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Several emergency responders chimed in to agree.

A UPS worker might have been joking when he offered his “best advice ever” for homeowners, but it’s actually something that should be taken seriously.

In a clip posted to his TikTok, the Arkansas-based driver (presumably named Austin), says:

“Listen carefully because it’s going to be the best decision you make when going about this. Whenever you paint your house, whenever you build your house, and you go to buy numbers at Lowe’s or Walmart, or wherever you go to get your numbers, one trick you need to know—you get any color besides the one that your house is.”

Sure, having hard to read or even completely absent home numbers presents not only a frustrating problem for those who make deliveries, but it can also be detrimental in times of emergencies.

And if you don’t want to take Austin’s word for it, you can trust the several health care professionals and fellow drivers that agreed.

“Can’t believe the number of houses without a number on it AT ALL. Not on the curb, not on the house, not on the mailbox.”

“Delivery driver here. Make sure the numbers are larger than one inch on your mailbox. Especially if you live on a busy street and the speed limit is above 35mph. We can’t see those tiny numbers. Just sayin’.”

“Listen, as a home health nurse, make sure SOMETHING even has numbers we can see.”

“Our numbers are 9” tall. My husband is a paramedic. Ikyky.”

“As a first responder please make your house number visible for emergency services!!!”

“UPS, FedEx, Domino's and other delivery companies should all get together and make a serious but funny commercial about this very real issue.

Back in 2021, an Amazon worker made a similar PSA, warning a home she had delivered to that “my dude…it’s unsafe, honestly,” to not have visible numbers.

@_jesshuseman We just moved in and this happened today…she’s not wrong though. Guess I need to get some house numbers. #amazondelivery ♬ original sound - _jesshuseman

Generally speaking, high contrast levels (black numbers against a white painted house, for example) work best, as well as having the numbers high enough to see and be visible on the curb.

But Brick & Batten, an exterior design company, has a few other really helpful tips:

The further the house, the larger the numbers

Brick & Batten recommends 3” or larger for houses 0-69 feet away from the street, 4” or larger for houses 70-110 feet, 5” or larger for houses 111-132 feet, 6” or larger for houses 133-160 feet, 8” or larger for houses 161-300 feet, and 8” or larger for houses 301-385 feet, respectively.

Choose long-lasting material

Opt for powder-coated numbers, and pleeeeeeaase replace the old, tired, rusty ones already falling off.

Place numbers somewhere eye level or higher

And in a location free from obstructions like overgrown foliage or seasonal decorations.

Make it visible at night

Place them near a light source, or install one.

Jazz things up with a plaque

Just because they need to stand out, doesn’t mean it has to go against your house design. With a little attention to aesthetics, it can even become a bit of an accent piece.

Making sure house numbers are visible is probably not on the top of anyone’s mind, but it’s little details like this that can really come back to bite us one way or another. So let’s make our lives—and the lives of our delivery drivers—better by following these simple tips.