Product Information

Rooftop Specialists

In densely populated urban areas where land is expensive and community resistance to towers is high, rooftop locations provide quicker and easier deployment in most cases. A highly prized location can accommodate dozens of tenant opportunities.

Rooftop installations provide a unique and challenging set of problems. In particular, landlords are guarded about the idea of drilling holes in their roofs for equipment anchorage and transmission line entry enclosures. Some carriers have accommodated their concerns by putting bracketing systems on the walls and mounting the base stations on elevator or equipment and HVAC room walls.

If the site requires more than a microcell application, to maintain the tenant’s equipment, a structural engineer will design a support system to handle the additional loading. Designs are typically site-specific and can range from steel plating to bringing the roof up to code, or beam placements distributed between multiple supporting columns.

Component manufacturers have provided many non-intrusive roof-friendly products for supporting equipment and cable trays. There are multiple designs of tripod, sled and wall mounts available from manufacturers. Designs are frequently changed following comments from the field so that the mounting systems are more installer and equipment-friendly. Although most sleds us blocks or concrete for ballast, there are designs that use water vessels. Mats are oftentimes required to be place between the non penetrating mount and the roofing membrane Some zoning bodies add to the project’s expense by requiring RF-friendly concealment screens.

Wall mounts are available for numerous mounting configurations for  solid and hollow walls. Manufacturers offer mounts that install relatively flush to the wall or units that will provide a 12” to 24” standoff. Swivel brackets and I-beam mounts are also available. Pipes ranging from 2-3/8” to 4” are typically not included with the available mounts and must be purchased separately. If you purchase the pipe locally you will save on freight and may receive more favorable pricing.

The following pricing for rooftop wall mounts, non penetrating and penetration sleds and other accessories is an industry average from multiple manufacturers. Prices will vary based upon specialized product applications offered. Add tax and freight to your cost. Due to the volatility of steel prices, contact your vendor prior to estimating a large volume of rooftop mounting equipment and support fabrication.