How to Get a Cell Tower on Your Property
If you’re a landowner who is trying to make extra income from your property then you’ve probably already done some research and found this thing we like to call a cell tower lease. Cell phone carriers plan out their network infrastructure ahead of time and cell tower companies construct their systems according to network needs. So even if you have the perfect piece of property by the highway, just applying to their websites might mean yearsbefore you hear a reply. With that said, there is a good way for landowners to figure out if their property would be of interest to cell companies. Follow these steps to determine if your property would be a good fit.
1. Determine the Type of Cell Phone Coverage in Your Area
Most of the major wireless carriers provide coverage maps on their websites. There you can roughly locate your property and determine if there is adequate coverage there. If you find that the major carriers don’t have good coverage near your property then you might be in a good situation.
2. How to Know if Your Property Qualifies for a CellTower
First off you’re looking to see what kind of coverage there is in your area. Even if in your opinion the cell phone signal is spotty, that’s not enough. You need to check and see the proximity of the nearest cell phone tower.
If you’re in a rural area (meaning there aren’t as many households in a given mile) then a cellphone tower every 3 miles is about the average for a cell carrier’s network.
In suburban areas, there is a need for cell phone towers every 5,000 DEVICES. In each household you can assume there are 4 people, with 4 cell phones, 2-3 tablets, everyone has a computer, and there’s a smart TV in almost every room. Not to mention Dad’s smart watch, mom’s Alexa, Becka’s fitbit, and Jonny’s Kindle. Right there we can assume a household has 19 connected devices. All of those require data which are connected to cell phone towers. Property owners in suburban areas can lease their land for macrosites and even DAS or small cell sites.
In urban areas, there is less of a need for cell phone towers and more of a need for DAS antenna systems or small cells. These systems are needed every half mile to ensure network coverage in between big cell phone towers to support the multitude of users packed into the big buildings. Landlords or REITs of apartment complexes and condominiums can benefit financially from leasing their rooftop for DAS or small cells.
If you can’t find a cellular structure within these ranges depending on where you live then your property might be ideal for a cellphone tower!
3. Look Into the Zoning Ordinances for Cell Phone Towers for Your Area
Individual municipalities predetermine the areas in their town where they want property to be conserved, where they want property to be developed, and if it’s developed, how they want it to be developed. They issue zoning laws in certain areas to restrict anything that might go against what that property should be intended for. For instance, a city park might be zoned as public facilities versus a property that is zoned for a residential community. You can usually call your city or county’s zoning office and ask them for the requirements or rules against cell phone tower construction on your specific property. If they give you a map of the zoning laws of your area, locate your land and find out what category it falls into. Usually, you can’t put a cellphone tower in a residentially zoned properties but can be erected in commercial or industrially zoned areas.
The ideal situation would be for your property to be zoned for industrial or commercial use smack dab in the middle of residentially zoned properties. That would mean all the other landowners have not been able to approach tower companies to put cell phone towers on their land, but you would be able to and in turn provide coverage for the surrounding residents.
Furthermore, there are some zoning rules that require a cell phone tower to be erected a certain distance away from residential neighborhoods. Make sure you find out what the requirements for distance are. If you fall in the safe zone then your property might be idea for a cell phone tower!
4. Connect with Site AcquisitionSpecialists to Pursue a Cell Tower Lease
This isn’t the 1990s, it’s time to upgrade how you connect with site acquisition specialists. The old way of doing things is finally behind us. Gone are the days of shelling out thousands of dollars to the local sign guy and slapping it up on your property next to the side of the road waiting for years to see if that sign will pay off. Gone are the days of filling out the same mind-numbing information on the cell tower company websites (thanks Crown Castle for making me fill out my address AGAIN). There is a new way of doing things. A new way to connect landowners with the right industry who is willing to pay them to lease their land. That system is right here on our web-platform. It’s simple AND free to list your property with us. And it doesn’t just stop there. We have affiliates who will market your land for you to companies like Crown Castle, and AT&T Towers. These people have been in the business for years and have the contacts necessary to get your property evaluated fast.
And to think, before us you had to wait and hope that the site acquisition specialist on his vacation in Tucson wasn’t too distracted by Tommy’s attempt to stand up from the car seat and flash the car next to them on the highway next to your thousand-dollar sign.
5. Create Your Online Listing with Us
It’s simple and easy to list your land with us. You should have the address of your property. In the description a rough estimate of the amount of acres of property you have for lease is suggested, and the distance from major roadways, and even the population density of the city you are in! If you’ve done your homework and found out what the zoning classification of your land is then you should definitely include that too! Check off the attributes of your property and select what type of leases you would be willing to have on your land. In this case you would select Telecommunications. But keep an open mind! Billboard signs can double as a structure on which cell tower companies can build their infrastructure! Imagine a billboard lease on your property generating some sweet mailbox money alongside a check every month from a cellphone tower company! Who knows, if your land isn’t good for the purpose you intended, who knows, our specialist might find another industry sector who could lease from you instead.
Why Should You List Your Land with Land Lease?
Now, there is a lot of information out there about cell tower rates and plenty of people who say they will help you negotiate your cell tower deal. But it might be hard to find someone you can trust. Sometimes the websites look a little shady and you might be wondering if you’ll ever find someone you can trust to get a cell tower on your property. Well, the great thing about us is that we have partnered with a reputable telecommunications consulting firm who handles all of our cell tower deals. You can check them out here. They have been in business for 14 years, and the team boasts members such as the ex Vice President of AT&T.Did you get that?
The vice president of AT&T…
AT&T…
With industry insiders like that, you can rest assured that they are here to provide you with the best information and negotiate for you to get you the best deal possible.
