Guide ·
Where to Put a Porta Potty: A Placement Checklist
Most delivery problems start with the spot. Use this checklist before the truck arrives and your unit goes in the right place the first time.
What does the ground need to be like?
A porta potty needs level, firm ground: a driveway, a gravel pad, packed dirt or short, dry grass. A unit on a slope rocks and drains badly. A unit on soft spring lawn can sink and tip. If the ground is soft, set the unit on the driveway and walk the extra steps.
How close can the truck get?
The delivery truck needs to park on a firm surface within about 25 feet of the spot, with a lane about 10 feet wide and nothing lower than 12 feet overhead. Low wires, branches and tight gates are the most common reasons a unit ends up somewhere other than where you wanted it.
- Gate at least 4 feet wide for a standard unit
- Gate at least 6 feet wide for an accessible unit
- No septic tank lid or leach field under the truck path
- Gate code or unlocked gate on delivery and service days
How far from food and seating?
Place porta potties 50 to 100 feet from food and seating at events, downwind if you can. Close enough to find, far enough that nobody eats beside the doors. At job sites, put units near the main entry but out of the way of deliveries and equipment.
What about privacy and neighbors?
Face the door toward your own house or event, not the street or a neighbor’s window. Keep units off the property line. In summer, shade cuts odor, so a spot on the north or east side of a building works better than open afternoon sun.