How many porta potty rentals will you need for your event? That depends on several factors.
Did you know that most people urinate up to 7 times per day, according to Urology Professor Neil Grafstein, MD, of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City? It will also help you to know the estimated attendance at your event, how long it will last, and what food and beverages will be served.
If you don’t rent enough units, you will have three big problems: long bathroom lines, a toilet paper shortage, and overflowing toilets. On the other hand, you don’t want to overestimate and blow your budget renting too many porta potties.
That’s why we examined the science, studied industry recommendations, and put together the ultimate guide to calculating how many porta potties you will need per day.
Skip the Research & Get a Quote Fast
ASAP Site Services
Clear, upfront pricing and no surprises
Service to all 50 states
How Many Porta Potties You Should Rent
Companies from across the country offer their own recommendations for how many units you will need. Compare these figures and you’ll notice wildly different suggestions.
Here’s how we solved this problem:
- We gathered recommendations from across the industry, including estimates from both large and small companies.
- We examined the methodology and results of each set of suggestions, correcting obvious miscalculations and flaws within the data.
- We calculated the average recommended number of porta potties.
The results are separated into two charts:
Events where alcohol will and will not be served.
Using the charts is simple:
- Columns represent the length of your event in total hours.
- Rows represent the estimated number of guests.
- Follow your selections to find our recommended number of rental units per day.
Estimates for Events Without Alcohol
The following chart represents how many standard porta potty rentals you should reserve based on number of guests and event duration (in hours). Please note that this assumes each unit is empty at the start of the day, and it is not used over multiple days without being serviced (pumped clean).
| People x Hours | 1 h | 2 h | 3 h | 4 h | 5 h | 6 h | 7 h | 8 h | 9 h | 10 h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 100 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| 250 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 |
| 500 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 |
| 1,000 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
| 2,000 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 21 |
| 5,000 | 17 | 26 | 31 | 36 | 39 | 43 | 45 | 48 | 51 | 54 |
| 10,000 | 30 | 44 | 56 | 71 | 77 | 84 | 91 | 95 | 101 | 108 |
| 25,000 | 44 | 69 | 99 | 130 | 160 | 191 | 221 | 252 | 282 | 313 |
| 35,000 | 57 | 96 | 139 | 181 | 224 | 267 | 310 | 352 | 395 | 438 |
| 50,000 | 78 | 137 | 198 | 259 | 320 | 381 | 442 | 503 | 564 | 626 |
| 65,000 | 99 | 177 | 257 | 336 | 416 | 495 | 575 | 654 | 734 | 813 |
| 75,000 | 113 | 205 | 296 | 388 | 480 | 571 | 663 | 755 | 846 | 938 |
| 90,000 | 136 | 246 | 356 | 466 | 576 | 686 | 796 | 906 | 1,016 | 1,126 |
| 100,000 | 151 | 273 | 395 | 517 | 639 | 762 | 884 | 1,006 | 1,128 | 1,251 |
Estimates for Events With Alcohol
Anyone who drinks alcohol has heard of “breaking the seal.” Consuming alcohol increases urine production and lowers your ability to keep water in the body. These factors working together cause frequent trips to the bathroom.
Why is this so important? Because if you plan to serve alcohol at your event (think tailgates or concerts), then your guests will need to use the bathroom more frequently, and you will need to provide more portable toilets.
Recommendations from across the porta potty industry range from a 5% to 20% increase in total units provided when alcohol is served. We have found that 10% to 15% is a safe estimate and will help you avoid disasters, like overflowing toilets. That’s why we recommend a 12.5% increase in total units if you plan to serve alcohol to your guests.
