If you’re planning a build or start a mid to large scale renovation, then you need a porta potty rental.

Homeowners planning any kind of renovation that would require teams of subs coming through the home, especially should consider renting a portable restroom.

For Construction And Large Public Gatherings, Porta Potty Rentals Are The Law

In fact, construction sites are legally required to have one or more porta potty rentals on site for workers.

Builders and contractors doing renovations might reduce their overhead slightly by skipping the porta potty rental. But why risk it?

The lack of bathroom access for subs will just elongate the project, costing more in the long run.
Asking the homeowner for bathroom access might work for a small / short project, say a few days to a couple of weeks, but this can sometimes create tension between the general contractor and the homeowner
Not to mention the possible violation of both OSHA and ANSI/PSAI regulations

Many home contractors prefer using a porta potty rental simply because they don’t want to upset the homeowner while working in their home, particularly when the homeowner is home during the work.

You know the old saying, “Don’t ___ where you eat.”

“Porta pottys are rented out year-round at farms, fairs, golf courses, parks, concerts, weddings, outdoor ice rinks and lots of other events.”

Porta Potty Rental Length

Short Term Rentals

Short term rentals are typically one day to a few days, and include one servicing after the contract is over and the unit is picked up.

Long Term Rentals

Long term rentals are at least one month long, if not one year long, and can vary based on the amount of servicing required.

Long term rentals usually include 1 servicing each week. If you have several workers on site, you might want to consider servicing 2 times each week.

Long term pricing is typically based on length of contract, frequency of rentals, and total number of rentals.

The more porta potty rentals a builder commits to and the longer the time period for those rentals, the lower the overall cost per unit.

Porta Potty Rental Type and Cost

Here are several options we recommend for a work site. Keep in mind that you can rent full size trailers and even luxury portable toilets if working a high-end build or remodel.

The full-size trailers and luxury portable toilets have a more sophisticated interior and exterior look, which clients will appreciate.

Standard Porta Potty Rental

Photo: Standard portable restroom rental on the job site of a custom new home build

Most standard porta pottys have reinforced walls, a toilet paper dispenser, ventilation, vanity mirror, a 60-70 gallon holding tank, and an occupied / vacant sign on the doorknob.

The standard portable restroom also has the option (most rental companies charge you extra for this feature) of adding a hand sanitizer with around 2000 pumps.

Cost: $100-$225 per rental period

Handicap Accessible Porta Potty Rental

Handicap accessible porta pottys might be required at your site.

If so, the units must be easily accessible to workers with disabilities.

Typically includes 16+ square feet of interior floor space for workers with disabilities or people who just need more room.
Oversized door
Ground level floor access for added access
Interior handrails

Cost: $200-$300 per rental period

Standard Porta Potty With A Sink

Overview: All of the above, but also includes a hand washing sink.

The sink has the capacity of holding about 20-30 gallons of water, which should net out to about 1500-2000 hand washes.

Cost $200-$300 per rental period

Standard Porta Potty With Flushing

The flushing toilet model usually includes a hand washing sink, a soap dispenser, a coat hook and a vanity mirror.

Cost will range depending on the bells and whistles, since portable flushing toilets tend to be considered a luxury amenity.

Cost $300-$500 per rental period

Solar Porta Potty

Solar units add the benefit of electricity that is typically not seen with a standard porta potty. Special solar panels on top of a toilet funnel the sun’s energy into a battery or a generator situated at the front of the toilet.

Expect faucets for hand washing, safety lights, hooks for jackets and personal effects, mirrors, and grip flooring. There are also winterized units (heat) available for colder weather climates.

Cost: Solar porta pottys are just rolling out so please call you local porta potty sales agent to see if they carry this model.

Elevator/Hi-Rise Porta Potty

Overview: Hi-Rise/Lift Portable Restroom is a standard porta potty that is equipped with a lift kit compatible with most standard cranes.

