On a San Francisco hill a portable toilet often ends up at the curb, because a unit that cannot be carried to the work goes there. Steep grades, stair accesses and shared driveways set how far the unit has to be carried, and a unit placed at the curb usually brings a street space permit into the job.
Key takeaways
- Filbert Street between Hyde and Leavenworth is listed at 31.5 percent, and rankings of steep streets vary with how they are measured.
- A unit that cannot be carried to the work is usually placed at the curb, which brings the street space permit into the job.
- Stair accesses, shared driveways and rear yards reached only on foot are the normal case in San Francisco's hill neighborhoods.
- A towed flushing trailer needs a tow route and a level pad, which rules out most hill streets.
- Wind on a staked unit on open ground, winter rain and mud on a site, and salt air at the coast all change how a unit has to be set and kept.
- The placement plan should be settled before the order, not after the truck is on the street.
Why is the hill the planning problem?
Access on a hill is real work, not an afterthought. A unit has to get from the place a truck can stop to the place where the job is, and on a steep block that distance is often the hardest part of the delivery.
San Francisco is built on hills, and that shapes almost every delivery. A property on a steep block may have a front door a long way up from the street, a side gate, or a path that runs through a rear yard. A truck can stop only where the curb and the street allow it. The unit then has to be carried over the remaining ground by hand, often up or down stairs, and the carry is where a plan either works or fails.
The planning question is therefore not how big the unit is but how it moves from the curb to the work. A unit that fits the space but cannot be carried through the gate or along the path is not a usable delivery. Plan the route first, then confirm the placement, then order the unit. Reversing that order is where hillside deliveries most often go wrong.
How steep is Filbert Street, and which figure should be quoted?
The City Bureau of Engineering's long-standing list puts Filbert Street between Hyde and Leavenworth at 31.5 percent. Rankings of steep streets differ by how they are measured, so the grade itself is the figure to quote.
Filbert Street between Hyde and Leavenworth is the reference used here. On the City Bureau of Engineering's long-standing list it was tied for first with 22nd Street, at the same 31.5 percent. Newer measurements built from elevation and mapping data produce different rankings for the steepest blocks, because the stretch measured and the method used both change the result. The grade is the number that matters for a delivery, and it is the one this guide uses. The street's background is also described in Wikipedia's entry on Filbert Street, though the grade figure here comes from the city list.
For a planner, the lesson is not the rank on any list. A block's grade tells you how hard it is to walk a unit up, and it says little about the path itself. A short stretch can be very steep in one spot, and a longer moderate block can be harder to carry along because of turns and steps. Ask the provider and the site contact about the actual route rather than the name of the street.
Why does the unit usually end up at the curb?
A unit is placed at the curb when it cannot be carried to the work, because the curb is the one place a truck can reach. Once the unit sits in the public right of way, the street space permit rules apply.
The curb is a practical choice rather than a preference. It is the spot a truck can reach, and on a steep block it is often the nearest point to the work that does not require a long carry. The trade-off is that the unit then occupies the public street, which is a different regime from a private yard. A planner who understands that trade-off will know why the permit comes up on nearly every hillside job.
A curb placement brings the street space permit into the job. Under the Public Works rules, portable toilets are a listed use of the public right of way, and materials and equipment may not take more than a third of the roadway width or half the sidewalk width without an additional permit under Article 15, Section 724 of the Public Works Code. The guide to the street space permit explains how the process works from start to finish.
What does the permit mean for a hillside placement?
A standard street space permit generally covers the parking lane and up to half the sidewalk width along the fronting property. Anything beyond that needs the additional permit, which Public Works says to allow at least 30 days for.
On a hill the fronting property is often narrow and the sidewalk can be steep, so a unit at the curb may take up more of the frontage than it would on a flat lot. The standard permit's coverage is measured along the fronting property, and a placement that spills into a neighboring frontage is outside the standard. A four-foot path of travel also has to stay open, and on a narrow hill sidewalk that requirement can decide where the unit goes.
