Service Information

Tower Painting

Professional tower painting contractors cringe when they are asked to: “Send me a quote to paint my 1,000 foot tower.” Likewise, the tower owner winces when he receives a quotation for $10,000.00 more than he budgeted. The pricing variances are generally based upon the contractor not receiving enough information pertaining to the tower’s condition and the surrounding environment, and having to estimate upon worst-case scenarios.

Considerable distance to the site’s location, and a short turnaround time for the quotation prevents the contractor from personally identifying the site requirements. A complete set of specifications and photographs will ensure more accurate and competitive pricing. The tower’s owner should have a qualified climber take photographs of members, antenna mounts and accessories at various heights on the tower, as well as an aerial view of the base and surrounding areas for inclusion in the RFQ. A professional painting application can only be effective if there is thorough prep work, a requirement that will affect the pricing if the structure’s coating has been neglected. In addition, the owner is obligated to alert the contractor to any known lead paint concerns, or abatement requirements.

Tower owners have become increasingly aware of the need to hire a professional contractor that is fully insured, and maintains and practices 100% tie off protection. There have been numerous deaths over the past few years of painting contractors. One such incident involved three men who fell to their death while riding a rope being hoisted by an electric winch – unbelievable safety violations.

Due to the inherent cost of continued maintenance expenses, it is rare that an owner for a new structure will request that it be painted in bands of white and aviation orange and lamped, unless required by the FCC. Economical strobe lighting alternatives are available as detailed in FAA Marking and Lighting Standards . Although the FAA's lighting and painting standards are advisory in nature, the FCC's rules make the standards mandatory.

FCC agents are increasing their painting and lighting inspection efforts. Forfeitures of $10,000.00 or more are being upheld against tower and other structure owners who have paint that is severely faded, chipped and flaking.

Some painting specifications call for a two-part epoxy system or other special coating application if the tower is near a coastline or a highly abrasive industrial area. The client and contractor should assess whether an existing structure contains levels of lead based paint that might require environmental protection for workers and the surrounding area.

We recommend that you contact our listed professional painting contractors to obtain additional information about their services, capabilities and experience.

Pricing is always site-specific

Pricing for tower painting is always based upon the structure’s condition, the number of appurtenances and the ground conditions. The budgetary figures below are based upon moderately weathered paint along with a one year warranty. They do not include painting at night, sand blasting, pressure washing or any other additional preparation requirements. Oil based and other special coating specifications and flaky or peeling paint conditions will require additions to the average per foot price. Many professional tower painters have equipment that can provide airless painting of towers up to 2000’ or more. Some of them also use a water base dryfall paint that falls dry to the ground.

An acrylic latex paint for tower obstruction marking is between  $28.00 to $38.00 per gallon. Quality coatings can run $10.00  or more per gallon. Taxes and freight are not included.

Tower paint must meet Federal Standard 595 color #17875 for the white and color #12197 for the aviation orange. If you’re painting a new structure, ensure that the coating has an alkalinity that will etch into the zinc and form a chemical bond. Paint manufacturers offer theoretical coverage areas with a typical 1 mil dry square footage at approximately 400 square feet per gallon. However, experience is the only method to estimate how many gallons the structure will require, depending upon the tower type and the application technique.

A tolerance color chart to identify if the tower needs to be repainted is $80.00. The FAA requires that the color should be sampled on the uper half of the structure since there will be more weathering at that location. Paint mitts are $5.50 each.

Self supporting towers taller than 500’ and self supporting towers located in congested locations should be quoted following a careful site inspection or review of documents and photographs.

Antenna/line painting applications  

Transmission line painting is typically $4.00 to $5.00 per foot, per line.  Antennas are priced accordingly. If you are painting an antenna, ensure that it is a no non-metallic paint. Most specifications call for a water-based paint. If the painting system requires a hardener, follow the directions carefully. Incorrectly mixed, the paint will not dry correctly and will remain tacky.

The FCC has been assessing fines to tower owners for having unpainted transmission lines on their structures. Many painted towers have had colocation installations, but the installed coax has not been painted.