Units for piers, waterfront aprons and Port-controlled events, placed on level ground with the Port permit and the wind planned into the set-up.
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A pier or waterfront restroom is a set of portable units placed on paved, fixed ground that is often not level and is always exposed to wind. Events on Port property need a Port permit, and some streets need that permit together with a city closure permit. A local provider delivers, services and removes the units.
The waterfront is one of the harder places in San Francisco to set a restroom. The ground on a pier or apron is paved and fixed, but rarely level in the way a lawn is, and it has edges, drains, bollards and cleats that a unit has to clear. Wind comes off the bay with little to slow it, and a unit that stands well on a lot can shift on an open pier.
Events on the waterfront are often large and short. Fleet Week used Pier 30 and 32 for its Fleet Fest in 2025, and a restroom plan for an event of that kind is built around the crowd flow and the service route. Smaller events on piers and aprons follow the same logic on a smaller scale, with units where the crowd enters and leaves.
This page covers the Port permit, set-up on a pier, wind and salt air, and how an accessible route is built across a deck. It gives no price and no crowd count. The organizer sets the count with the provider, and the provider confirms the price before delivery.
Events on Port property need a Port permit. Port-jurisdiction streets need both the Port permit and the city's street closure permit through ISCOTT.
The Port permit covers the ground the event uses on Port property, and the restroom placement is part of what the Port reviews. The SFMTA advises applicants not to contact individual departments before they hold the ISCOTT permit, so the organizer should confirm which applications apply first.
Piers and aprons need more care in the set-up, the weighting and the route, and that care shows up in the quote. The price is explained and approved before work starts.
The crew spends more time finding level spots, checking doors against fixed fittings and securing units against wind. An accessible route across a deck may need a board or ramp to close gaps, which is listed as a separate item in the quote.
Wind off the bay and the ocean can move a lightweight unit on an open surface, so the unit is weighted or staked and checked during the event.
Pacific fog and wind come in off the ocean, and the windiest stretches are the open edges of the waterfront and exposed piers. A unit's door is oriented to reduce the wind load, and a loose sign or tarp near the units is secured before guests arrive.
Not without a plan approved by the controlling party. A unit is set back from the edge, clear of the rail and any drop to the water.
The edge of a pier or apron is where the ground is least reliable, and a unit set too close can be pushed toward the water by a crowd or a gust. The provider keeps a clear margin and marks it on the walk-through.
Salt air works on metal fittings, hinges and latches faster than inland air does, so the units are checked for wear during a long booking.
Coastal sites such as Ocean Beach and Pacifica face the salt air most directly. The provider checks fittings during service visits and replaces any part that is failing, and the organizer reports any fault on the day.
Keep units back from the edge of any pier or apron, and never let guests lean on a rail to reach a unit. Do not place a unit over a gap, a grate or a drain. Keep the door swing clear of cleats, bollards and rails, and keep children away from the water while the crew sets up.
The organizer confirms whether the pier or apron is Port property or a street the city controls. Events on Port property need a Port permit, and Port-jurisdiction streets need both the Port permit and the city's closure permit through ISCOTT. The provider places no units until the controlling party is known.
A technician walks the pier or apron with the organizer and marks the spots where a unit can stand level, clear of edges, drains and loading points. On a waterfront the level spot is often a short stretch between two fixed features, and the provider notes the width the unit and its door swing need.
The route from the crowd to the units is planned before anything is set. On a pier it has to avoid gaps, grates and deck joints a wheelchair cannot cross. California requires five percent, but no fewer than one, of the units in a cluster to comply, so the accessible unit needs a firm, level route from the start to its door.
The crew sets each unit level, weights or stakes it against the wind and checks the door swing against the edge of the deck. On an exposed pier a unit without weight can move in a gust, so the set is checked again during the event. A trailer needs a pad that is level and firm before it is placed.
For a multi-day event the provider services the units on a schedule agreed with the organizer. When the event ends the units are removed and the waste is hauled through the provider's permitted route. The organizer clears the ground and returns it to the controlling party in the condition the permit requires.
A bank of standard units on a pier suits a short event with a crowd that enters and leaves at one point. The units sit at the edge of the crowd flow, away from the water and loading points, and are weighted or staked against the wind. The door swing has to clear the rail and any fixed fittings.
A flushing trailer suits a longer waterfront event with a sit-down meal, but it needs a tow route, a level pad and a water and waste connection. Waterfront lots are often level enough, while piers and aprons often are not. The trailer goes on the lot rather than the deck wherever that is possible.
An accessible unit has to sit on a route a wheelchair can use from the crowd to the door. On a pier that means no gaps, grates or rough joints, and a level approach to the unit. Ask the provider to walk the route with you before the event, because the route decides whether the unit is usable.
If it's an emergency, call now. For non-urgent waterfront, marina and pier restrooms, send the form and we'll call you back.
San Francisco's waterfront is a mix of public piers, open aprons and streets along the water. Each has its own controlling party, and the Port's jurisdiction is the first question. A unit allowed on a street is not automatically allowed on a pier, and a pier allowed for an event may still need a street closure for the crowd.
The bay and the ocean shape the work differently. The bay side is exposed to wind across open water, and the ocean side adds fog and salt air. Each waterfront event needs a plan for the wind before the crowd arrives.
For a waterfront event near another city's shoreline, the rules are set by the city or port that controls the ground. This page states no rule for another city's waterfront, so ask the controlling body before booking.
A towed trailer with a closed room for guests, placed on a level pad that a tow route can reach.
Portable restrooms for multi-day festivals and concerts in San Francisco parks and on waterfront sites.
Getting a portable toilet up hill lots, stairs and rear yards that a delivery truck cannot reach directly.
Accessible single-user units marked with the International Symbol of Accessibility, placed with a usable route from the street.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Events on Port property need a Port permit. If the event also uses a Port-jurisdiction street, it needs the Port permit and the city's street closure permit through ISCOTT. The organizer applies, and the provider places units only inside the approved area.
The unit is weighted or staked and set level on firm ground, with its door oriented to reduce the wind load. The crew checks it during the event. A loose sign or tarp near the units is also secured before guests arrive.
Yes, if the route to it is firm and level. California requires five percent of the units in a cluster to comply, but no fewer than one. The deck route must close any gaps and grates a wheelchair cannot cross, so ask the provider to walk it with you.
The unit is set back with a clear margin, clear of the rail and any drop to the water. The provider does not place units over water. The controlling party may set its own placement rule, which the organizer should confirm first.
It can, because salt air works on metal fittings, hinges and latches. Units on the coast and on open waterfronts are checked during service visits. The provider repairs or replaces failing parts.
The provider removes the units and hauls the waste through its own permitted route once the event ends. The organizer clears the ground and returns it to the controlling party as the permit requires. The provider holds the registrations and permits for hauling and disposal.