Key Takeaways
- Place restrooms not too close, not too far—easy to find without conflicting with food queues or views.
- Think like a guest/crew: short walks, clear wayfinding, and ADA-friendly routes.
- Mind terrain: level, firm pads; avoid low or sloped spots; orient doors out of wind.
- Light for safety: translucent roofs help; add temporary lighting for night use.
- Big events: distribute multiple banks near high-traffic zones and entries; use sizing charts/calculators.
It’s fair to think about bathrooms as the unsung hero of just about everything. Day to day life means having access to a lavatory. Special events also require a bathroom and hey, I bet that’s why you’re here. (either that or you just can’t get enough of my clever wit and enduring relatability)
So you’ve got the whole family out at the county fair today. You’ve ridden the rides, head-skritched a few sheep and a baby goat, hit up the food vendors and had your fill of cotton candy, fried dough and a big ice-cold soda. The air is full of county fair ambience – kids screaming on the roller coaster, the glow of string lights along the exhibition tent walls, the smells of popcorn and frying oil.
Hopefully, you’re not also smelling something else: odiferous evidence of ickiness. If you get what I’m trying to gently portray. Without actually saying “poop”. And now it’s too late. No, you’ve detected nary a stinky whiff this afternoon and it’s been great. The organizers of the fair have put a lot of thought into where to keep the lavatory facilities for just this reason – we need bathrooms, of course, but don’t really want to have one right in the center of the action.
But where are they? After finding a few well-placed signs, you find the bathrooms somewhere a bit out of the way, still convenient and easy to get to – near the food, but not too close. Near the gate, but not in the flow of traffic. Around the corner behind the rides, but not one of the rides. Perfect. You aren’t there to play ‘bathroom treasure hunt’!
This is one of those little lessons you can take with you if you’re organizing just about anything that may need a few extra bathrooms.
Planning a big outdoor wedding? Good restroom placement is key! Most events require careful organization, consideration of a variety of guests’ needs, and since you’re on the internet you can easily find helpful lists and articles about planning big events.
The Goldilocks Rule: Not Too Close, Not Too Far
You’re hoping for the weather to be not too hot, and not too cold. You want your bathroom access to be not too close, and not too far.
There’s a sweet spot to be found here. Nobody wants to put in their steps hunting down a bathroom, hiking half a mile away from the actual event to take care of business. But you also don’t want them wedged between the caramel apples and the deep fried elotes. Can you just imagine the problems and mix ups with the lines! The noise, the mingling of smells, not a fun combination.
Think Like a Guest (or Crew Member)
Put yourself in the shoes of your guests. Wedding guests, festival or concert-goers, wedding guests, even your work crew. Consider where most of the people will be most of the time and where they’ll be going. And who will be there? If you anticipate people with varying abilities, accessibility is an important factor. How far is too far to walk? What if they’re carrying food, drinks or purchases? What’s safe and practical for people wearing formalwear and possibly uncomfortable shoes?
If you’re planning a worksite, commercial or residential, keep work flow in mind, too. Easy to access lavatories will keep everything moving along, allowing the crew to heed the call of nature quickly while not being smack-dab in the middle of the project.
Mind the Terrain
Now we get to the practical considerations. Of course we need to be able to access the area for delivery, upkeep and removal. Avoid low spots. If it rains, your bathroom area can become a muddy, slippery hazard. For the safety of your guests, hilly sloped spots should also be avoided. Ideally, a clear flat space is your best bet for good lavatory placement. If you have the opportunity to place them close up to an existing building or wall, even better.
This can help keep a row of individual porta-potties upright and secure as well as offer some protection from any bad weather.
Lighting & Safety
Safety first in all aspects of your event. This includes your bathrooms.
Our individual portable restrooms feature translucent roofs to take advantage of natural light. Our luxury lavatory trailers feature LED lighting for an easy and well-lit experience. When planning your rental, consider spaces that are lit by permanent outdoor lights, or consider renting some outdoor lighting to help your guests find the bathrooms easier.
ADA & Accessibility
Best practice for placement of your toilet units is a smooth, flat surface. If you’ll be renting our ADA-compliant restroom, we’ll need that flat surface for the ground level entry.
And don’t tuck your accessible bathroom off in a corner somewhere, either. Keep it with the others, easy to find and get to.
Bigger Events? Spread ‘Em Out
We can help you decide exactly how many units you’ll need for your event. We’ve even got a chart for that which you can see here. Or, use our handy calculator to help make your decision.
If you’re expecting a crowd, it’s a good idea to offer several different restroom locations.
We’re not about achieving our step goals going to the bathroom, after all. Take high traffic areas into account as well as your different activity areas. A few near your food and refreshments, a few near any seating or rest areas, and at your blocks-long events, guests will appreciate bathroom facilities when they arrive or leave.
Placement Is Planning
I’ll leave you to sketch out your festival layout or ideal use of the backyard for that big wedding. But not until I remind you that location matters. Don’t tuck your Bonavita luxury lavatory trailer where nobody can find it. Don’t expect your work crew to abandon the project for 20 minutes at a time while they hunt down a bathroom. Don’t plunk a bathroom down right next to the table selling hand-crafted scented candles. You can do this and we can help. Our decade plus of experience and our trained and knowledgeable staff are at your service and together we can guarantee a place for every toilet and enough toilets in every place. Be in touch today.
