Porta Potty Rental for Fairs and Carnivals

How many porta potties does a fair or carnival need?

It depends on the crowd at any one time and how long people stay. The standard planning chart from the Portable Sanitation Association International gives these numbers of units (PSAI):

The chart assumes an even mix of men and women, no permanent restrooms on site and no pumping during the event. Adjust it for your fair:

• Beer or wine garden. PSAI says to add 10 to 20% more units when alcohol is served. San Bernardino County's health department, which publishes the same chart, says to add 40% (San Bernardino County). Plan toward the higher figure if drinking is a main attraction.
• Hot weather and food. People drink more and use the restrooms more. PSAI also recommends more units for crowds with more women than men.
• Existing restrooms. If the school, church or park has working restrooms the public can use, you can order fewer units.
• Multi-day events. The chart does not cover overnight. Units need pumping and restocking between days.

Use our porta potty calculator for a count based on your crowd, hours and alcohol service.

How many accessible units do I need?

At least one in every group of portable toilets. The California Building Code requires that 5% of the units in each cluster, and never fewer than one, be accessible, and that they carry the International Symbol of Accessibility. (CBC §11B-213.2)

Some cities ask for more. Murrieta and Lake Elsinore ask for 10% accessible units on their event applications, and Murrieta requires that a unit placed on its own be accessible. Accessible units need level ground and a firm path a wheelchair can use, so they belong at the front of each group and not at the far end of a gravel lot.

Where should portable toilets go at a fair?

• Several smaller groups beat one long row. Put a group near the food court, one near the rides or midway and one near the stage or beer garden.
• Away from food, but not far. Close enough to find, downwind of where people eat.
• A hand-wash station at every group, and extra stations near food vendors and any petting zoo or animal area.
• Clear truck access. On a multi-day fair we need to reach every unit to service it, usually before opening. Do not let vendor booths box the units in.
• Lit after dark. If the fair runs into the evening, put units under existing lighting or add a light tower.
• Staff units behind the scenes. Ride operators and vendors work long shifts. A unit or two in the back-of-house area keeps them out of the public line.
• Shown on your site plan. City event applications ask for the toilet locations on the site map.

Do I need a permit for a fair or carnival?

Yes, in almost every case. Fairs and carnivals fall under each city's special event or temporary use permit, and the lead times are long. Portable toilets are part of the application, not a separate permit.

Food vendors need their own permits from Riverside County Environmental Health, and alcohol needs a state ABC license. See our porta potty permit guide for links to each city's form.

When you fill in the application, we can give you our company name and contact details, the number and type of units, and the delivery, service and pickup times.

How does service work during the event?

One-day fairs. We deliver the day before or the morning of your event and pick up afterward or the next day, depending on the schedule. If you size the order from the chart above, the units should last the day without pumping.

Multi-day fairs and carnivals. Units are pumped, cleaned and restocked between days, before gates open. Murrieta's application requires daily service for multi-day events, and it is the right standard anywhere.

Large events. On-site attendants are available for large events. Ask when you book.

What does it cost?

Pricing for a fair depends on the number and type of units, how many days you run and how many service visits you need. Event rentals start at $189 per unit. Send us your dates, expected attendance and location and we will quote the full amount, including delivery, service and pickup.

Who rents from us for fairs and carnivals?

• School carnivals and PTA fundraisers. Campus restrooms are rarely enough for a full fall festival or spring carnival crowd.
• Church festivals and fiestas. Often multi-day, usually with food, sometimes with a beer garden.
• Travelling carnivals. Operators setting up in a shopping-center or fairground lot need public units plus staff units.
• Community fairs and street fairs. City-permitted events with accessible unit requirements and a site plan.
• Harvest festivals and pumpkin patches. Weeks-long seasonal events on open ground, where weekly or twice-weekly service matters more than a single-day count.

Planning something different? See community events, festivals and concerts or church and school events.

Need trash and fencing as well?

Fairs produce a lot of trash and often need a perimeter. Roll-off dumpsters are available through our sister company, Victory Dumpsters, and we arrange temporary fence panels through our partners. You can ask for all three on one quote. Some cities have rules about which company can haul event trash, so check your permit application first.

Fair and carnival FAQ

How far ahead should I book? Book a week or more ahead when you can. Spring and fall weekends fill first. We take short-notice orders whenever units are available.

Can units go on grass or dirt? Yes, if the ground is firm, level and reachable by our truck. Avoid low spots that turn to mud.

Do I need hand-wash stations? For any event with food, yes. Our units do not have hand sanitizer dispensers, so we recommend adding hand-wash stations. Plan a station at each group of toilets and near food service.

Can you deliver to a school or church parking lot? Yes. Tell us about gate hours and where you want the units so we can time delivery and pickup around your schedule.

Which areas do you cover? The Temecula Valley and western Riverside County, including Temecula, Murrieta, Menifee, Lake Elsinore, Perris and Hemet. See all service areas.

Get a quote for your fair or carnival

Call (951) 517-3600 or send the form below with your date, location, expected attendance and hours. We will reply with a recommended unit count and a full price.