Cost: $175-$300 per rental period

VIP Portable Restroom Rental Trailers

Overview: For the high-end build, there are a tremendous number of VIP trailer options that include 12-Foot, 15-Foot, 18-Foot and 24-Foot options that provide 3+ stalls, showers, heating and cooling, and full ADA compliance where needed.

For an extra fee, you can also hire a white glove valet to service the unit before or during an event, and at pick up. Recommended for large sites with 50+ workers.

Cost: Varies by trailer type; Usually starts around $1000+ monthly

Porta Potty Rental Cleaning Fees

Every portable bathroom is sanitized and cleaned before it is placed on premises. However, the cost of the rental also includes a specific number of cleanings while you have the porta potty on location.

It’s common for each company to clean and sanitize the units once per week for no extra charge. The total number of cleanings, or the frequency of cleanings might differ from company to company, but once per week is pretty standard.

At a small to medium size build site, more frequent or daily cleanings will almost always cost extra -- between $40 and $250 for a month of twice-weekly cleanings depending on the type and quantity of units leased.

Porta Potty Rental Damage Waivers

You Tube is filled with videos of people tipping over, rolling, and destroying porta potties. As funny as some may think this is, fixing or replacing damaged porta pottys can cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

Unlike most businesses, the portable restroom rental industry does in fact have its own damage insurance! For those unlucky enough to have had their porta potty tipped or destroyed, the insurance costs a small fraction of a new porta potty.

Porta Potty Rental Late Fees

Don’t forget to add the return date to your calendar, as the rental company will be picking up the porta potty on the contracted date. Since the porta potty company is responsible for picking up the unit, it’s not usually incumbent on the renter to do much.

However, a late fee could be assessed if the porta potty company is unable to access the unit during pick up - for example if the staff can’t pull up close enough to the porta potty because something is blocking it, a gate is locked, or the porta potty was placed in an area where it’s sunk into mud or concrete and the pickup truck can’t retrieve it.

If this is the case, most companies simply charge the daily rate multiplied by the late rental period. So, a $200 rental that is a week late could cost an additional $200.

Often, if you call your rental company and make an effort to give them quick access to the unit, they will forgive the additional fee.

Your return business is usually more important that a small late fee.

Where Does The Porta Potty Rental Go On The Site?

Placement of your porta potty is also an important issue to consider.

Seems obvious but the most ideal placement for a porta potty is a location that’s dry, level, and centrally located on the construction site for workers to access. There should also be about 30 feet in front of the unit for maintenance access.

How do you know which porta potty is right for the job? Construction isn’t the only vertical in need of portable restrooms.

Porta pottys are being rented out year-round at farms, fairs, golf courses, parks, concerts, weddings, outdoor ice rinks and lots of other events. Porta potty companies are big business with a sales team, an operations team, customer service folks and, yes, lots of maintenance workers.

Porta Potty Legal Jargon

There are rules and regulations surrounding how many non-flushable toilets you must have on a site.

Not following these rules can result in some serious fines. OSHA’s 29 CFR 1926.51 states that, “lavatories shall be made available in all places of employment.” This rule requires a minimum of at least one porta potty when there are 20 or less workers.

If you have more than 20 workers, the manager is required to supply his or her employees with at least one toilet seat and one urinal for every 40 workers. When more than 200 employees are working on site, one toilet seat and one urinal per 50 workers is required.

Slightly stricter than OSHA, ANSI/PSAI Z4.3-2016 standard requirements calls for 1 toilet (flushable or non-flushable) facility per every 10 employees, and different lavatory facilities for male and female employees.

How Many Porta Potty Rentals Do I Need?

OSHA Regulations Require

1 toilet = 20 workers or less

2 toilet = 40 workers or less

4+ toilets = 200 workers or more

ANSI/PSAI Requirements

1 toilet = 10 males

1 toilet = 10 females

Here's Why Porta Potty Rentals Are Such Big Business Year Round