Everything You Need to Know About Renting a Porta Potty
You’ve probably used a porta potty or two in your lifetime. A porta potty is a modern-day outhouse, also called a Port-a-John, Port-a-Jane, or Porta Loo (in the U.K.). A porta potty may be as basic as the contained outdoor stall you find at a concert or as lavish as a luxury portable restroom trailer rented for a movie set.
Porta potties have soared in popularity since they were first introduced in the 1960s.
A porta potty will make or break the success of an event–but it’s not a convenience most of us give a second thought to. When planning an outdoor event or setting up a construction site, you’ll quickly realize that the right porta potty selection for your occasion means everything. For a free rental quote call:
There are countless circumstances where you may find yourself in need of a Port-a-John. Porta potties are most popularly rented for:
Backyard parties
Concerts
Outdoor festivals/events
Outdoor weddings
County fairs
Stadiums
Golf courses
Construction sites
Parking lots
Rest areas
Campsites
Landfills
Disaster relief
This list is only the tip of the iceberg. Porta potties can be rented and set up for large crowds, wherever there is a need.
The humble porta potty has a long list of crowd-pleasing benefits:
Convenience
Crowd control
Waste sanitation
Access to handwashing station
Minimal disruption/breaks (on construction site or movie set)
Affordable restroom alternative
Zero risk of clogging or plumbing issues
Easy transport
The porta potty most of us are familiar with is the small portable restroom stall constructed of lightweight plastic. These porta potties used at outdoor events and on construction sites serve as a temporary toilet and can be moved from location to location.
A porta potty will come with toilet paper and antibacterial hand sanitizer dispensers. Porta potties can also be rented with a separate internal handwashing station, where soap and paper towels are included. Because a porta potty does not use traditional plumbing, it contains powerful deodorizing chemicals to disinfect and manage waste. These chemicals are the blue liquid found at the bottom of a porta toilet. Call the number below for a free quote:
Porta potty rental is a simple solution for waste disposal at a large event or on a site without restroom facilities. Before you sign on the dotted line, here are a few things to remember about porta potty rental:
Some sanitation services provide same-day portable toilet rental; most require at least a 24-hour notice.
Porta potties will come stocked with tank chemicals and toilet paper.
Long-term porta potty contracts may come with weekly service to recharge blue sanitizer, clean interior, pump waste tank, and restock supplies.
Porta potties can be placed in almost any location on a level surface.
Construction jobsites may require portable toilets to support number of workers by law
Portable toilet rentals are available for almost any amount of time–one day, one week, one month, or long-term.
Portable toilets can be placed in a backyard, as long as a service vacuum truck can access the toilet within 40 feet.
Porta potty odor is controlled with sanitizing and deodorizing detergent water, i.e. the blue water in the toilet reservoir.
Standard porta potties do not need any special hookups; upgraded restroom trailers will require electricity to run air-conditioning, heating, lighting, and water pressure pumps.
On jobsites, the American National Standards Institute advises one portable toilet per 10 workers in a 40-hour workweek.
Porta Potty Rental 101: Where to Begin
Event Type
The most important decision to make before renting is to determine how many portable toilets you will need for your crowd.
Most rental companies provide a basic chart for large crowd use; as mentioned above, construction site use dictates roughly one porta potty per 10 workers per workweek.
The number of porta potties needed for an event is based on attendees and event duration:
Event duration
(in hours)
This chart assumes a maximum acceptance waiting line of 10 people. Many events prefer shorter lines. Increase unit quantities appropriately.
Specific recommendations may vary by supplier, but according to this chart, two porta potties are enough for an eight-hour event with less than 50 people. A 10-hour event catering to more than 10,000 people could require the support of up to 72 portable toilets.
Knowing the details of your event is key before booking a rental. The type and size of event will determine how many porta potties you need, where they are placed, and what type of portable toilets you choose, which we will cover in the next section.
Gathering the following information will improve the accuracy of your porta potty rental quote:
- Company Name
- Billing & Shipping
Addresses - Telephone
Contact Number - Site Telephone
Contact Number - Desired Portable
Toilet Type - Desired Portable
Toilet Quantity - Desired Portable
Toilet Accessories - Delivery &
Pick Up Date - Event Duration
in Hours - Event Crowd
Size
A seasoned rental company may ask more specific questions to determine portable toilet use and get you a more accurate number of porta potties for your specific needs. One factor that is often not taken into consideration is the fact that if alcohol will be served at the event, that will greatly impact restroom frequency.
For example, beer-drinking concertgoers will use porta potties much more often than the average construction worker. Rental providers may also ask about male to female crowd ratio to cut down on notoriously long women’s restroom lines.
Budget
Cost is the next concern that could undercut your best-laid porta potty plans.
Most porta potty rental companies will gather the information above before providing an accurate price quote. Price will vary greatly depending on event type, region, crowd size, porta potty type, length of use, and accessories. Prices can climb if your event is subject to local regulations, including the use of ADA restrooms for guests with disabilities and OSHA compliant restrooms to meet construction site standards.
Based on the guidelines above, you will need at least one functioning portable toilet to accommodate up to 50 people in an event that lasts several hours:
A straightforward portable toilet rental could cost from $175 to $225 per day for short-term use.
