Porta Potty Rental Costs: How to Find a Great Price

Last updated: July 20, 2022

This pricing guide has been update to reflect current economic conditions including inflation, supply chain delays, and labor shortages. We will continue to update pricing data as necessary.

We get it – you want to quickly find out how much it costs to rent a porta potty without hearing from a pushy salesman. That’s why we created this guide. We present data on the average porta potty rental prices based on unit type, rental duration, and location. We also educate you on how porta potty rental pricing works so you can be prepared for add-on services, delivery costs, and potential fees.

A quick note on our pricing data: Every company has their own rates and pricing structure. So while we can’t determine exact costs, we can give you reasonable estimates. To do this, we collect pricing sheets from national and local rental companies, analyze unit type and duration, and average the costs. This provides a reasonable estimate for you to use when considering local rental options.

Average Porta Potty Rental Prices

It’s difficult to get a quote from companies if you don’t know every detail of your event. This can be frustrating if you’re just starting your research and hoping to browse costs. But don’t fret!

The table below lists average porta potty rental costs by unit type. We also list pricing for cleaning services (waste pumping). One weekly cleaning is almost always included (free), while additional weekly cleanings can be added for a small fee.

Note: The “Additional Weekly Cleanings” column represents the price for each additional weekly cleaning. For example, twice weekly cleanings for a standard porta potty rental are $60 extra per month; three weekly cleanings are $120 extra per month; and so on.

Pricing data represents average costs based on real rates from U.S. companies. We compared national and local dealers, and included data from both official pricing sheets and customer-reported quotes. Your local area quotes may differ from these figures.

How Companies Price Porta Potty Rentals

Our price estimates (above) are a great place to begin your research, but they’re only part of the story.

Companies usually have set prices for various types of rentals, but rental requests aren’t always straightforward. For example, you might be interested in a short-term rental, or you may need a long-distance delivery. The point is, there are many factors that will influence the final price of your specific rental request.

Below, we examine everything companies will consider when creating a price quote for your event.

Average Price by Type

The type of portable bathroom usually has the biggest impact on price. Low-end units, such as standard porta potties, are fairly cheap. Luxury restroom trailers can be quite expensive.

For example, standard porta potties rent for about $75 because they’re inexpensive to build and maintain, and they are easy to deliver. Rent a large quantity of units and the daily rates will drop even lower. On the other hand, luxury restroom trailers can cost anywhere from $600 to $2,500+ per day. That’s because they’re expensive to manufacture, require towing to deliver, and have higher maintenance costs.

Our advice: choose the highest quality portable bathroom that fits in your budget. This will ensure your guests are satisfied with the restrooms and your event.

Short-Term and Long-Term Rental Prices

Newcomers to the porta potty industry might be surprised to learn that short-term and long-term rental costs are often very similar. Weekly and monthly rentals are very affordable, so companies need to apply similar rates to short-term rentals in order to profit from them.

Companies charge much more per day for short-term rentals in order to cover costs and make a profit. That’s because they need to prep the units, put them on a truck, deliver them, and then clean and retrieve them a day or two later. If they don’t charge a certain amount, then the rental wouldn’t be worth their time. A standard porta potty will cost roughly $75 for one weekend, but that doesn’t mean you’ll pay a much higher price for a monthly rental.

In fact, it doesn’t cost companies much at all for you to keep the rental units long-term. Delivery and pick-up expenses remain the same on their end, so they can keep prices low. A standard porta potty only costs about $75 – $100 per month. As you can see, you can find an affordable porta potty rental regardless of your timeline.

The exception to this rule is that restroom trailers and other luxury units will likely cost more for long-term rentals.

We should also mention that the day of the week can play a role in the price of short-term rentals. Demand is higher on weekends than weekdays, so try to rent between Monday and Thursday if you’re looking for the cheapest prices.

Long-Distance Porta Potty Rental Prices

Bathroom rental companies usually service many areas, not just their own communities. Doing business in neighboring towns and counties increases the number of potential customers. So, for the most part, you shouldn’t have to worry about being charged for a long-distance rental if you’re within a reasonable number of miles. Long-distance porta potty delivery is often considered 50 miles or farther.

With that being said, some companies factor distance into their pricing model. There are two ways they do this:

1. A Long-Distance Fee
2. A Price-Per-Mile Fee

The long-distance fee is a fixed price added to your final bill, which helps companies cover the costs of gas and labor. It can be as little as $25 and as much as $200.

The price-per-mile fee means that the company will determine how many miles they’re willing to travel, and then charge the customer for every additional mile traveled. This price usually applies to delivery, cleaning, and pick up. If your rental includes 25 total miles and $0.25 per additional mile, then a 100 mile trip will include an $18.75 delivery fee.

We recommend customers request for any applicable travel fees to be included with price quotes so that there are no surprises when it’s time to pay the bill.

