Portable toilet questions for San Francisco job sites and events
Answers for people booking a portable toilet in San Francisco, CA. They cover what the work involves, what changes the quote, and the city, county and state rules that shape street placements, construction sites and events.
- Standard units, ADA units and restroom trailers
- Street-space permits, retrofits and events
- Delivery and servicing planned around access
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Booking a visit
How soon can a unit come out?
The provider confirms the timing when the order is set. Dated events and construction jobs need the most lead time, because a street permit or a closure approval has to run before the unit is placed.
What should I have ready when I call?
The city and ZIP code, the site type, the planned placement, the start date and how long the unit is needed. A note on how the truck reaches the spot, or a photo of the lot and the route to it, helps the provider judge access before the order is confirmed.
How far ahead should an event be booked?
For a street closure, sf.gov advises applying at least three months ahead for a new event and six months for a large one. The formal application to ISCOTT has to be complete at least 30 days before the event. Park events and Port property run on their own permits.
Who sets the price?
The local provider sets the price for each site and confirms it before any unit is delivered. The pricing page explains what moves the quote, and no price is listed on this site.
The work itself
What does a service visit include?
The provider delivers the unit, services it during the rental and removes it when the job ends. The servicing schedule is agreed for the site before the order is confirmed, based on the unit count, the length of the rental and how the unit is used.
What does a site need before delivery?
A level spot the truck can reach and a route from the truck to the placement. Where a unit cannot be carried from the truck to the work, it usually goes at the curb, and the street permit applies. Stairs, gates and steep grades are raised when you call.
Where does the waste go?
The provider holds the registrations and permits for hauling and disposal. San Francisco's SFPUC Wastewater Enterprise has a trucked waste hauler permit with a category for portable chemical toilet waste, and you do not need to arrange that permit yourself.
Are accessible units available?
Yes. California requires 5 percent of the units at each cluster to comply with the accessibility standard, with no fewer than one. An accessible unit carries the International Symbol of Accessibility and needs an accessible route from the street. The accessible units guide explains the details.
How many toilets does a construction crew need?
California's job-site rule is Cal/OSHA Title 8 Section 1526, not the federal table. A crew of fewer than five can use one single-user all-gender toilet. Larger crews need one separate toilet facility for each 20 employees or fraction thereof, of each sex, and at least half of the required facilities must be toilets. The Cal/OSHA guide lays out the numbers.
What moves the price
What changes the quote most?
The unit count and how long it stays, the number of service visits a week, whether an accessible unit or a handwash station is wanted, and whether a flushing trailer is needed. Access comes next: how far the unit has to be carried, and whether there are stairs, a gate or a hill.
Does a hill address change the setup?
Often. Steep lots, stairs, shared driveways and rear yards change how far the unit must be carried and where it can sit, and the provider's answer on access shapes the quote. Say so when you call.
Does a street permit change the job?
It can. A unit in a parking lane or on a sidewalk sits in the public right of way, and the contractor or property owner needs a street space permit from Public Works. The provider plans the placement inside the space the permit covers.
San Francisco rules
Who issues the street space permit?
San Francisco Public Works issues it, and the contractor or property owner applies. A standard permit generally covers the parking lane and up to half the sidewalk width along the fronting property. Materials may not take more than one third of the roadway width or half the sidewalk width without an additional permit, and Public Works says to allow at least 30 days for that.
How many toilets does an event need?
There is no single citywide toilets-per-head rule that this site can confirm, so no ratio is published. Park and street-event paperwork sets unit counts by projected attendance, with a share of accessible units. The organizer confirms the current figures with Recreation and Park or the SFMTA for the permit.
Can I put a portable toilet on a closed street for a block party?
Yes, once the closure is approved. Closures for special events go through ISCOTT, which the SFMTA chairs and which meets twice a month. Ask the organizer to confirm the closure permit before a unit is placed.
Do you serve places outside San Francisco?
Yes, within the listed areas. Work in those places is arranged with that city or county, and the San Francisco rules on this site do not carry over. Check the areas page for the places covered.
Question not answered here?
Call and ask. A technician will give you a straight answer, even if the answer is that you do not need us.