Standard porta potty
$125 to $250 a weekend
How Do Porta Potties Work?
The design is simple on purpose. Waste drops into a holding tank built into the base, and a blue or green chemical breaks down solids and controls odor between visits. There's no water line and no sewer connection, which is why you see portable toilet rental units on job sites, farms and festival grounds all over Memphis where plumbing isn't an option. A standard unit runs about 44 by 48 inches on the ground and stands roughly 92 inches tall, small enough to fit on a trailer, tight enough to tuck against a fence line without eating up space. Service crews follow the ANSI/PSAI Z4.3 baseline of one visit per week for up to 10 users across a 40 hour week, though busy sites often need more. If you're planning a construction site services setup, the toilet count usually follows OSHA 1926.51(c)(1): one unit for 20 workers or fewer, then a toilet seat and urinal per 40 workers above that, scaling again at 200 workers. That's also why you'll spot a construction worker jogging across a lot toward the units at break time. They don't have far to go if placement was done right, which we cover in the porta potty placement guide.
How Does a Portable Sink Work?
A portable sink runs on a self-contained fresh water tank, a foot pump or hand pump to move water through the faucet, and a gray water tank underneath to catch runoff. Nothing hooks into a building. Fill the fresh tank, and you've got running water anywhere a job site needs it. This matters under 29 CFR 1910.141(d)(2), which requires soap and towels or a hand-drying device at washing stations. Hand sanitizer alone doesn't satisfy that rule. For crews applying paint, coatings, herbicides or insecticides, OSHA 1926.51(f)(1) requires washing facilities on-site because of the contaminants involved. Farm operations around Memphis fall under a different standard: OSHA 1928.110 requires field sanitation with potable water, toilets and handwashing within a quarter mile walk for hand-labor employees. Pair a handwashing station rental with your toilets and you cover both angles. Some crews rent a dedicated portable sink rental unit instead of relying on the small sink built into deluxe units. Either way, check the handwashing requirements page before you finalize a site plan, especially for farm and agricultural restrooms work.
How Do Flushable Porta Potties Work?
A flushable unit uses a small onboard freshwater tank and a foot pump or hand pump to push a measured rinse into the bowl after each use, unlike a standard unit that has no flush at all. The waste still goes into a holding tank below, so there's still no sewer hookup, but the experience feels closer to a real bathroom. That's the deluxe flushable porta potty option, and it's what most weddings, corporate events and country club functions around Memphis ask for. Restroom trailers take the concept further, with multiple flushing stalls, sinks with running water and sometimes climate control. A restroom trailer rental makes sense for events over a weekend, while a single deluxe unit covers a smaller gathering. If you're comparing which fits your event, the 2 stall restroom trailer and 4 stall restroom trailer pages break down capacity by guest count. Accessible units matter here too: ADA Standards section 213.2 requires at least 5 percent of clustered single-user units to be accessible, and never fewer than one, so an ADA accessible porta potty belongs in the mix for any public event.
Do Camping Porta Potties Work the Same Way?
Camping units work on the same self-contained principle, just smaller, and the same chemical-and-tank system applies whether you're at a campground outside Memphis or on a construction lot downtown. A camping porta potty still needs the tank pumped once it fills, same as a standard unit on a job site. Septic tank cleaning chemicals matter here too: the chemical in the tank isn't the same product used in a home septic tank, and mixing products or using strong drain chemicals upstream can interfere with a system's bacteria balance. If you're maintaining a home septic tank rather than a rental unit, a residential tank typically needs pumping every 3 to 5 years, depending on tank size and household size, per septic pumping service guidance. Grease interceptors follow a different rule entirely: they get pumped once fats, oils, grease and solids reach 25 percent of the liquid depth, which is why restaurants schedule grease trap pumping on its own calendar. For questions on septic-side chemical use, septic tank cleaning covers what's safe to add and what to avoid.
Frequently Asked Questions
What chemical do porta potties use?
A blue or green deodorizing chemical breaks down waste and masks odor between service visits. It's formulated for portable toilets specifically, not the same as septic tank cleaning chemicals used in home systems. Memphis Porta Pros stocks and refills it on every service run, so you never have to buy or handle it yourself.
How often do porta potties get serviced?
The ANSI/PSAI Z4.3 baseline is one visit per week for up to 10 users over a 40 hour week. High-traffic construction sites or multi-day events typically need service more often. Check how often are porta potties cleaned for a breakdown by use case.
How many porta potties does a job site need?
OSHA 1926.51(c)(1) sets the baseline: one unit for 20 workers or fewer, scaling up from there. Crew size, shift length and site layout all affect the real number. The how many porta potties do i need guide walks through the math for your site.
What's the difference between a standard and deluxe unit?
A standard unit has no flush and no sink, just a holding tank and chemical. A deluxe unit adds a foot-pump flush and often a small sink. Compare both on the standard porta potty rental and deluxe flushable porta potty pages before booking.
Do I need a permit to place a porta potty in Memphis?
Placement in the public right of way needs confirming with the city before delivery. Property line placement usually doesn't require anything extra. See porta potty permit requirements for what to check before your rental date.
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:
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