Backyard ADU build: porta potty for 3 months. Service every 10 days ok?

Question

We're building a backyard ADU here in Portland, and the crew is just four people working weekdays for about three months. The rental company dropped off a standard portable toilet last week, and they set the service schedule for weekly visits. But honestly, the unit seems barely used after a week, it's just four guys, no overtime, and they're not eating or drinking on site. The porta potty is on level gravel about 15 feet from the driveway, so the vacuum truck has easy access. I'm wondering if we could save a bit by stretching the service to every 10 days instead of every 7. Has anyone done this with a small crew? Does it work, or does it get nasty by day 9?

Toni S. · Answer

Every 10 days can work for four weekday-only guys if the tank stays low and nobody dumps lunch trash in it. OSHA 1926.51 requires toilet facilities on construction jobs, but it does not set a fixed pump interval like weekly. That cadence is a rental contract choice, not a federal floor.

On our small ADU and garage jobs with three or four framers, we stretched past seven days in cool weather when the tank looked barely used. What goes wrong by day 9 is usually paper running out, sanitizer empty, and a sour tank once urine sits long enough without a fresh charge. Warm weeks get nastier faster than a Portland November.

Ask for a mid-cycle check before you lock in 10 days. Have the driver look at the tank level and top off the deodorizer once. Keep paper and sanitizer stocked yourself between pumps. If anyone starts weekend overtime or you add laborers, go back to weekly. Level gravel and clear driveway access already help, so the [vacuum truck](https://portapotty.forum/glossary/vacuum-truck/) can still hit the [standard unit](https://portapotty.forum/glossary/standard-unit/) without drama.

Backyard ADU build: porta potty for 3 months. Service every 10 days ok?

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