Landscaping direct mail in Imperial Beach:
a neighborhood-by-neighborhood plan
By Best Direct Mail, San Marcos · Numbers from USPS and the US Census Bureau
Imperial Beach is a small beach town at the far southwest corner of the country, between the ocean, San Diego Bay and the Tijuana River Valley. Most homes are small houses and duplexes from the 1950s, 60s and 70s on flat, sandy lots, and almost all of them feel the salt air and the ocean wind.
The whole city shares one ZIP Code, 91932, and many homes are rented. That makes the choice between EDDM® and a homeowner list especially important here. Below is what we'd mail where, starting with the public numbers for Imperial Beach.
Imperial Beach by ZIP Code
| ZIP Code | Single-family houses | Owner-occupied | Median home value | New movers a month (average) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91932 All of Imperial Beach | 42% | 31% | $856,900 | about 90 |
What the columns tell you:
- Single-family houses: the share of homes that are detached houses, most with a yard to care for. The higher it is, the fewer EDDM® cards go to apartments and condos, where the HOA or the landlord hires the landscaper.
- Owner-occupied: owners decide on clean-ups, new plants and turf replacement. Renters usually don't.
- Median home value: higher values point to design, installation and full-service maintenance. Elsewhere, clear flat prices for mowing and clean-ups work best.
These figures cover whole ZIP Codes, and single routes inside them can be quite different. Our EDDM® route planner shows homes, income and homeownership for every route before you choose.
Single-family houses, homeownership and home value are US Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates for the ZIP Code area. New movers are a US Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimate: residents who moved into a different home in the past year, turned into households and divided by 12.
New movers: on average about 90 households move to a new home in these ZIP Codes every month. A new owner often wants to make the yard their own and doesn't have a gardener yet.
What a mailing costs: $2,721 for 5,000 homes with our recommended 8.5 × 11 EDDM® postcard, including printing and postage. See our EDDM® prices for other quantities.
What to mail in each neighborhood
Seacoast Drive and the beachfront (91932)
Along Seacoast Drive and around the pier, there are condo buildings, small apartment buildings, vacation rentals and beach cottages. In the condo buildings the association hires the landscaper, so reach the boards and their managers with a business list rather than mailing each unit.
- HOA and building contracts for courtyards, entries and planters.
- Coastal-friendly planting for cottages right on the sand, where wind and salt spray burn ordinary plants.
Central Imperial Beach (91932)
Between the beach and 13th Street, on both sides of Imperial Beach Boulevard and Palm Avenue, most homes are small single-family houses and duplexes from the 1950s and 60s, many of them rentals with small front yards.
- Low-maintenance yards for rental owners: gravel, mulch, drip irrigation and tough plants that look good between tenants.
- Flat-price mowing and clean-ups for small lots close together.
- Turf replacement, with the rebate from the SoCal WaterSmart program where the home's water agency takes part.
Many owners here live elsewhere. A homeowner list sends the card to the owner's mailing address instead of the tenant.
North Imperial Beach, near the bay (91932)
Toward the bay and the start of the Silver Strand, the streets north of Palm Avenue have single-family homes, townhomes and condos near the Bayshore Bikeway. Townhome and condo communities have associations that hire the landscaper, while the houses take care of their own yards.
- Monthly maintenance for the single-family streets.
- Common-area contracts, mailed to the associations.
East Imperial Beach (91932)
East of 13th Street, toward the Tijuana River Valley and the Nestor area of San Diego, there are more single-family homes with yards and more owners who live in their homes. Owners here are adding patios, ADUs and backyard projects.
- Backyard makeovers: pavers, artificial turf, shade and planting that turns a dirt yard into usable space.
- Turf replacement for front lawns that cost too much to water.
- Post-construction yards after an ADU or garage conversion.
South Imperial Beach, near the estuary (91932)
South of Imperial Beach Boulevard, the streets run toward the Tijuana River estuary, with single-family homes, duplexes and condos, some looking out over the marsh. Many owners have lived here a long time and have older yards that need a refresh: overgrown shrubs, tired lawns and old sprinklers. A clear, friendly card with reliable monthly maintenance at a set price fits these streets well.
A first Imperial Beach mailing plan
- Owners and landlords across the city. Mail a 6 × 11 postcard to a homeowner list, so every card goes to an owner, including landlords who live elsewhere. Lead with low-maintenance yards and a flat monthly price.
- Backyard projects to the owner-occupied east side. Mail an 8.5 × 11 EDDM® postcard to the routes with the most homeowners. Pick them in our EDDM® route planner for 91932.
- Contracts to the associations. Send a letter or card to the condo and townhome associations along Seacoast Drive and on the north side.
Mail each group at least three times, a few weeks apart. Use a different offer code on each card so you can see which neighborhood and which service brings the calls.
EDDM® or a mailing list in Imperial Beach?
Which one is better depends on the neighborhood. In Imperial Beach, many homes are rented, so EDDM® spends much of the mailing on tenants, who don't hire landscapers. A homeowner list is usually the better start here. On the east side routes where most homes are owner-occupied, EDDM® reaches nearly the same people for less. Check the single-family and homeowner numbers in the table above, and tell us the areas you want and we'll recommend the right mix.
What to put on an Imperial Beach postcard
- Say you're local. "Serving Imperial Beach and the South Bay" tells people you can keep a regular schedule.
- A clear price. A set monthly price or a flat clean-up price gets more calls here than a free estimate.
- One service and one offer per card, matched to the neighborhood above.
- Your C-27 license number if you do installation work, plus "licensed and insured".
For the full list of services, offers and a 12-month calendar, see our landscaping direct mail guide.
Landscaping postcard designs
Start from one of our ready-made landscaping postcards. We add your logo, offer, license number and photos, send you a proof, then print and mail it. Need a custom design, or have your own? Just let us know.
Landscaping marketing plans in other cities
- SanMarcos
- Carlsbad
- ChulaVista
- Clairemont
- Coronado
- DelMar
- ElCajon
- Encinitas
- Escondido
- LaJolla
- LaMesa
- LemonGrove
- NationalCity
- NorthPark
- Oceanside
- PointLoma
- Poway
- RanchoBernardo
- Santee
- ScrippsRanch
- SolanaBeach
- Vista
Imperial Beach at a glance
- New movers
- About 90 households a month
- Best areas
- Low-maintenance yards for rental owners: central Imperial Beach. Backyard projects and turf replacement: east Imperial Beach. HOA contracts: Seacoast Drive and the north side.
- What it costs
- $2,721 to mail 5,000 homes by EDDM®
- Where to start
- A homeowner list mailing with low-maintenance yards and a flat monthly price, reaching owners and landlords.
Frequently asked questions
How many homes are there to mail in Imperial Beach?
The table above shows the homes and carrier routes in 91932, straight from the USPS EDDM® route map. Imperial Beach is small, so many landscapers mail the whole city a few times rather than picking neighborhoods.
How do I reach landlords in Imperial Beach?
Use a homeowner list. It sends your postcard to the owner's mailing address, even when they live somewhere else, so landlords get your card instead of their tenants.
What should I offer rental owners?
Low-maintenance yards and simple upkeep. Owners want a yard that looks good to the next tenant without costing much in water or care, so gravel, drip irrigation and tough coastal plants with a flat monthly price are a strong offer.
Do you mail in Imperial Beach?
Yes. Our print shop is in San Marcos, so we print your postcards there and take EDDM® mailings to the Post Office that delivers your Imperial Beach routes.
Get a quote for your Imperial Beach mailing
Tell us which neighborhoods and services you want to focus on. We'll reply with a price for printing and mailing, and the routes or list we recommend.