Where to put the porta potty on a tight urban job site with no lot space

Tyler is right about the sidewalk being the better option for weekly service, but he left out the permit process timeline. In Chicago, the right-of-way permit for a sidewalk placement requires a site diagram and can take weeks to approve. You need to submit that application before the fence goes up. For a crew of 45, OSHA 1926.51 requires more than one toilet, so you are correct to plan for multiple units. The ADA-compliant portable toilet is a must for the cluster. A crane lift for upper floors is common on high-rise jobs, but the rental company usually requires a separate lift fee and a clear plan for servicing those units, which often involves a long hose run from the street-level pump truck.

Sidewalk placement with a city right-of-way permit is the better option when the vacuum truck cannot reach the courtyard.

On tight downtown builds we keep the toilet bank at the curb so each service visit is a short hose pull from the street. A long drag through the gate and across a busy deck every week slows the driver and raises the odds of a partial pump. Inside the fence only works if the hose can still reach the tanks without climbing over materials or blocking the crane path.

For a crew of 45 you already need more than one toilet under OSHA 1926.51, plus the ADA-compliant portable toilet the accessibility rules call for. Keep that street-level bank easy to service even if you later crane a couple of standard units onto upper floors for worker travel time. Floor units are common on high-rises. Drivers service them with hose runs up the building or by crane swap, not by rolling a truck into a courtyard the vacuum cannot enter.

Pull the right-of-way permit early, stake the pad clear of hydrants, and leave the sidewalk width the city inspects.