Master Builders of Iowa

Will the United States Postal Service changes affect my Construction Update delivery?

With all of the changes that are going on with the postal service, many of us are experiencing delays in receiving our mail. By definition, the Construction Update Newspaper is a weekly periodical. According to the United States Postal Service, weekly periodicals are to be designated as 2nd class mail. With a 2nd class mail assignment, the USPS estimates the delivery time to be 2-9 days within a 450 mile radius. In some cases, there is not a noticeable difference between 1st class and 2nd class mail. There are certain variables that can and do affect the timely delivery of 2nd class mail. One variable that may delay 2nd class mail is heavy volume mailing periods like Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, etc. This is not new to any of us. What is new to all of us is the delay that is caused by the cuts that are being made at rural post offices where full-time carriers are being replaced by part-time carriers and in some cases the post offices are closed all together.

The United States Postal Service is considering even more cuts that may affect all mail that is not labeled priority/express. It appears as though these cuts, if approved, will not go into effect until May 2012. These proposed changes are on our radar and we will be watching these developments very closely. Receiving the Construction Update newspaper in a timely manner is important to you and it is important to us as well. Sometimes projects have quick turn-around times and a delivery delay could prevent you from submitting a quote which will prevent you from getting the job and nobody wants that.

With all of that being said, there is no need to panic. We will be your eyes and ears on this matter. We will adjust accordingly and continue to provide the best, most complete and most accurate project information available in the Midwest.

As always, we will continue to provide an upgrade to 1st class mail option. Over the years, this option has been most helpful to out-of-Iowa companies and/or companies that use a PO Box. As I mentioned, this is an upgrade to your standard Plan Room subscription but is well worth the peace of mind that it will provide. For about the price of a cup of coffee each week, we will “special handle” your newspaper and it will be delivered according to 1st class mail regulations meaning you will receive it sooner. If you are interested in upgrading your Construction Update delivery to 1st class mail, please contact Eric Ramsey or Cindy Adams @ 515-288-7339 for more details.