The cost for a single standard portable toilet may be estimated at $175 to $275 for a weekend.
A standardhandicap-accessible portable toilet could cost $225 to $295 per weekend.
A deluxe portable toilet rental may cost $395-$795 per weekend.
The good news is that porta potty rental prices can drop significantly when contracted for long-term use. Some providers estimate an average price of $175 to $500 per month for one construction porta potty rental, with fluctuations based on delivery, location, features, and service charges.
The biggest factor in determining price is the cost of transport and service. Portable toilet companies spend the most on unit maintenance, cleaning, and site delivery. A supplier saves money by contracting multiple portable toilets to the same site for weeks or months at a time. Expect to pay hundreds of dollars less per unit when signing a long-term contract with standard cleaning service.
Placement
Porta potty placement is another critical factor that could affect the success of your event or slow down jobsite performance. The most ideal placement for a porta potty is a location that’s dry, level, and is centrally located for all event attendees or construction site workers to access.
For larger events or jobsites, portable toilets must be scattered strategically throughout the grounds.
The purpose of this intermittent porta potty placement is to ensure that individuals will not have to travel a long distance to find a portable restroom. For most events, it makes the most sense to place portable toilets near high-traffic areas, such as food and beverage stands and crowd seating. Once convenient placement has been narrowed down, porta potty units must still stand within 25 to 40 feet of access for a service pump truck.
If handicap-access porta potties are required at a large event, units must be easily reached by those with physical limitations, including wheelchairs. Keep in mind that handicap-access portable toilets may also be used by families with small children. The ADA requires a minimum of 5% and no less than one handicap-access unit in each porta potty location to accommodate attendees with disabilities.
sanitation service
After planning for event type, budget, and placement, you probably still have one burning question on your mind: What about upkeep and sanitation? Before signing a contract for a portable toilet rental, it’s helpful to know what sanitation service your supplier will provide.
Here’s what you can expect the average porta potty supplier to offer in their contract:
Setup and Delivery
Portable toilets, supplies, and accessories will be delivered ready to use.
Cleaning and Service
Cleaning and pumping schedules may be determined by individual suppliers; you may also order extra cleaning or emergency site visits, as needed.
Pickup and Removal
Porta potty suppliers will come to pick up portable toilets and accessories at a predetermined date; suppliers are responsible for total site cleanup.
For long-term rentals of weeks or months, most portable toilet suppliers offer weekly service.
This weekly service may include rechargeable sanitizing liquid; interior wall and urinal sanitation; toilet paper, water, soap, and paper towel restock; and most importantly, pumping of the waste tank. Once-a-week service is considered the industry norm. The fee for weekly service and maintenance will be included in the portable toilet rental quote, unless stated otherwise. Many of these companies also do septic tank pumping and cleaning for an additional cost.
how to choose the right type of porta potty for your event
Portable toilets are likely to be separated into two categories:
Portable Restrooms
Standard portable restrooms can be found at most high-volume events, like concerts and festivals.
Restroom Trailers (otherwise known as
executive portable toilets)
Executive porta potties with luxury accessories, including hot and cold running water and flushing toilets, may be found at weddings, on movie sets, or on long-term construction sites.
For a full list of the kinds of porta potties on the market today,
visit our Types of Porta Potties page.
The Top 10 Porta Potty Extras and Upgrades
Choosing the right portable toilet accessories is the final step in successful event planning.
These porta potty upgrades will put the finishing touch
on your special event:
Portable Handwashing Station
Standard portable toilets without sinks will need accompanying handwashing stations. Handwashing stations come with a fresh water source, paper towels, and soap dispenser. One two-sink unit can provide up to 600 washes.
Portable Hot Water Sink
Sanitary sinks are different from standard handwashing stations since they can be used for both handwashing and portable drinking water; ideal for use on relief and construction sites and for military purposes.
Hand Sanitizer Station
A basic four-unit hand sanitizer station can be used in lieu of a handwashing station at a large event; recommended for concerts, festivals, fairs, and construction sites.
Portable Mist Fan
Outdoor electric fan can be set up near portable restrooms to dispense freshwater as a light mist to cool guests waiting in line for the restroom; individual mist fans may provide up to 10 hours of use.
Portable Electric Heater
Portable electric heaters can be set up in porta potties for comfortable use during the winter; recommended to meet some state requirements on construction sites.
Porta Potty Elevator Unit
Designed specifically for high-rise construction; portable toilet can be lifted by crane or elevator and provides up to a 38-gallon tank.
Shower Trailer
Convenient portable trailer with toilet, sink, and two shower stalls; used for VIP events, disaster relief, construction, and home renovation.
Female-Friendly Porta Potty
Women’s only portable toilets may be available from some suppliers; features include pink decor, clean and spacious design, seat pads, solar power, and odor-free sanitation.
Eco-Friendly Porta Potty
“Green” porta potties are growing in popularity for green weddings and LEED construction sites; features include biodegradable and non-toxic disinfectant liquid, chlorine-free paper products made from recycled materials, and recycled gray water collected from sinks.
Porta Potty Valet
No-holds-barred VIP events may benefit from a uniformed valet assigned to each restroom trailer; attendants clean and stock restrooms while monitoring guest flow.