Selecting Cell Tower Locations

Commercial properties can make good cell tower locations.

Do you have potential cell tower locations? Here’s our brief cell tower leasing qualifier. Most cell tower developers like Crown Castle, American Tower or SBA Communications will need a minimum of 50 feet x 50 feet but more likely 100 feet x 100 feet of rentable ground space for new cell phone tower locations they are seeking. Cellular carriers may also be looking for the same amount of ground space, but the difference between the telecom carriers and the cell tower developers is that the carriers also sell their wireless voice and data subscriptions and generate revenue off of the data and minutes, while the tower companies only make money from the subleasing of tower and ground space to other carrier tenants.  That is why landlords need a professional like Tower Genius to structure the lease agreement properly so that property owners are maximizing their values on these cell site locations.

Tower Genius is a leader in cellular site leasing consulting and coaching. Our two Partners have identified, leased, developed and overseen the development of over 10,000 cell tower sites in the United States over the last 30+ years for all major wireless carriers and their own consulting firms.

As a cellular tower landlord consultancy we are regularly sought out by landlords and building owners of existing cell tower sites with additional available rooftop space or ground space where they want our help to attract additional wireless carriers to deploy antennas on a cell tower or rooftop cell site. We aren't in the business of marketing cell tower properties, but we do offer a site submittal service on our sister website, www.GetACellTower.com for those people who would rather have our company send their information in to the tower companies, vs. doing it themselves.  

Evaluating Your Property.
What kind of Cell Tower Locations are Cellular carriers looking for?

Rooftops make good cell site locations.

1. Flat Rooftops in urban and suburban areas are the  primary cell tower locations the carriers target. The structures can be office buildings or industrial parks, factories, medical centers or hotels, schools, apartment buildings, or shopping centers. Sites frequently selected for cellular development average around 40-55 feet in height and are generally from 3 to 7 stories high.

Buildings should not be on any Historical Registers, EPA or Superfund locations, or preserved or designated green conservation areas. 

They can be zoned in residential, commercial, industrial or even agricultural (for mounting on silos or barns). AT&T and Verizon Wireless have prefabricated equipment shelters that are around 360 ft. sq., and generally get placed on the roof of a building. Other carriers such as T-Mobile Sprint, US Cellular or DISH Wireless, take up much less rooftop space.

Your available rooftop space (and municipal wireless ordinance) will determine how many carriers you can deploy onto the roof. Additionally, some equipment cabinets can be placed inside the building or even located in the basement or externally if required.

What makes a good cell tower location?

2. Raw Land and Ground Space leasing is also a major focus of cell phone service providers, especially outside of urban areas where rooftops are not viable options.  Even if you already have a cell tower nearby, if the capacity isn't maxed-out yet, soon it will be,thanks to all of the smart-phones and iPhones.

We love our cell phones in the United States and cell towers aren't going to be disappearing ANYTIME soon. 

Cellular Carriers are generally looking for sites that have at least 2,000 ft. sq. of available ground space. Same criteria above on potential locations, environmental and historical designations pertain to new cell tower construction. 

Make sure that you don't have flooding or wetlands issues. Especially if you have bad cell coverage in your area and your GUT tells you that your property could be a good potential location, you should submit your property information directly to the carriers.

You can get the latitude and longitude your property at a great website called GPS Coordinates which can help you in evaluating your site. 

Cell tower topography

Want To Get A Cell Tower On Your Land?

If getting a cell tower built on your property seems like a great way to generate income on unused property, it is. The catch is, that it is almost near impossible to get a cell tower to lease ground space on your land. If it was easy, everyone who wanted on would get one. If is very difficult to have your location selected. It probably has more to do with sheer luck than with anything else.

In the USA, there is about 1 cell site for every 1,000 people.  If you own a property that seems to be an outstanding potential cell tower location, the cell tower lease consultants at Tower Genius offer a no-obligation service for a fee that can save you an incredible amount of time and submit your cell tower locations on your behalf to the cell tower companies and wireless carriers.  

Need help with your cell tower lease?

1-888-313-9750

Wireless Telecom Consulting & Transactional Coaching for Landlords and Landowners.