Why a Checklist
Most of the problems we see on portable toilet rentals are not surprises — they are the same handful of items that customers forget to check before booking. The placement spot was on a slope. The driveway gate was 8 feet wide instead of 10. The HOA had a rule about driveway placement. The event venue needed an additional-insured COI. The construction crew grew from 5 to 12 people and the weekly service schedule was no longer enough.
None of those are hard to handle if you know to look for them. This checklist is built from the patterns we see across thousands of deliveries across San Diego County — from backyard remodels in Encinitas to multi-day festivals in Balboa Park. Run through it before you book and most of the common surprises disappear.
Before You Book
- Define the use case. Construction site, event, wedding, emergency, long-term project, or something else? The right unit recommendation depends on this.
- Estimate the number of people. For events: total guest count plus event length. For construction: max simultaneous crew size, not total project headcount.
- Pick a rental duration. Per-day, per-weekend, weekly, monthly, or open-ended? Short-term and long-term are priced very differently.
- Decide on add-ons. ADA unit (almost always yes for public events), hand-wash station, deluxe flushing unit instead of standard, holding tank for waste storage, luxury restroom trailer for weddings.
- Check for HOA or property-manager rules. If you are in a planned community in San Diego County (Rancho Bernardo, Carmel Valley, Otay Ranch, Eastlake, Aviara, San Elijo Hills, 4S Ranch, and many others), call the management office about placement rules before booking.
- Check whether you need a permit. See our Portable Toilet Permit Guide. On private property, usually no. In the public right-of-way or at a permitted event, usually yes.
- Confirm budget. Reference our Cost Guide for transparent ranges.
When You Call to Book
- Have the delivery address ready, including any gate codes, suite numbers, or back-entrance instructions.
- Provide the delivery contact — name, phone, role.
- Confirm delivery date and time window.
- Confirm rental duration and pickup date (or 'open-ended' for long-term).
- Specify unit type and count.
- Specify ADA units and hand-wash stations.
- Provide the project or event name for the work order.
- If you need a COI or additional-insured endorsement, name the certificate holder and any specific endorsement language.
- For events, share the venue contact and any vendor coordination needs.
- For construction, share the GC and project address.
- Confirm billing — credit card, PO, NET 30, or check.
Site Prep Before Delivery
- Clear the placement spot of vehicles, dumpsters, equipment, debris, and obstacles.
- Check the surface. Level, firm, no more than 5% slope. Asphalt, concrete, packed dirt, gravel, pavers, short grass.
- Check overhead clearance — 13 feet 6 inches minimum for the delivery truck.
- Check vehicle access — 10 feet of width along the path from the street to the placement spot.
- Unlock gates or arrange to meet the driver.
- Mark the placement spot with chalk, cones, or a stake — especially for self-directed deliveries when no one will be on site.
- Identify the on-site contact for delivery day and share their phone number with us.
- For luxury trailers, confirm power (110V or 30A) and water access, or request a generator and onboard freshwater tank fill.
Delivery Day Checklist
- On-site contact is reachable and has placement authority.
- Gates, locks, and parking-lot barricades are open.
- Placement spot is clear.
- Driver confirms placement, levels the unit, chocks the skid, and leaves a delivery ticket.
- You receive a delivery confirmation and photo of the placement.
- For luxury trailers, the trailer is leveled, plugged in, water-connected, and tested before the driver leaves.
- You and the driver agree on service schedule (for long-term rentals) and pickup logistics (for short-term).
During the Rental
- Restocking: Verify that toilet paper and hand sanitizer are refilled at every service visit. If you run out between services, call us.
- Damage: Report any vandalism, broken hardware, or major spills immediately.
- Crew size or attendance growth: If your crew grows beyond what your current servicing schedule supports, call us and we will step up the schedule.
- Site changes: If construction phases require unit relocations, call us. Free for long-term customers; flat fee for short-term.
- Extensions: Extend by phone at any time. Billing updates automatically.
- Service reports: Each emailed service report includes the date, technician, work performed, and any flagged issues. Save these for your records.
End of Rental
- Call to schedule pickup — typically same-day or next-day for short-term rentals, scheduled in advance for long-term.
- Clear the access path for the pickup truck.
- Confirm pickup contact if different from delivery.
- For events, schedule pickup for the morning after the event (Sunday or Monday) rather than late-night.
- Check the placement area after pickup for any leftover supplies or debris.
- Final invoice: You receive a final invoice with pickup date confirmed. Long-term rentals are prorated through the day of pickup.
Event-Specific Additions
For weddings, festivals, and concerts, layer these on top of the general checklist:
- Confirm permit requirements with the City of San Diego Office of Special Events or your jurisdiction's permitting office.
- Plan ADA units at every restroom cluster, not just one for the whole event.
- Plan hand-wash stations adjacent to food and beverage zones.
- For weddings, plan luxury trailer placement with screening and lighting.
- For multi-day festivals, plan daily or twice-daily servicing.
- For large festivals, plan on-site attendants for continuous restocking.
- Coordinate placement diagrams with your venue contact in advance.
- Plan generator and water connection for luxury trailers at venues without standard hookups.
Construction-Specific Additions
For construction site rentals, add these:
- Verify Cal/OSHA Title 8 CCR §1526 ratios for your maximum crew size.
- Plan ADA units for sites with 20+ workers.
- Plan hand-wash stations on sites without indoor plumbing.
- Coordinate placement with the GC and inspectors so units are not in the way of deliveries or inspections.
- Plan for unit relocations as project phases advance.
- Plan service schedule based on crew size — weekly for ≤5, twice-weekly for 6-10, daily for 11+.
- Provide additional-insured COI to the GC and the property owner.
If Something Goes Wrong
Things occasionally go wrong — a unit gets vandalized, a wedding date moves, a construction project pauses, a festival adds a day. The single most important thing you can do is call us. Most issues are easy to resolve when we know about them early. Our local dispatch team answers 24 hours a day at (619) 308-0313.
Once your rental is set up, you can also use our contact form for non-urgent questions or our FAQ for the most common questions.