How Many Restrooms Does a Film Set Need?
Crew size drives the count, same as any jobsite. OSHA 1926.51(c) sets the baseline at one toilet facility for 20 workers or fewer, then one toilet seat and one urinal per 40 workers once you pass that mark. A small Beaverton commercial shoot with 15 crew fits one standard portable toilet plus a handwashing station. A feature shoot with 60 to 80 people, background talent included, usually needs a 4 stall restroom trailer or two, split between crew and cast. Producers who want privacy for department heads often add a luxury restroom trailer near base camp and keep standard units staged closer to set. Use our how many porta potties do I need guide to run the math before the location scout locks the lot. If the production runs on generator power for lighting and camera village, coordinate that with your portable generator rental film plan early, since restroom trailers with climate control and pump systems draw off the same circuits as sound and video village. A temporary power pole can carry the load if the location lacks a house tie-in, and a light tower rental covers night exteriors on the same power plan.
What Restroom Options Work Best for a Production Base Camp?
Base camp restrooms need to look clean on approach and run quiet enough not to bleed into a boom mic near set. A deluxe flushable porta potty runs $85 to $1,200 a day and gives cast a flush toilet and sink without the footprint of a full trailer. For multi-day shoots, the 2 stall restroom trailer rents by the week for $150 to $1,650 and works well tucked behind a honeywagon. Larger union productions with 100-plus crew often step up to an 8 stall restroom trailer, and weekend rates for trailers of that size run $900 to $3,000 depending on finish level. Every accessible unit setup should follow ADA Standards 213.2, which requires at least 5 percent of clustered single-user units to be accessible, never fewer than one, and the unit itself needs a 60 inch turning circle inside per ADA Standards 304.3.1. If the shoot includes a shower trailer for stunt or effects work, a shower trailer rental pairs with the restroom trailer on the same delivery. Crews doing paint, weathering effects, or set dressing with solvents trigger washing facility requirements under OSHA 1926.51(f)(1), which applies specifically to work involving paints, coatings, herbicides or insecticides, so a dedicated portable sink rental near the paint department covers that obligation directly.
| unit | duration | low | typical | high |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| standard | day | 100 | 150 | 350 |
| deluxe | day | 85 | 300 | 1200 |
| trailer | day | 175 | 800 | 2500 |
| trailer | weekend | 900 | 2000 | 3000 |
| trailer | week | 150 | 1397 | 1650 |
Where Can Restrooms Be Placed on a Beaverton Location Shoot?
Placement in the public right of way needs confirming with the city of Beaverton before delivery day, since our crew doesn't hold city permit data on file. On private lots and closed sets that's not a factor, but street-adjacent locations and downtown blocks often require a location manager to pull clearance first. Our porta potty placement guide covers ground clearance, cable runs, and keeping units off marked accessible routes, which under ADA Standards 403.5.1 need at least 36 inches of clear width. A roll-off delivery for set strike or construction debris needs about 60 feet of straight clearance behind the truck, so scout that access before locking a location near tight alleys. Productions shooting in Cedar Hills, 2.3 miles north of central Beaverton, or out toward West Slope, 3.0 miles northeast, get the same delivery window as jobs inside city limits. If your shoot moves between locations across a shoot week, check our service areas page, which also covers Tigard, 6.1 miles southeast, and Marlene Village, 3.6 miles north, for second-unit days. Wrap sanitation and set dressing debris into a construction dumpster rental or a 10 yard dumpster rental if the build crew leaves scrap behind, since OSHA 1926.25 requires cleared work areas regardless of production schedule.
How far in advance should I book restrooms for a shoot day?
Book at least a week out for single-day shoots and two to three weeks for multi-day builds needing a restroom trailer. Prep days for lighting and power often run longer than shoot days, so lock delivery once the location agreement is signed, not after.
Do restroom trailers need their own power hookup?
Trailers with climate control and pump systems need dedicated power, usually pulled from the same generator serving camera and sound village. Confirm amperage with the trailer vendor before pairing it with lighting load on one circuit.
Can I rent restrooms just for cast, separate from crew?
Yes. Many productions rent a deluxe flushable porta potty or small trailer near base camp for cast and keep standard units staged near set for crew, background, and grip and electric departments.
What happens if a shoot runs past the rental period?
Call ahead of wrap. Extending a day rental into a weekend often costs less than booking a new delivery, and our portable restroom rental team can adjust the pickup date same day in most cases.
Do I need an accessible unit for a small crew?
If units are clustered anywhere on set, ADA Standards 213.2 requires at least one accessible unit regardless of total crew size. Request it when you book so it arrives with the rest of the order.
Next step
Get a delivery date
Tell us the address, the dates and the headcount. We size the order and confirm the route.