Standard porta potty
$125 to $250 a weekend
Do porta potties smell if they're serviced on time?
No. A standard unit carries a 60 to 70 gallon holding tank, and smell control depends on that tank not sitting full for days past its service date. The chemical inside breaks down waste and masks odor between visits, but chemistry only holds so long. If a Memphis event runs three days straight, or a job site pushes twenty workers through one standard porta potty rental, the tank fills faster than the weekly default assumes. That is why we ask about headcount before we quote a porta potty rental in Memphis, not after the first complaint call. Undersized service intervals are the single biggest cause of odor complaints we hear about, more than unit age or placement.
What makes a porta potty smell worse?
Heat, sun and low airflow. A unit parked in full sun near the Mississippi River bottoms in July will smell sooner than the same unit in shade, even on an identical service schedule. Placement matters as much as pickup frequency. Our porta potty placement guide covers ground stability and clearance, and it also affects odor, since a unit tucked against a wall with no cross breeze traps smell that a more open spot would carry off. Overuse relative to tank size is the other driver: a standard porta potty rental sized for ten users a day will smell fast at thirty. For events or crews above that range, a deluxe flushable porta potty or a restroom trailer rental handles volume with less odor buildup, since flushable units flush waste out of the bowl area instead of letting it sit exposed.
Can I do anything to reduce the smell myself?
You can, some. Keep the door closed when not in use, since airflow through an open door dries out the deodorizer film faster. Do not add household cleaners into the tank; they can interfere with the chemical breakdown that suppresses odor. If you are running a construction site services setup in Memphis with more than 20 workers, OSHA 1926.51(c) sets toilet ratios by crew size, and staying inside that ratio is the most reliable way to keep any one unit from being overloaded between services. For jobs with painting, coatings or pesticide work, OSHA 1926.51(f)(1) requires washing facilities for those contaminant exposures specifically, and a handwashing station rental or portable sink rental pairs with the toilet order to cover that requirement. 29 CFR 1910.141(d)(2) also requires soap and towels or a hand-drying device at washing stations, not sanitizer alone.
When should I upgrade to a nicer unit to cut down on smell?
Upgrade when daily headcount climbs past what a standard tank handles, or when the rental runs longer than a weekend without a mid-week service. A deluxe flushable porta potty runs 85 to 1200 dollars a day depending on features, against 100 to 350 dollars a day for a standard unit. Weddings, festivals and golf tournaments in Memphis tend to book deluxe units or restroom trailers for exactly this reason: guests notice smell faster than a construction crew does. Below is how the standard options compare by rental length.
| unit | day | week | month |
|---|---|---|---|
| standard | 100 to 350 | 130 to 500 | 125 to 325 |
| deluxe | 85 to 1200 | 150 to 290 | not offered |
| ADA | 200 to 400 | 120 to 240 | not offered |
For a wedding or festival, see event restroom rental, wedding restroom rental, or festival restroom rental for setups sized to guest count rather than crew count. A 4 stall restroom trailer or 8 stall restroom trailer spreads load across more fixtures, which keeps any single tank from filling as fast and cuts smell risk over a multi-day booking.
Cost breakdowns for longer rentals are on our porta potty rental cost, porta potty rental per day, and monthly porta potty rental pages, and our how many porta potties do I need guide walks through sizing by headcount, which is the number that predicts odor risk better than any other single factor. For sites near Memphis, we run the same schedules out to Germantown, 11.4 miles east, and Southaven, 12.6 miles south, without a change in service interval.
Does a new porta potty smell right out of the gate?
No, a fresh unit has no odor at delivery. Smell builds only after use starts filling the tank. First-time renters in Memphis are sometimes surprised a brand-new unit smells like nothing at all on drop-off day, which is normal and expected.
Do porta potties smell more in summer?
Yes, heat speeds up the breakdown process and makes odor more noticeable. See porta potty in winter for how cold weather affects units the opposite way, slowing both odor and service needs.
Will an ADA unit smell different from a standard one?
No. ADA units use the same tank and chemical system as a standard model; only the interior size and door width change. Our ADA accessible porta potty page covers the layout differences, guided by ADA Standards 213.2 on accessible unit ratios.
Can I request extra servicing if a unit smells between visits?
Yes. Call and we will send a truck out. This is common on high-traffic Memphis job sites and multi-day events where usage outpaces the default weekly interval.
Do restroom trailers smell less than standard porta potties?
Generally yes, since trailers flush and often include separate holding for gray water. Check restroom trailer rental and luxury restroom trailer for options sized to your guest count.
What we rent
Four units cover almost every job
Typical Memphis ranges, not a quote. Delivery is $50 to $150 and a weekly service visit $30 to $60. See the full cost breakdown.
Deluxe flushing
$200 to $350 a weekend
ADA accessible
$199 to $300 a weekend
Restroom trailer
Quoted by stall count
The rest of the yard
One mobilisation, not three
Roll off dumpsters10, 20, 30 and 40 yardTemporary fencingPanels 6 feet by 12 feetStorage containers20 foot and 40 footHandwashing stationsSinks and sanitiser standsSeptic and grease trapsPumping, cleaning, emergenciesSite power and lightLight towers, temporary poles
We deliver across Shelby County and the surrounding metro:
Next step
Get a delivery date
Tell us the address, the dates and the headcount. We size the order and confirm the route.