Event restroom planning checklist
Restrooms are the one thing guests notice only when they go wrong. This checklist walks you from 8 weeks out to pickup day, with a simple way to choose between standard units, flushing units and a restroom trailer. Print it, check items off, and call Shawn when you hit a question.
When should I start planning event restrooms?
Start planning event restrooms about 8 weeks before a wedding, festival or large public event, and 2 to 3 weeks before a big backyard party. Eight weeks gives time to pick a restroom trailer, get park or city approval, and hold your date on a busy summer weekend. Small parties need only a few days of notice.
The checklist below runs in order. Skip the early steps if your event is small, and start where your date falls.
Two numbers drive almost every choice: total guests and event length. Get those first, even as a rough guess.
What do I do 8 to 6 weeks before the event?
Eight to six weeks before the event, set the guest count, the hours and the site, then pick your unit type. Check whether the site needs a permit. Ask how restroom trailers get power and water there. Then reserve the units, because trailers and June, July and fall weekends book up early in Erie.
- Write down the expected guest count and the start and end times.
- Note whether alcohol and food will be served.
- Run the numbers in the porta potty calculator.
- Walk the site. Find flat, firm ground the truck can reach.
- For a public site, ask the owner about permits. City streets in Erie usually need a right-of-way permit. Presque Isle events need DCNR permission.
- Pick the unit type using the decision guide below.
- Reserve the date. Restroom trailers need 2 weeks or more, earlier in wedding season.
Should I rent standard units, flushing units or a restroom trailer?
Rent standard units for casual parties and big crowds, flushing units for nicer backyard events, and a restroom trailer for weddings and formal evenings. The choice comes down to the crowd, the dress code, and if you have power and water. A trailer needs both. Standard and flushing units need neither.
Work down the four questions in the next section, in order. Stop at the first yes.
How do I choose the right unit for my event?
Choose the right unit by answering four questions in order: Is it formal? Is there power and water? How many guests? Is food served? Each answer points to standard units, flushing units, a restroom trailer, or a mix. Every public event also needs at least 1 wheelchair-accessible unit, no matter which path you take.
- Is it a wedding, gala or evening event where guests dress up? If yes, and you have a 110V, 20-amp outlet within 50 feet plus a garden hose, rent a restroom trailer. One serves about 100 guests for 5 hours. Add standard units for more guests.
- Formal, but no power or water? Rent deluxe flushing units with sinks, paired with standard units for crowds over about 50.
- Casual party, sports event or festival? Rent standard units by the calculator count.
- Is food served? Add 1 handwashing station for every 2 standard units, unless you chose units with sinks.
- Do you want one upscale room for a small group? A VIP luxury single needs a standard outlet within 50 feet.
How many accessible restrooms does an event need?
An event needs at least 1 wheelchair-accessible restroom in every group of units. Under the 2010 ADA Standards, section 213.2, at least 5% of portable toilets in each cluster must be accessible where toilets are provided. A restroom trailer has steps, so it does not count. Add an accessible unit next to it.
Place the accessible unit on the flattest, firmest ground, with a hard path from the parking area. It needs about 8 by 8 feet.
Read section 213.2 at the U.S. Access Board. Our wheelchair-accessible unit has a ground-level entry and a 60-inch turning circle.
What do I do 2 weeks before the event?
Two weeks before the event, confirm the final guest count, the drop-off and pickup days, and the exact spot for every unit. Send a marked photo or a site map. Plan signs and lighting. If the event runs more than one day, book a cleaning visit between days now, while the route has room.
- Confirm the headcount and adjust the unit count if needed.
- Confirm drop-off and pickup. Saturday events get a Friday drop. Sunday events get a Friday or Saturday drop, since we are closed Sunday.
- Send the spot: a photo with circles, or a sketch with the truck path drawn in.
- Note gate codes, low wires and an on-site contact.
- Order signs: "Restrooms" with an arrow from the main area, and "Men" and "Women" if you split units.
- Plan lighting for evening events. A string of lights or a solar path light by each door.
- Multi-day events: book a cleaning visit between days. Each visit is $45 per unit.
What do I check on delivery day?
On delivery day, check that every unit is level, faces the way you asked, and is stocked with paper and sanitizer. Check that handwashing stations have water, soap and towels. Lock any unit that will sit overnight in a public spot. The driver texts before arrival, so you do not need to be there.
- Count the units against your order.
- Open each door. Check the latch, paper and sanitizer.
- Test the foot pumps on sinks and flushing units.
- Lock units that sit overnight in a park or open lot. The lock hasp is free.
- Put up signs and lights.
What do I do during the event and on pickup day?
During the event, assign one person to check the restrooms every hour for paper, trash and the lock. After the event, lock the units and leave the area clear for the truck. Event units are picked up the next business day automatically. You do not need to be home for pickup.
- Unlock the units before guests arrive.
- Check each unit every hour. Restock paper from your spare supply.
- Keep a trash can near the handwashing station for paper towels.
- After the last guest, lock the units.
- Clear cars, tents and decorations from the truck path for pickup.
- Call us if anything was damaged. Normal use is never charged.
Event prices are flat from drop-off to pickup, up to 4 days. See the rental cost guide for worked totals, or event porta potties for every option.
Checklist done?
Call Shawn with your count, dates and site. You get the units, the drop day and the total on one call.
Event restroom planning questions
These event restroom planning questions cover last-minute changes, bad weather, attendants, a venue that already has bathrooms and tight budgets. Each answer gives the short version first. If something on the checklist does not fit your event, call Shawn and he will adjust the plan with you.
Can I change the unit count after booking?
You can change the count up to 24 hours before delivery at no charge. Adding units close to the date depends on what is left, so add early in June and July.
The venue has bathrooms. Do I still need units?
A venue with one or two indoor bathrooms often needs help for more than about 50 guests. Count the venue's toilets as units in the calculator, then rent the difference.
Do you provide an attendant during the event?
Festivals can book an on-site attendant or scheduled pump-outs. Smaller events usually do not need one. See festival rentals.
What if it storms on event day?
Units work in rain. Keep them on firm ground, not a low spot, and stake them in open, windy spots near the lake. Tell us when you book.
What is the lowest-cost setup that still works?
Standard units by the calculator count, one accessible unit, and handwashing stations if food is served. Order them together for one delivery fee and 10% off 3 or more units.
Get your itemized quote
Fastest way: call Shawn. You get the price, the delivery day and the total on one call.
(814) 245-2757Mon–Sat, 7 a.m.–7 p.m. Calls are answered in Erie, not a call center.
On a jobsite? Text the address and a photo of the spot to (814) 245-2757.
Prefer a form? Send it here. We reply within 1 business hour during open hours.