Cal/OSHA toilet requirements for construction sites: the checklist

Toilets: 8 CCR §1526

The rule, in plain language:

• 1 toilet per 20 employees or fraction thereof, separately for each sex. 21 male workers = 2 toilets.
• Where more than one toilet is required, up to half may be urinals — but you still need at least one toilet.
• Sites with fewer than 5 employees may use one toilet that locks from the inside and is usable by one person at a time.
• Toilets must be private, ventilated, screened from view, and kept sanitary.
• Mobile crews (road work, utilities) must have transportation readily available to nearby facilities if units can't be placed on site.

Handwashing: 8 CCR §1527

Washing facilities are a separate requirement that gets missed constantly:

• 1 washing station per 20 employees, located near the toilets.
• Must have water, soap and single-use towels or an air dryer. A hand-sanitizer pump inside the toilet does not satisfy this.
• Crews under 5 may use the sink inside a deluxe flushing unit.
• Food-handling and lead/asbestos work require additional wash facilities under their own standards.

Sizing table

For a typical mixed crew (round up; each sex counted separately). The calculator on our construction page applies these automatically.

• 1–4 workers: 1 standard unit (lockable) + 1 handwash (or a deluxe unit with sink)
• 5–20 workers: 1 standard + 1 women's designated + 1 handwash — our compliance pack
• 21–40 workers: 2 standard + 1 women's + 2 handwash
• 41–60 workers: 3 standard + 1–2 women's + 3 handwash
• 61–80 workers: 4 standard + 2 women's + 4 handwash
• Add a second weekly service once any unit serves more than ~10 people.

What 'sanitary' means to an inspector

Cal/OSHA doesn't set a service frequency in hours, but it does cite sites for units that are full, out of paper, or unusable. Inspectors look for:

• Tank not full; no overflow or odor that makes the unit unusable.
• Toilet paper stocked, door lock working, ventilation stack clear.
• Handwash station with water in the tank and soap in the dispenser.
• A service record. Our photo + GPS proof of each weekly visit is exactly this — print it from the portal if an inspector asks.

Other California rules that touch this

Three more items to keep off the citation list:

• AB 521: a designated women's/nonbinary single-user toilet on construction sites — see our AB 521 guide.
• Heat illness (§3395): drinking water near the work area, which raises restroom use — size up in summer.
• ADA: worker-only construction toilets are exempt from the 5% accessible rule (ADA Standards §203.2), but any unit the public can reach is not.

Frequently asked