Restroom Rental Q&A

We would like to thank Mr. Ray Luden, area business manager with PolyJohn Enterprises, for taking some time out from his busy schedule to sit down with us for a brief interview about the portable restroom industry.

Mr. Luden has been in the industry for over 28 years, 20 of which were in the portable restroom service provider capacity.

PRC: What type of portable toilet should I rent?

RL: Well, every rental situation is different. It depends on what you want to accomplish with your rental, and your budget.

For example, let’s say you’re having a graduation open house for 50 to 100 people, and you simply want to keep them out of the house. In that case, all you would need is a basic rental unit for a short term.

PRC: What if I want something a little nicer than a typical rental unit?

RL: In that case you might consider renting a unit that has a concealed waste tank and options like fresh water flushing, wash basin, mirrors and lighting.

If you’re having a wedding, and you’re having a caterer serve a nice, sit down meal, you might even consider renting a luxury trailer. There are some really luxury trailers out there now that, if you went in blindfolded, you would never realize weren’t a room inside someone’s house or restaurant.

PRC: So, if I understand you correctly, there are three of more “levels” of portable restroom unit to choose from?

RL: What you want to do when renting is consider who your guests are and what they’re doing at your function, and then choose a rental unit, or units, that caters to the needs of your guests and fits the occasion.

PRC: What is short-term versus long-term, and how much might I reasonably expect to pay for a low, medium and high range rental?

RL: When we say “short term” we are talking about a Friday drop off, and a Monday or Tuesday pick-up.

A basic unit will probably be around $ 100 for a weekend. While there are some service providers out there that will charge less than that, in most cases their reason for doing so isn’t something you want to experience.

A medium unit with a concealed waste tank and fresh water flush will be between $ 185.00 and $ 300.00, depending upon your specific geography, and what season you’re renting in.

An entry level, luxury trailer will be about $ 125.00 per linear foot, so if it is a 16′ trailer, it would be about $ 2,000.00.

PRC: What else should I consider before determining what type of unit to rent?

RL: I would recommend having potential service providers visit the rental location ahead of time whenever possible. That gives you an opportunity to express what you want, and where you want it. It also gives the service provider an invaluable opportunity to make sure that there is a suitable area to install the units, and to see how best to get the units on location without having to back a trailer over the lawn, a bush or your roses.

Essentially, anyone planning a function would be wise to work closely with their portable restroom service provider, just as they would the tent and table rental company, caterer or entertainer. You want the restrooms to be in first, and out last, so that everyone else involved in the function has suitable facilities to use during the course of the event.

PRC: How should I go about comparing or negotiating rental prices with potential service providers?

RL: I recommend getting at least three quotes, if not five. If you get three, you can throw out the highest and lowest bidders. If you get five, you can do the same thing and work with the three companies remaining. It might seem like more work, but the fact is that more often than not, the company in the middle of the price range will be your best bet.

Our thanks to Ray Luden for this helpful information. We appreciate that he shared his time and expertise with us, to help us take some of the questions and unknowns out of the process of renting a portable restroom.

For more information from a local portable restroom vendor near you, please use PortableRestroomConnection.com - Just enter your US zip code to get started, and our nearby vendors will contact you promptly with competitive quotes, helpful information and a several options for making your event run smoothly.