exterior hardware common on new residential construction.
Project Gallery
Aspen Place, Thomasville, NC
Questions
Frequently asked questions about this project
Who built the CBU cover at Aspen Place in Thomasville, NC?
Mitchell Metals, LLC of Marietta, Georgia manufactured and installed the pre-engineered CBU cover at Aspen Place. The structure is a 14-box cantilever CBU cover measuring 8′ x 44′ 2″ in Bronze on 6×6 extruded aluminum posts and beams.
Who is the builder of the Aspen Place community?
Aspen Place is a D.R. Horton community in Thomasville, Davidson County, North Carolina, built by the D.R. Horton Greensboro division. D.R. Horton, Inc. is the largest homebuilder in the United States by volume and has built more than one million homes since 1978.
What are the specifications of the Aspen Place CBU cover?
The structure is a 14-box cantilever CBU cover measuring 8′ x 44′ 2″, finished in Bronze. Posts and beams are 6×6 extruded aluminum. It is rated for ASCE 7-16 wind and snow loads and designed to meet ADA and IBC requirements, with cluster box placement following the USPS Builders/Developers Guide.
What is a cantilever CBU cover?
A cantilever CBU cover carries its roof on a single line of posts set behind the cluster box units, so the entire approach side is clear of structure. Residents and mail carriers walk straight up to the boxes with no post in the way, and the open side makes the structure easier to place against a curb or a narrow pad. It is the configuration to choose when the mail center sits along a drive or walk rather than in an open island.
What does Mitchell Metals mean by a pre-engineered CBU cover?
A pre-engineered cover is built from a standard, already-engineered aluminum canopy system rather than designed from scratch for each site. The spans, connections, and load ratings are established, so submittals move faster, pricing is known earlier, and fabrication starts without waiting on a custom engineering cycle. The system still scales — the same details cover a 7-box run or a 14-box run.
Does Mitchell Metals serve home builders in Thomasville and the North Carolina Piedmont Triad?
Yes. Mitchell Metals is headquartered in Marietta, Georgia and serves home builders, land developers, general contractors, and architects across the Southeast, including Thomasville and the wider Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point area. Call 470-870-7733 for residential projects.
Planning amenities for your next community?
Send us your site plan and unit count. Our pre-engineered covers price fast, submit fast, and ship without waiting on a custom engineering cycle.