High-rise site: what if service elevator is down on pump day?
We have 40 guys on a high-rise job in Phoenix, 18 floors up. The GC put two standard units and one ADA-compliant unit in a service elevator lobby.…
2answers
5views
Deb K. replied
Questions tagged “Construction”
46 questions across all categories.
46 questions
Handwash station next to our crew's porta potty froze solid two mornings in a row. What do people do in winter? ✓ Solved
Deb is right about the antifreeze, but she didn't mention that the rental company's driver adds it during the service visit, not at delivery. The…
2answers
19views
Ray M. replied
OSHA 1926.51: 95 workers, how many toilets and urinals?
OSHA 1926.51(c) requires one toilet seat and one urinal per 40 workers for crews of 20 to 199. For 95 workers, you need three toilet seats and three…
1answer
9views
Deb K. replied
Painter dumped a bucket of brush rinse water and drywall mud into our job site porta potty. Will the pump truck refuse it? ✓ Solved
Owen is right about the refusal, but I'll tell you what the driver actually checks for. The driver will dip a sample from the tank before pumping.…
2answers
19views
Deb K. replied
2026: Are enzyme-based deodorizers as effective as chemical biocides for construction site units?
Our company is looking at switching to enzyme-based deodorizers for our construction site units. We run about 200 standard portable toilets on…
2answers
21views
Deb K. replied
2026: Best deodorizer for high-ammonia construction site waste?
Running a fleet in North Texas, I deal with construction sites that cook portable toilets in the sun and generate high-ammonia waste from worker…
2answers
8views
Deb K. replied
Snow plow on our parking lot job is going to bury the porta potty this winter. Where should it sit before the snow starts? ✓ Solved
Place the standard unit and handwash station on a curbed island where the plow can't reach it. That keeps them clear of snow piles and blade strikes.…
2answers
16views
Marcus B. replied
50-person crew, all men: can we use urinals only?
I run a 50-person residential construction crew, all men, on a six-month project. We have a tight city lot, and I am trying to save space. I am…
1answer
27views
Brad L. replied
Framing three spec houses on side by side lots: one porta potty per lot or can the crews share? ✓ Solved
OSHA considers this one site because the lots are adjacent and the same crew works all three. The OSHA construction sanitation standard, 29 CFR…
2answers
25views
Marcus B. replied
Solar farm install spread over 60 acres: cluster units at the laydown yard or scatter them down the rows? ✓ Solved
Scatter units along the access roads. OSHA 1926.51 requires at least two units (one toilet and one urinal) for your crew of 40, but on a 60-acre…
2answers
24views
Marcus B. replied
One of my framers dropped his phone down the jobsite porta potty. Will the service driver fish it out, or is it gone? ✓ Solved
The route driver will not fish out the phone. The vacuum hose on a vacuum truck is designed to pump liquid waste only, and operators have a strict…
2answers
22views
Hector V. replied
Porta potty for a 6-month garage build: weekly or bi-weekly service?
We are about to start a six-month garage build on a level gravel driveway with easy truck access. The crew will be four people working full days,…
2answers
27views
Marcus B. replied
Mid-project layout change: will they relocate our porta potty, or is that a full pickup and redelivery? ✓ Solved
Most rental companies will treat an 80-foot move as a simple relocation, not a full pickup and redelivery, if the unit remains on the same site and…
2answers
26views
Kim S. replied
What's the main difference between a high-rise unit and a regular one besides the lift?
My GC just ordered a high-rise unit for the 12th floor of our project. I've handled plenty of standard units on the ground, but this is my first time…
2answers
29views
Ray M. replied
What's the worst weather you've serviced porta potties in?
I've been driving a vacuum truck for nine years, and the worst was a January morning after an ice storm. The construction site was a mud pit. I had…
3answers
37views
Sam O. replied
Water line crew moving about a mile a week: can we tow a trailer unit ourselves?
We're replacing a water line along a county road, crew of six, and the work face moves roughly a mile every week. Right now we have one standard unit…
2answers
26views
Marcus B. replied
What's the benefit of a portable urinal versus a standard unit for a men's crew?
We have a 20-man framing crew on a six-week residential build. The site is a flat, gravel lot with good truck access. We have two standard units. The…
1answer
33views
Ray M. replied
What's the most unusual place you've ever had to service a porta potty?
Nine years driving a vacuum truck, and I've seen it all. Last month, I had to service a standard unit perched on a half-finished bridge deck, 200…
3answers
48views
Luis A. replied
Saturday overtime for three weeks: do we add a weekend pump-out on top of Friday service? ✓ Solved
Yes, you add a Saturday pump-out. Two standard units on a Friday service schedule with 35 workers daily are already at the limit by Thursday, and a…
2answers
31views
Deb K. replied
Fence crew that changes job sites every few days: can we haul one porta potty around on our own trailer? ✓ Solved
A rental company will not allow you to move their standard portable toilet yourself. Moving the unit yourself voids the rental agreement and any…
2answers
39views
Marcus B. replied
High-rise unit servicing when the building elevator is broken.
We have a high-rise unit on the 15th floor of a commercial job. It's a standard unit, the kind with a 60-gallon holding tank. The elevator is…
2answers
40views
Brad L. replied
Stick-frame house through November: when should we winterize the porta potty on site? ✓ Solved
Ask for winterization as soon as overnight lows are hitting freezing a few nights a week, not after the first hard freeze. By the time you get a hard…
2answers
35views
Carl D. replied
Fence crew on a different yard every week: have the unit moved each job, or rent fresh each time? ✓ Solved
Marcus is right on the routing, but the driver needs you to confirm the new site has truck access and level ground ready before they roll. A four-man…
2answers
39views
Ray M. replied
City right-of-way permit: 2026 requirements for placing a porta potty on a sidewalk?
Our construction crew of 15 needs a portable toilet for eight weeks while we renovate a storefront. There's zero space on the property, so the only…
2answers
41views
Marcus B. replied
Residential remodel crew of about 20: sanitizer on the unit enough, or add a handwash station? ✓ Solved
Add the handwash station. Sanitizer on the unit is not enough for a remodel crew around 20.
2answers
68views
Tyler R. replied