How Much Does It Cost to Rent a Porta Potty?

What goes into the price?

Almost every quote is built from the same handful of things:

• ✓The type of unit. Standard, deluxe, ADA accessible and handwashing stations are each priced differently. A restroom trailer is a different kind of equipment altogether.
• ✓How many. Obvious, but worth saying: more units cost more, and too few costs you in other ways.
• ✓How long. A short event rental is priced around delivery and pickup close together. A long rental is priced around a regular cleaning schedule.
• ✓How often it's cleaned. This is the one people forget. Every service visit is a truck, a driver and disposal.
• ✓Where it's going. Distance matters, and so does how easily a truck can get to the spot.
• ✓When. Busy weekends in spring and fall fill up first, so booking early gives you more options.

Why does cleaning matter so much to the price?

A porta potty rental is really a service with some equipment attached. The unit itself is the smaller part of the cost. The truck and crew that keep it usable are the bigger part.

That's why two quotes for "one unit for a month" can be quite different and both be fair. One might include a single weekly visit. The other might include two visits a week because you mentioned a crew of 15. The second is higher, and it's also more likely to be right.

When you compare quotes, compare the cleaning schedule first. If a quote doesn't say, ask.

What's usually extra?

Most quotes include delivery, setup, the agreed cleaning schedule and pickup. Things that are often charged separately include extra service visits, moving units after they've been placed, and trips where the unit couldn't be reached.

None of that is unreasonable, since each one is real work. The point is to know up front. Ask what isn't included before you book, and get it in writing.

What do you need for an accurate quote?

A quote is only as good as the information behind it. These details cover almost everything:

• ✓Your dates, or when the project starts and roughly how long it runs.
• ✓The address, and where on the property the units should go.
• ✓How many people, and whether that's a steady crew or a crowd for one day.
• ✓Whether there'll be alcohol.
• ✓Whether food will be served or prepared.
• ✓Anything awkward about access: gates, slopes, soft ground, narrow streets, restricted hours.

How do you compare two quotes?

Put two quotes side by side and check they answer the same questions. If one doesn't say, ask before you decide.

• ✓Which units, and how many of each?
• ✓How often will they be serviced, and what does a visit include?
• ✓Are delivery, setup and pickup included?
• ✓Are toilet paper and hand sanitizer restocked at each visit?
• ✓What would cost extra: more visits, moving units, a trip where the unit couldn't be reached?
• ✓What happens if you need to extend the rental or add a unit?

How can you keep the cost down?

Get the count right rather than guessing high. Put units where people actually are, so you don't need extra ones to cover a big site. On long rentals, ask whether the cleaning schedule can change as the crew gets bigger or smaller.

What doesn't save money is cutting service to the bone. A unit that's full by Thursday costs you in complaints, lost time and sometimes an emergency service call.