AE Aerial AE-01 Step 1 of 12
Pole Attachment Applications
Get written authorization from every pole owner, pole by pole, before any crew works on or attaches to a pole.
Crew
- Permitting Coordinator
- OSP Engineer or Designer
- Project Manager
- Foreman
Hazards
- Unauthorized Attachment
- Work on the Wrong Owner's Pole
Purpose
Get written authorization to attach on every pole on the route before anyone works on it. The pole owner controls who attaches, where and on what terms. A strand clamp hung without authorization can bring back-charges, removal orders, unauthorized-attachment penalties under the agreement, and a damaged relationship with the owner that slows every later job.
When to Do It
- Start as soon as the route is drawn. This is usually the longest lead item on an aerial job, so it runs ahead of everything else.
- Prerequisites: a preliminary route and pole list from design, and a signed pole attachment agreement (or license) with each owner, or an application to get one.
- Next step: AE-02 Field Survey and Make-Ready Engineering. The field survey usually feeds the application package, so the two steps overlap.
Roles
- Permitting coordinator: prepares and submits applications, tracks each pole’s status, and keeps the correspondence file.
- OSP engineer or designer: supplies the pole list, attachment heights, cable and strand data, make-ready list, loading results and drawings.
- Project manager: confirms agreements are in place, approves fees and escalates delays through the owner’s process.
- Foreman: checks authorization for every pole before the crew touches it.
Equipment and Materials
- Owner pole records, joint-use data and pole maps.
- Field tablet or mapping app that records pole coordinates.
- Camera for pole and tag photos.
- A tracking log or database with one row per pole.
- The owner’s application forms, fee schedule and drawing standards.
Safety
Procedure
- Identify the owner of every pole on the route.
- Confirm an attachment agreement or license is in place with each owner.
- If there is none, start that process first. An application without an agreement usually goes nowhere.
- Prepare the application package each owner requires. A typical package includes:
- pole list with pole ids and coordinates;
- proposed attachment height on each pole;
- cable and strand sizes and weights;
- span lengths;
- identified make-ready;
- pole loading analysis;
- drawings and fees.
- Submit the package through the owner’s process, in the format the owner asks for.
- Track every pole’s status in the log: applied, surveyed, estimate issued, paid, make-ready complete, authorized to attach.
- Track by pole, not by application, because owners often authorize part of an application at a time.
- Know which access rules apply on the job.
- In states regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the FCC pole attachment rules apply (
47 CFR 1.1401 and following, 47 CFR 1.1401 and following). - FCC access timelines appear in 47 CFR 1.1411.
- FCC rules do not cover poles owned by electric cooperatives, municipalities or other government bodies, or railroads (47 U.S.C. 224(a)(1)). On those poles, the attachment agreement and any state law that covers them set access terms and timelines.
- States that certify their own attachment rules regulate attachments themselves. Rules and timelines vary by state.
- In states regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the FCC pole attachment rules apply (
- Keep every authorization in writing and file it against the pole id, so the foreman can check it in the field.
Hold Points
Records to Keep
- Application ids and submittal dates for each owner.
- Written authorization for each pole, filed by pole id.
- Make-ready estimates, invoices and payment records.
- All correspondence with each owner.
- Pole tag photos used to identify ownership.
Common Mistakes
- Attaching before authorization. The crew is ready and the poles look fine, so someone hangs strand. Penalties and removal orders cost far more than the wait.
- Applying to the wrong owner. Joint-use routes mix owners. Read every tag and check it against records.
- Missing pole loading data. Owners reject or stall incomplete packages. Run loading before you submit when the owner’s package requires it.
- Tracking by application instead of by pole. Partial approvals get lost, and crews end up on poles that are not authorized yet.
Standards and References
47 CFR 1.1401 and followingin FCC-regulated states, or the state’s own attachment rules.- The Permit Directory: whether the FCC or the state regulates pole attachments in each state, with the state’s attachment rules where listed.
- Owner construction standards and the attachment agreement with each pole owner.
NJUNSwhere the owner uses it for joint-use coordination.MUTCD Part 6for high-visibility safety apparel during field visits near traffic.- The Pole Loading Primer for the forces, NESC loading ideas and make-ready results behind the analysis.
On the Map
- Utility Pole: the wood, steel or concrete pole that carries power and communication attachments, and the unit every application is tracked by.
- Pole Tag and Birthmark: the owner number tag that identifies who owns the pole, and the birthmark with its class and height.
Related Tools
Not applicable: no FAHMY tool covers pole attachment applications.
AE-01 · Field Checklist
Checklist
0/8items ticked
Tick each procedure step and hold point as the crew completes it. Ticks stay on this device only. They are a personal aid, not a hold-point release or a project record; follow the owner’s sign-off process.
OSP Map · Pole Detail
On the Map
- Utility PoleWood, steel or concrete pole that carries power at the top and communication attachments below it.
- Pole Tag and BirthmarkThe owner’s number tag and the manufacturer’s birthmark showing class, height, treatment and year.