Cell phone towers are essential to modern everyday life. They provide the backbone of telecom infrastructure now & into the future. If you have a cell phone tower on your property, or are being asked to place one, you are entitled to compensation.

A cell tower lease appraisal is a great way to understand how much rent you should receive for allowing a tower on your property. Our team can also tell you what cell tower lease companies look for in the towers they place on land (or on other pre-existing towers already on land). Armed with the right knowledge, you the landowner can capitalize on your cell tower lease offer to maximize your value and minimize your risk.

What Is A Cell Tower Lease Offer?

A cell tower lease offer is an offer on behalf of a tower company or mobile phone company like AT&T or Verizon. It is usually a rent-based offer to place a cell phone tower on your property for a specific period of time. The cell phone company rents the property from you, the landowner, and uses the tower to establish mobile phone service reception in your area. You are paid according to the contract terms.

Contracts terms are often for 30 – 40 years and they are very difficult to renegotiate for the landowner. On the other hand, the tower company usually includes language that allows them to terminate the lease at any time.

Cell Tower Leases

Cell tower leases first begin with a site being chosen by cell phone companies. Once the cell companies observe the property and make the decision, they will contact the landowner to discuss a price and offer a contract.

The contract typically involves a pre-selected amount that they believe the property is worth. If the offer is made via a 3rd party broker, It’s important to know who the broker’s employer is. A broker’s employer alone can be a factor in selecting the tower’s site, and if landowners know that a potential site is of high value to a mobile provider, they will be able to negotiate a higher rent.

Cell Tower Prices

Cell tower valuation varies greatly. Often areas with higher urban densities have greater lease prices, though this is not always the case. It depends on the zoning laws in your city or rural plain.

Some cities, such as Detroit, have restrictive zoning laws, which can make it more difficult to establish new technological projects in the city. Other cities will allow opportunities for their cellular growth and construction to flourish due to weaker zoning laws. Cell towers operating on either East and West Coast typically receive a higher valuation for a property.

One key question to ask yourself if you’re negotiating a cell tower rent is “does the cell tower company or broker have many options beside my land?” If the answer is no, consider arguing for a higher price tag.

At the end of the day, you must decide if the value of your property is appraised correctly. Cell tower companies have lawyers on their side who negotiate rent on these properties every day. It’s just what they do. Vertical Consultants is a team of lawyers and cell tower lease experts who are well-matched to take on the cell tower companies. It’s just what we do.

Before you make a long-term commitment with a tower company, contact an expert to have the contract reviewed. We offer a free review with no strings attached. We’re here to help and make sure you get the rent you deserve.