Porta potties for special events- 5 mistakes to avoid while renting one

An essential part of the organization of any occasion is providing for its sanitary needs. You may have to hire porta potties for special events, especially if there are no stationary options available.

Many people make the mistake of thinking that they can just place orders, without any forethought. They believe they only need to consider their budget and the number of units to rent out.

However, little do they know that there’s much more involved in hiring porta potties for ANY event for that matter!

So if you are planning to rent one, here are some common mistakes worth avoiding.

1. Not ordering enough potties for your expected crowd

No matter how much you plan, most people try to cut costs at the end to stay within their budget. And one of the most popular places for cutting down on expenses is by ordering fewer portable restrooms than required.

However, depending on the event, it may be a costly mistake for you.

It’s because it’s generally better to have one portable restroom for every 100 guests. It’s especially true if people will be drinking alcohol, and if there are more women, where there’s an increased demand for restrooms.

You may end up with your guests leaving your event earlier than anticipated because of insufficient restrooms. Or they may consume less food or drinks because there’s no toilet around. All this leads to reduced business for you, which could have been avoided just by renting out more porta potties.

2. Wrong placement of restrooms

There’s no point in placing all the hired potties in a only a few spots. It may be okay for events like marathons where restrooms are in demand at the start and endpoints.

However, it’s a no-no for other activities.

In case of other events, it’s better to scatter restrooms throughout the event location. The best way to gauge the best placement spots is by thinking about the event layout, and the expected flow of people.

You can then place them in places with the most traffic. You can then scatter a few in places where people won’t gather much. It’s also worth putting a few portable potties at the exit, and parking lots.

3. Not hiring handwashing stations

Sometimes it’s worth renting out not just portable potties, but also mobile handwashing stations. It’s especially a necessity if your guests will be eating at the event.

Most people prefer eating food only if they can and do wash their hands after using a restroom. This is where handwashing stations with clean water, soap, and paper towels come in handy. Besides, they may make guests want to stay longer too.

4. Making last-minute reservations

There’s always a high demand for portable potties for special events, so never make last-minute reservations. Remember, mobile restroom providers have to be able to accommodate to your sanitation needs.

That’s why they recommend booking restrooms at least 4-8 weeks in advance of the event date to avoid hiccups. It gives them ample time to reserve your inventory, and the labor required to set up the event where needed. Besides, late bookings only invite extra fees which can put your budget off balance.

5. Hiring from multiple vendors

Don’t make the mistake of hiring porta potties from various vendors.

Yes, there are various possible reasons to consider hiring from various vendors. You may perhaps have taken too long to book, and the providers now don’t have enough restrooms.

Or you may find smaller companies offering a better quote. It makes you consider hiring from a few smaller companies, instead of renting from one single large provider. Or it may be that one vendor doesn’t have all the types of equipment you want.

No matter what the reason, hiring porta potties from various vendors may end up a logistical nightmare for you.

You have to schedule not one, but a few vendors’ pickups and drop-off times to get all the equipment sent in and out. There’s also the possibility of one of the vendors providing better equipment or service.

This only leads to an inconsistency in the restroom quality. You may also end up having guests use only the amazing and clean units, while the others remain unused, and a waste of money.

See? These five mistakes are pretty much straightforward and may occur to anyone. However, now that you know about them, you may as well avoid them while renting porta potties for special events.