Porta Potty Cleaning Fees

Some people compare cleaning porta potties to making sausage – it’s better not to know how it works, and instead appreciate the good people doing the work. We’ll skip the details and get to how much they cost.

Every company cleans and sanitizes the portable bathrooms before placing them out in the field, so that’s not a concern. But rentals also include a certain number of cleanings that will be carried out at your location. Most companies will come to you and clean the units once per week for no extra charge. The total number of cleanings, or the frequency of cleanings, might differ from company to company, but once per week is pretty standard.

More frequent cleanings will almost always cost extra. For example, multi-day festivals typically serve food and alcohol, which increases bathroom use and makes frequent servicing necessary. Scheduling daily cleanings will cost extra. You’ll pay between $40 and $250 for a month of twice-weekly cleanings, depending on the types of units. And don’t forget: costs could increase based on the total number of rental units.

Now, if you’re dying to know how companies clean porta potties, Service Sanitation put together a G-rated guide to the cleaning process (https://www.servicesanitation.com/tips/cleaning-procedures).

Extras

Porta Potty Amenities

Not all customers have big budgets, which is why companies offer extras. That way you can pick and choose which services you’d like to offer at your event. Offerings vary, but here are some extras to consider:

• Handwashing Stations: $40 to $150, depending on type.
• Hand Sanitizer Station: $5 to $30. In-unit or standalone options are both available.
• Mirrors: $5 to $25. Commonly added to standard porta potties.
• Portable Heat and A/C Units: Prices vary greatly. Best for areas prone to extreme heat or cold weather. In fact, some areas require temperature control for portable bathrooms placed on worksites.
• Bathroom attendants: Minimum wage. Bathroom attendants are used to monitor portable bathrooms and keep them in good shape. If interested, your local company can help you find qualified attendants.

The extras don’t stop there! Ask local companies what amenities they offer, and decide for yourself what you’re willing to splurge on.

Porta Potty Rental Deposits

Many portable bathroom companies require an initial deposit in order to confirm your rental. If this is the case, be sure to ask exactly what it covers, and the possibility of losing your deposit.

For example, some companies refund your deposit after you pay your bill, while others keep it and deduct the money from your final bill. Or, the deposit might serve as insurance against cancellations or damage to their property. If you unexpectedly cancel, or if their units are damaged during your event, then they could keep the deposit as collateral.

It’s not always clear what your deposit represents, so be sure to ask questions before making a payment.

Porta Potty Damage Waivers

People tipping, damaging, and even completely destroying porta potties has been an issue in the industry for a long time. Do a quick search and you’ll find it’s happening regularly around the country:

• Broncos fan tips over porta potty with a Patriots fan inside
• Driver intentionally hits porta potty with vehicle
• Porta potty destroyed by explosive

Repairing and replacing damaged units can cost thousands of dollars, which is why companies like Mr. John created damage waiver programs. Damage insurance costs a fraction of the overall rental price, but is far less expensive than replacing entire units.

Our advice: You wouldn’t want to be stuck with a $700+ bill to replace a destroyed unit, so we recommend opting-in.

Late Fees

Just to be clear, you are not responsible for returning porta potties. Your rental company will swing by to pick them up on the agreed date.

We use the term “late fees” for any issues that might come up during pick up. The most common issues are:

• Staff can’t get the truck close enough to the units to pick them up, often the result of being blocked by other event materials.
• The units were improperly placed (e.g. stuck in mud) and can’t be retrieved.
• Nobody shows up to give the crew access to the property (yes, this happens).

The bottom line is that the company needs access to the area in order to pick up the units on time. If they can’t drive their truck right up to the units, then you can count on paying a late fee. Most late fees are the daily rate multiplied by the number of days. A $75 per day standard porta potty rental could cost you $150 or more for being two days late.

Emergency Delivery Fees

Portable bathrooms are a great solution for disaster relief areas and other unexpected situations. The problem is that these are unplanned situations, and require service with very short notice. When this happens, you will likely pay an expedited delivery fee.

Prices for 2-day delivery, or even overnight delivery, are almost always determined on a case-by-case basis. That’s because they depend on available inventory, delivery crews, and delivery distance. The earlier you request service, the better.

How to find Cheap Porta Potty Rentals

If there’s one piece of advice we can give first-time renters, it’s this:

Always compare quotes from a few competing porta potty rental companies in your area.

Every company has a system for how they price units. Company “A” might offer the cheapest rates, but jack up prices for cleaning and delivery. Company “B” might have the most expensive rates, but include cleanings and other services at no extra cost. The lesson is that it’s impossible to find the cheapest porta potty rental without requesting a few quotes. Only then can you make an informed decision.

Ready to compare prices? Head over to our porta potty directory page to compare local porta potty rentals in your area.