Standard porta potty
$125 to $250 a weekend
What Do Film Crews Need for On-Set Restrooms?
Production sanitation is really two jobs: keep talent and department heads comfortable, and keep base camp running without slowing the shoot. Most Memphis productions split the difference. Crew gets standard porta potty rental units near equipment trucks, while cast and key staff get a deluxe flushable porta potty or a small restroom trailer rental closer to base camp. A 2 stall restroom trailer handles a lean shoot day. Bigger union calls lean toward a 4 stall restroom trailer or 8 stall restroom trailer so lines don't eat into setup time between takes.
OSHA still applies on a film set the same way it applies on a construction site: 1926.51(c) sets toilet counts by crew size, one facility for 20 workers or fewer, scaling up from there. A location shoot pulling in 40 to 60 crew, grips, and background talent needs to hit that ratio or risk a stop-work note from a safety supervisor. We size the order off your call sheet, not guesswork, and we've placed units for shoots as close as Germantown, 11.4 miles east of downtown Memphis, and as far out as Collierville, 20.9 miles east. If your location falls anywhere between, drive time barely changes our delivery window.
Locations also ask about a portable generator rental film crews use to power lights, monitors and the honeywagon itself. We don't rent generators, but we coordinate delivery timing around your power vendor's schedule so restroom units land when the rest of base camp goes up, not before the access road is clear.
How Do Location Restrictions Affect Restroom Placement?
Memphis productions shoot in a lot of tight spots: alley backdrops, historic storefronts, private lots with narrow driveways. Placement has to respect the same accessible-route rules that apply anywhere else. ADA Standards 403.5.1 calls for a 36 inch clear path to any accessible unit, and ADA Standards 213.2 requires at least one accessible unit in any cluster of single-user toilets, never fewer than one no matter how small the cluster. We stock the ADA accessible porta potty unit for exactly this, and location managers should flag ADA needs before the day, not once the crew is already blocking shots.
Delivery trucks need room too. A roll-off dumpster rental or restroom trailer both need about 60 feet of straight clearance behind the truck to back in safely, which matters on Memphis sets tucked behind buildings or squeezed onto residential streets. If your location sits somewhere like Southaven, 12.6 miles south, or West Memphis, 14.6 miles west, across the river, we plan the route in advance so the truck isn't circling the block during a lunch break. Productions filming near Marion, 18.6 miles northwest, deal with similar tight-street logistics, and we scout those the same way.
Night shoots add another layer. If your unit sits in a low-light area, check placement against OSHA 1926.56(a) illumination guidance so cast and crew aren't feeling their way to the honeywagon in the dark. We can pair restroom placement with a light tower rental for exactly that reason, and it's a common add for overnight base camps.
Why Book Restroom Trailers Instead of Standard Units for a Shoot?
Standard units work fine for background crew and equipment areas, but talent trailers and production offices usually call for something closer to a real restroom. A luxury restroom trailer gives cast a private, climate-controlled space between takes, and it reads as a legitimate amenity on a rate card rather than a line item nobody wants to explain. Weekly trailer rentals run $150 to $1,650 in our measured range, well below the day-rate math on a multi-week feature. If the shoot only needs one big push, weekend trailer pricing sits closer to $900 to $3,000, and event-scale productions with a full base camp can land in the $2,499 to $3,899 band.
Handwashing matters just as much as toilet count. 29 CFR 1910.141(d)(2) requires soap and towels or a hand-drying device at any washing station, and hand sanitizer alone doesn't satisfy it. We pair every base camp order with a handwashing station rental or a portable sink rental so craft services and makeup trailers stay compliant without slowing anyone down. For multi-week shoots, a monthly porta potty rental quote usually beats booking week to week, and we can fold storage needs into the same order through a storage container rental for wardrobe, props or grip gear.
If your production needs perimeter control around a closed set, a temporary fence rental or crowd control barrier rental keeps bystanders back without a security detail standing at every corner. Most Memphis location managers bundle all of it into one delivery window, which is the fastest way to keep a base camp setup on schedule. Check general porta potty rental pricing before your first call sheet locks, so the budget line isn't a guess.
How far in advance should we book restrooms for a shoot?
Two to three weeks ahead is comfortable for most Memphis dates, especially if you need a specific trailer configuration. Tight turnarounds happen, but locking units early protects against a scheduling conflict with another production the same week.
Can restroom trailers run without a hookup at a remote location?
Yes. Most trailers we place run self-contained with onboard holding tanks, which is standard for location shoots without municipal water or sewer access nearby.
Do standard units need daily servicing during a multi-week shoot?
Not always daily. Servicing frequency depends on crew size and use, and we set a schedule based on your call sheet rather than a fixed interval that might not match actual demand.
What size restroom trailer fits a mid-size crew?
A 4 stall restroom trailer comfortably covers a 30 to 50 person crew day. Larger union calls or multi-department shoots often step up to an 8 stall restroom trailer to avoid line delays between takes.
Is generator power included with restroom trailer rentals?
No. We deliver and place the units, but power for lighting, monitors or a portable generator rental film crews bring in is handled by your production's power vendor on a separate schedule.
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.