Caution | Mandatory Outdoor Water Restrictions

Due to continued dry conditions, mandatory Stage 1 Outdoor Water Restrictions are in place until further notice.

Visit Calgary.ca/restrictions for more information.

Development and Building Professionals Hub

The antennas category includes cell towers, radio antennas, communication antennas, and amateur radio towers.​

When is a permit required?


Please note The City of Calgary does not approve antenna structures. The federal government approves development and operation of telecommunication antennas in Canada. In certain cases, they require service providers to consult with the local municipality and the public regarding a proposed location.

A wireless service provider submits a request to The City for review of the proposed location and the proposed public consultation plan. The City then sends a letter of support (concurrence) or non-support (non-concurrence) to the service provider when the review is completed. Please note The City cannot prevent an applicant from obtaining federal permission even if The City disagrees with the location, based on the municipal Telecommunication Antenna Structures Siting Protocols.

A building permit is not always required when the antenna is attached to, and/or supported from an existing building. It must meet wind and snow load requirements of building code.

To ensure safe construction, a building permit is required to install an antenna under the following condition:

  • The antenna installation includes the construction of an accessory building over 10 m2on the site
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How to apply


Step 1: Review the checklists

Step 2: Prepare your application

  • Complete the checklists
  • Review your fees​

See the Planning Applications fee schedule for a complete list of planning application fees.

Step 3: Apply

Apply online

To apply in person, complete the antenna submission​ and visit the Planning Services Centre with the documents from the checklist in step 1. 

The City's role


Application review

The City of Calgary reviews and evaluates each submission for an antenna based on land use planning criteria. The specific issues observed, analysed, and evaluated are predominantly, but not limited to, the following:

Please note The City of Calgary review focuses primarily on the design and location of a proposed antenna structure. Our review does not assess or evaluate health and radiofrequency exposure. For health-related information, please refer to these resources:

Public consultation

The City of Calgary is responsible for the following functions in the public consultation process:

For additional information regarding the federal government’s mandate and authority in the wireless telecommunications process, please consult Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's Client Procedures Circular CPC-2-0-03 – Radiocommunication and Broadcasting Antenna Systems.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Contact us

Planning Services Centre

Hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.
Live chat: 
calgary.ca/livechat
Call: 
403-268-5311
Web: Planning Services Centre

Development approvals review team

Find development approvals review team staff to contact about specific applications.