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Construction Site Restrooms
Construction site restrooms cost $125 to $325 a month per unit with weekly service included. OSHA requires one facility for 20 or fewer workers, then one toilet seat and one urinal per 40 workers, and per 50 workers at 200 or more.
What does OSHA require?
This is federal law, not a supplier's opinion, and it is identical in all 50 states.
| Number of employees | Minimum number of facilities |
|---|---|
| 20 or fewer | One |
| 20 or more | One toilet seat and one urinal per 40 workers |
| 200 or more | One toilet seat and one urinal per 50 workers |
29 CFR 1926.51(c)(1)
One facility for 20 or fewer employees. One toilet seat and one urinal per 40 workers at 20 or more. One toilet seat and one urinal per 50 workers at 200 or more.
Federal, so the count is the same in every state.
2010 ADA Standards, section 213.2, Exception 4
Where multiple single user portable toilet or bathing units are clustered at a single location, no more than 5 percent of the toilet units and bathing units at each cluster shall be required to comply with 603.
In practice, at least one accessible unit wherever units are grouped.
Sources: 29 CFR 1926.51(c)(1) and (c)(2), OSHA. 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, sections 213.2 and 304.3.1, US Department of Justice.
What does it cost on a site?
| Unit | Per month | Service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $125 to $325 | Weekly, included | The default site unit |
| ADA accessible | $120 to $240 a week | Weekly, included | At least one per cluster |
| Handwashing station | $200 | Refilled each visit | Where 1910.141(d)(2) applies |
| Extra service visit | $30 to $220 | On request | Hot weather, full crews |
What goes wrong on sites?
The count is set once and never revisited. The table steps at 20 workers. A site compliant in week two is not in week six once the crew grows.
Service is cut to save money. 1926.51(c)(4)(v) requires facilities to be maintained in a sanitary condition. An unserviced unit is a citable condition.
Sanitizer replaces a sink. Where 29 CFR 1910.141(d)(2) applies it requires soap and towels, so a pump bottle on the door does not satisfy it.
High-rise and restricted sites
Narrow-profile units with a lifting frame can be craned floor to floor on multi-storey work, serviced in place or lowered for pump-out. Tell the operator the access situation before delivery day, not after.
Frequently asked questions
How many porta potties does a construction site need?
One facility for 20 or fewer employees, one toilet seat and one urinal per 40 workers at 20 or more, and one toilet seat and one urinal per 50 workers at 200 or more, under 29 CFR 1926.51(c)(1).
Does a small crew still need a toilet?
Yes. 29 CFR 1926.51(c)(2) states that under temporary field conditions, provisions shall be made to assure not less than one toilet facility is available. There is no exemption for a short or remote job.
How much does a site unit cost per month?
$125 to $325 a month per standard unit with weekly service included. That is the lowest cost per day of any rental term.
Do we need a handwashing station as well?
Where 29 CFR 1910.141(d)(2) applies, it requires soap and towels at a washing facility, so hand sanitizer alone will not meet it. Stations are about $200 a month.
What happens when the crew grows?
The obligation grows with it. Call and add units as headcount crosses the thresholds in the table; the count is measured against the crew actually on site.
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