Don’t worry, you don’t need to do your own calculations. We have crunched the numbers and organized the data for you into the helpful chart below.
| People x Hours | 1 h | 2 h | 3 h | 4 h | 5 h | 6 h | 7 h | 8 h | 9 h | 10 h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 100 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 250 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 500 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 11 |
| 1,000 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 |
| 2,000 | 8 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 24 |
| 5,000 | 19 | 29 | 35 | 40 | 44 | 48 | 51 | 54 | 57 | 60 |
| 10,000 | 33 | 50 | 63 | 80 | 87 | 94 | 102 | 107 | 114 | 122 |
| 25,000 | 50 | 78 | 111 | 146 | 180 | 215 | 249 | 284 | 317 | 352 |
| 35,000 | 64 | 108 | 156 | 204 | 252 | 300 | 349 | 396 | 444 | 493 |
| 50,000 | 88 | 154 | 223 | 291 | 360 | 429 | 497 | 565 | 635 | 704 |
| 65,000 | 111 | 199 | 289 | 378 | 468 | 557 | 647 | 736 | 826 | 915 |
| 75,000 | 127 | 231 | 333 | 437 | 540 | 642 | 746 | 849 | 952 | 1,055 |
| 90,000 | 153 | 277 | 401 | 524 | 648 | 772 | 896 | 1,019 | 1,143 | 1,267 |
| 100,000 | 170 | 307 | 444 | 582 | 719 | 857 | 995 | 1,132 | 1,269 | 1,407 |
Other Considerations
Whether or not your event serves alcohol should not be the only consideration when determining the number of units to rent. Here are a few more factors to think about before making a decision.
How Many Handicap Porta Potties Should You Rent?
We’re not telling you to provide ADA-compliant porta potties for the sake of being a good host, although you should definitely do that. There are laws for how many porta potties are required for certain uses, like construction sites, as well as the types of units.
The rule of thumb is to provide at least one handicap-accessible portable bathroom for every 20 standard units. If you plan to rent fewer than 20 units, then you should provide a minimum of one handicap unit. They do not cost much more than a standard unit, so there’s no excuse to cut corners. It’s your duty to ensure that every guest has access to restrooms.
How Many Handwashing Stations You Should Rent
Don’t be the person who provides bathrooms without access to some sort of hand washing. At the very least, provide one hand sanitizer dispenser for every 6 standard units.
With that being said, we recommend opting for hand washing stations with soap and running water. You should rent one handwashing station for every 4 standard units. Or, rent one group handwashing station (up to 10 individual sinks) for every cluster of standard porta potties (25 – 40 units). This will ensure your guests stay clean, healthy, and happy.
How Many Restroom Trailers Should You Rent?
Estimating the ideal number of restroom trailers for your event is difficult because there are so many different trailer models. Unlike standard units, restroom trailers differ from company to company. Some offer communal restrooms for each gender. Others provide a number of individual units for guests to use one at a time.
Our suggestion is to stick as close to the “one toilet per 60 guests” rule as possible. If the restroom trailer has two single units, then one restroom trailer should adequately serve 120 guests. If you have closer to 150 or 200 guests, then you might want to rent additional trailers or a larger model.
Potty Parity: Separating Male and Female Porta Potties
In the simplest terms, “potty parity” refers to providing equal bathroom accommodations for both men and women. This focus on equal access is especially important in situations in which unequal access goes unrecognized. Places like the United Kingdom “require a 1:1 female-male ratio of restroom space in public buildings” in order to combat this.
To be clear, there is no requirement to provide gender-specific portable bathrooms. However, you should consider potty parity if you plan to separate bathrooms by gender. A few tips:
- Offer the same number of individual toilets, not units, (stalls and urinals counted separately) for men as women.
- Clearly identify bathrooms by gender with signage and other indicators.
- Provide additional “gender-neutral” bathrooms so all guests feel comfortable and accommodated.
Again, gender-specific porta potties are not required. They’re better for certain events than others, so keep potty parity in mind if you plan on separating bathrooms.
There you have it! If you have any questions about how many units to rent for your event, don’t hesitate to drop us a line at webmaster (at) portapottyrentalguide.com. We’re happy to help!