How much does portable bathroom rental cost?

Short answer

"Portable bathroom" is what most people type into Google; the industry calls the same unit a porta potty, portable toilet or portable restroom. Whatever name you use, the Bay Area price depends on two things: the type of unit and how long you keep it. Our prices are published and all-in.

"All-in" means the number in the table is the number on the invoice when your site is within 25 miles of our Hayward yard. That zone covers Oakland, Fremont, Berkeley, Palo Alto, Redwood City and 13 other cities. The pricing page lists every product and add-on.

Portable bathroom vs. porta potty vs. restroom trailer: what people mean

The three names describe three price classes, and using the right one saves a wasted quote. A "portable bathroom" is a $189 single unit about 95% of the time; a "bathroom trailer" is a $2,495-and-up restroom trailer every time.

Three rules of thumb from our quote desk:

• Someone asking for a "portable washroom" almost always wants a standard unit plus a hand washing station ($99 for an event), not a trailer.
• "Portable bathroom for a wedding" means a trailer about half the time. Guest count decides: under 150 guests a 2-stall trailer, 150–300 a 4-stall, 300–600 an 8-stall. The restroom trailer hub compares all five.
• "Portable bathroom for my backyard" is a standard unit. The luxury flushing version costs $100 more and most hosts take it once they hear the word "sink".

How much does a portable bathroom cost per month?

A standard portable bathroom costs $189 per 28-day cycle, and that figure already includes one service visit every week. On a construction site the monthly rate is the only rate that makes sense, because anything longer than 3 days is billed on the 28-day cycle.

Each weekly visit pumps the 70-gallon tank, washes and disinfects the interior, recharges the deodorizer, restocks paper and sanitizer and sends a photo with GPS and timestamp to the site contact. There is no separate "service fee" line on the invoice; it is the $189.

Cal/OSHA 8 CCR §1526 requires one toilet per 20 employees of each sex, and §1527 requires one washing facility per 20 employees with soap and single-use towels. The construction page walks through the counts for mixed crews and high-rise sites, and quotes the regulation text.

For comparison, Bay Area market rates for a standard construction unit run $150–$230 per month, with San Francisco about 30% above the national average, and delivery is often quoted separately at $3–$4 per mile. Approved contractors get Net-30 terms with one consolidated invoice.

Get your all-in portable bathroom price in 30 seconds: Instant price · or call (650) 977-2883.

How much to rent a portable bathroom for a weekend or a one-day event?

A standard portable bathroom costs $195 per event, and the event rate covers up to 3 days on site, so a Saturday party can take delivery Friday and pickup Monday for the same price. A one-day rental is not cheaper because the cost is the two truck trips, not the days in between.

Sizing is simple arithmetic. Plan on 1 unit per 50 guests for a 4-hour event, add 20% if alcohol is served, and make 5% of the cluster (minimum 1) an accessible unit when the public is invited.

• 50 guests, 4 hours, no bar: 1 standard unit, $195.
• 100 guests, 4 hours, bar: 2.4 rounds up to 3 units; 2 standard + 1 ADA = $715. Add a hand washing station for $99 if food is served.
• 250 guests, 6 hours, bar: 7 units; 6 standard + 1 ADA = $1,495, or two luxury flushing units swapped in for the head table at $100 more each.

Events longer than a day can add a mid-event pump-out at $125 per visit, and an attendant costs $45 per hour with a 4-hour minimum. Our events page has layouts for fairs, races and corporate picnics.

What is the portable washroom rental cost for a wedding?

A Bay Area wedding spends between $295 (one luxury flushing unit) and $4,695 (an 8-stall trailer for the weekend), and most 100–150 guest weddings land at $2,495 for a 2-stall luxury restroom trailer.

Two numbers change that figure. From May through October trailers carry a 15% peak-season surcharge, so the 2-stall trailer becomes $2,869 and the 4-stall $3,789. Trailers also need power: a site hookup or our 7 kW generator at $750 per event. Single units carry no peak surcharge and no power requirement.

The budget route works too. Three luxury flushing units ($885) plus one ADA unit ($325) and a hand washing station ($99) cover 150 guests for $1,309, and they fit on a hillside where a 12-foot trailer cannot park. The wedding sizing guide runs the numbers for 50 to 500 guests.

What fees are hidden in a portable bathroom quote?

In our quotes, none inside 25 miles of Hayward; the only extras are the ones you choose, and each is listed before payment. Elsewhere in the market, the common surprises are a separate delivery charge, an "environmental fee", fuel surcharges and a per-service charge on monthly rentals.

Sales tax is already inside every price in this guide. If a competitor's quote looks $40 lower, ask whether delivery, pickup, tax and weekly service are in it; the porta potty rental cost guide shows the typical line items side by side.

Bay Area specifics

Our trucks leave Hayward every morning, and distance is the only variable that moves the price between cities. The day, week and month pricing guide covers duration; this table covers geography.

Permits. No permit is needed on private property. On a public sidewalk or parking lane, San Francisco requires a Street Space permit from Public Works, which lists portable toilets explicitly and keeps half the sidewalk clear (6 feet on commercial streets, 4 feet minimum). Oakland requires an obstruction permit with 5 feet 6 inches of sidewalk kept clear, and San Jose an encroachment permit. Food events in most counties need an environmental health sanitation plan that lists toilets and handwashing.

Accessibility. The 2010 ADA Standards and California's CBC 11B-213 require 5% of a public portable toilet cluster (minimum 1) to be accessible; worker-only construction toilets are exempt under §203.2.

Disposal. Waste from East Bay routes goes to EBMUD Resource Recovery at 2020 Wake Ave in Oakland, and South Bay routes use the City of San Jose portable toilet hauler program. We are a registered chemical-toilet hauler and dispose only at permitted receiving facilities.

What to do next

Pick the unit from the first table, count your guests or crew, and enter your ZIP. The calculator applies the delivery rule, the Cal/OSHA ratios and the 5% ADA rule automatically, and you can book and pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or ACH, 24 hours a day.

Price your portable bathroom rental now: Instant price · or call (650) 977-2883, Mon–Sat 6 AM – 6 PM, in English, Spanish or Chinese.

Orders placed by 2 PM can be delivered the next day for $95. Every service visit comes with a photo, a GPS stamp and a timestamp sent to your phone, so you never have to wonder whether the truck came.