Cell Tower Lease Calculator
- Rent rises once a year by the escalator and is counted at the end of each year.
- The lease runs its full length, including renewals. Carriers can usually end a lease early; the rent stops if they do.
- Extra rent from added carriers, signing bonuses and taxes are not included.
- This is an estimate, not an appraisal. Have a lawyer or lease consultant review any offer before you sign.
See what a cell tower lease on your land or roof is worth over its full length, and how a lump-sum buyout offer compares. Enter the rent and yearly increase from your offer or lease and how many years it can run.
How to use the calculator
- Starting monthly rent: the rent in your offer or current lease.
- Yearly rent increase: the escalator in your lease. If it rises by a set amount every five years instead, use the yearly rate that comes closest.
- Lease length: the first term plus every renewal the carrier or tower company can choose to take.
- More options: a buyout offer, if you have one, and the return you could earn on a lump sum.
What the results mean
- Total rent over the lease: every year’s rent added up, if the lease runs to the end.
- Monthly rent in the last year: how far the escalator lifts your rent by the final year.
- Value in today’s dollars: what all that future rent is worth now, allowing for the return you could earn on money you have today. This is the number to compare with a buyout.
- Buyout offer as a share of today’s value: below 100% means the offer is worth less than keeping the rent, on these assumptions.
For example, $1,000 a month rising 3% a year for 25 years adds up to $437,511, and the last year’s rent is about $2,033 a month. At a 4.99% return, that rent is worth about $229,283 today, so a $200,000 buyout would be 87.2% of its value.
Where the default figures come from
- 3% yearly increase: in its 2025 annual report, American Tower says its US leases with wireless carriers rise by a fixed percentage averaging about 3% a year. That is what carriers pay the tower company, not the landowner; increases offered to landowners vary, so use the figure in your own lease.
- 4.99% return: the 10-year US Treasury yield for September 2026. If you would invest a buyout somewhere else, or pay off debt with it, use that rate instead.
- $1,000 a month: only an example. Rents depend on the site, and no public survey of what landowners are paid exists. Rate tables you find online come from consultants and brokers.
Why the escalator matters
Over a long lease, a small difference in the yearly increase adds up. With the same $1,000 a month for 25 years, a 2% escalator totals $384,364, while 3% totals $437,511. Check the escalator as closely as the starting rent.
Before you sign a lease or buyout
- Read the termination clause: tenants can often end a lease early, and the rent stops when they do. A long lease is not guaranteed income.
- Check who can renew: renewals are usually the tenant’s choice, not yours.
- Ask about added carriers: some leases pay you more when another carrier joins the tower. This calculator leaves that out.
- Understand a buyout: a buyout often sells a long-term easement or the lease’s future rent. You may give up the income and some rights over that part of your land for good.
- Get advice: have a real estate lawyer review the lease, and ask a tax professional how rent or a lump sum is taxed for you.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on the site: its location, how much the carrier needs it and whether it is land or a rooftop. There is no official survey of landowner rents, so compare your offer with neighbors’ leases or ask a lease consultant.
It depends on the price, what you give up and what you would do with the money. Compare the offer with the value in today’s dollars, and remember the rent could stop early if the tenant ends the lease.
No. The calculation runs in your browser. Nothing you type is stored or sent to us or anyone else.
Related calculators
- Mortgage calculator: see your full monthly payment, including taxes, insurance and PMI.
- Net worth calculator: add up what you own and owe.
- All calculators
Reviewed by Maxwell. Last reviewed October 23, 2026. Methodology: rent rising by a fixed yearly escalator, valued in today’s dollars at the 10-year Treasury yield; default escalator from American Tower’s 2025 annual report.