A placard is a second requirement. Under Public Works Code Section 724.3, the permittee must post a placard at the site 72 hours before occupancy begins and keep it up for the whole permit term. The placard shows the permittee's details, the permit dates and the area covered. If a placement exceeds the permit's duration or area, the Director can order corrections under Section 724.5. The contractor or property owner pulls the permit, and the planner should confirm who is named on it before the truck arrives.
How does weather change a hillside placement?
San Francisco's weather is a planning factor rather than a single number. A dry summer, a wet winter season, and fog and wind off the ocean change how a unit has to be set and kept, most of all on open ground and at the coast.
The pattern is well known in outline: a dry summer and a wet season concentrated in the winter months. Pacific fog and wind come off the ocean, and they are heaviest on summer mornings on the west side of the city and along the coast at Pacifica and Ocean Beach. Those are the conditions that matter for a unit, and they are the ones a planner should check before choosing a placement.
The effect is on the work. Wind can move a unit that is set on open ground without a stake or a tie-down, so a placement exposed to the wind needs more care in setting. Winter rain turns a steep path or a patch of lawn into mud, which slows the carry and can make the path unsafe to walk. Salt air near the coast can wear on a unit and its fittings over time. A planner should look at the ground on the day the unit is placed rather than relying on what it looked like at the survey.
What should a planner settle before the order?
Settle the route, the placement and the permit before the unit is ordered. A provider can only deliver to the spot the planner describes, and an unclear route on a hill address can cause a second trip.
Start with the route from the curb to the work. Walk it, note the stairs and gates, and mark the placement on a simple plan. Then decide whether the unit can be carried in or must sit at the curb. If it sits at the curb, confirm the street space permit and the placard timing before the delivery date, and allow at least 30 days for the additional permit if the placement goes beyond the standard coverage.
Then tell the provider everything about the hill, including the grade, the stairs, any shared drive and whether the ground turns soft in the wet months. Ask how the unit will be carried and how many people the carry needs. A trailer is a different case. A towed flushing trailer needs a tow route and a level pad, and that rules out most hill streets. Call (888) 351-0294 with the address and the route notes before the order is set.
Frequently asked questions
Why does a porta potty end up at the curb on a San Francisco hill?
A unit that cannot be carried to the work goes at the curb, because that is where a truck can reach. Steep grades, stair accesses and shared driveways all limit how far a unit can be carried. A curb placement usually brings the street space permit into the job, which is why the two should be planned together.
How steep is Filbert Street between Hyde and Leavenworth?
The grade is 31.5 percent on the City Bureau of Engineering's long-standing list, where the street was tied for first with 22nd Street. Other measurements rank steep streets differently, because the method and the stretch measured change the result. The 31.5 percent figure is the one to quote for Filbert Street.
Does a stair access change the delivery?
Yes. A stair access changes how the unit is carried and how long the carry takes. Planners should count the steps, note the turns and gates, and tell the provider before a quote is made. A rear yard reached only on foot may not take a unit at all, so ask before assuming it can.
Do I need a permit to place a unit at the curb?
A unit placed in the public right of way needs a street space permit from San Francisco Public Works, because portable toilets are a listed use. A standard permit generally covers the parking lane and up to half the sidewalk along the fronting property. The contractor or property owner pulls the permit, and the placard goes up 72 hours before occupancy.
Can a flushing trailer go up a hill?
Usually not. A towed flushing trailer needs a tow route and a level pad, and most hill streets do not provide either. A trailer needs a flat, reachable site to work well. On a steep block a standard unit is more often the practical choice, set at the curb or carried in.
Does weather change how a unit is set on a hillside?
Yes, mainly through wind on open ground, winter rain and mud on a path or lawn, and salt air near the coast. San Francisco has a dry summer and a wet winter season, and Pacific fog and wind are heaviest on summer mornings on the west side. These conditions affect how a unit is staked and how the ground is checked on the day.
Sources
This guide is general information for San Francisco County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.