Planning an event, wedding or construction project involves finding a lot of vendors. Deciding on the right equipment providers can either make or break your project, so you may always be worried about picking the right one. Finding the right portable toilet vendor near you can also be a struggle.
You might think, “It’s a porta potty. What is there really to consider?” This is where you’re wrong. Finding the perfect portable toilet provider near you involved careful planning and a few key questions. If you take the right steps, you won’t have to worry about any issues with your portable toilet experience.
Start the Search
The first step in finding the perfect portable toilet provider in your area is compiling a list of all of the portable toilet providers near you. In the old days you would pull out the yellow pages and just start calling, but with new technologies, this has become much simpler.
The best place to start finding quality portable toilet providers is to use the Portable Sanitation Association International’s Pro Finder tool. This helpful tool lets you type in your zip code and find PSAI certified portable toilet providers in your area. Looking for certified toilet providers will help you weed out the smaller service providers who may not have what you’re looking for, or the experience to get the job done right.
Look at Reviews
If you want to find reviews of local portable toilet providers to better compare service, then a simple Google search is an excellent place to start. You can search for terms like “Portable Toilet Rentals Near Me” or “Rent portable toilets in (your location)”. If you look in the Maps section of the Google search results, you can compare customer reviews from local porta potty providers.
Ask Friends for Recommendations
While renting portable toilets is something most people don’t do on a regular basis, your friends and family might be a good place to get some insight. You may be surprised how many people you know have rented portable toilets for construction sites, backyard barbecues or even weddings. Maybe put a shout out on social media and ask your network for their recommendations.
Don’t Decide Solely on Price
Most people looking for the right portable toilet provider in their area have the same initial question, “How much will it cost?” While this may seem like a good place to start, it’s usually the wrong first question to ask.
Price is important, but if you simply go with the low-cost leader, you might end up regretting it. You’ve probably heard the saying you get what you pay for and in the portable toilet industry, this is also correct. Try to pick a portable toilet provider who has a fair price, and a good reputation. Spending an extra few bucks may be the key to your success.
Asking the Right Questions
Now that you have your list of all the best portable toilet providers near you, it’s time to start asking for inquiring about services. Before you start making phone calls, you first want to think about what you’re looking for out of your portable toilet experience.
For Special Events and Weddings
If you’re looking for portable toilets for special events, you will want to know approximately how many people are coming to your event, what the event date is, and what types of portable toilets you’ll need. If you need help deciding how many portable toilets you’ll require you can use our handy portable toilet calculator to help you out.
Does your event or wedding need something a little more upscale? If you’re looking for flushing restroom trailers, you’ll also want to ask the portable toilet providers if they offer portable flushing toilet options. These trailers usually require power and a water source, so make sure to ask the specifications that all the portable restroom trailers require.
For events, you’ll also want to ask the various portable toilet providers what their delivery and pickup procedures are. Some restroom providers will have a policy to deliver on Friday and pickup on Monday. This means they’ll probably charge extra for weekend services and weekend pickups or deliveries. Other providers may have no problem doing weekend work. Asking questions about weekend policies will help you evaluate all costs up front so there are no surprises later.
For Construction Sites and Home Builders
Portable toilets rented for construction sites and home building sites are different from special events. They are going to be out longer, serviced more often and vary in type to fit different job duties.
When finding the perfect construction portable toilet provider near you, you’ll also have to first assess the needs of your construction site. Have a basic idea of how many workers you’ll have on the site, how many hours a day they’ll be working, the layout of your construction site, and any other special needs your job site may have.
The first big questions you’ll want to ask your potential portable toilet provider would be what their hours of operation are. This is especially important if you need your portable toilets serviced early in the morning or later in the evening. If it doesn’t matter when your toilets need to be serviced, this becomes much less important.
You’ll also want to inquire about what a standard restroom and service entails. Some providers charge extra for hand sanitizer, some have a different frequency of service.
Also, ask what extra restroom services will cost. Sometimes your job site may have an increase in restroom usage, or the number or workers may rise without notice. In these instances, you may need to have your portable toilet provider come out for extra services. This will probably cost you, and you should know that information up front.
If your construction site needs specialty restrooms, you’ll also want to make sure any portable toilet providers have what you’re looking for. If you’re working in high-rise buildings, you might want to ask about high-rise portable toilets. Road jobs may require mobile portable toilets, which are on wheeled trailers. And small two or three story buildings may require hook units to lift the toilet onto the roof with a crane. Before you start feeling out a company, make sure they have all of the portable toilet types to meet your needs.
Now you have the tool kit to effectively find the best portable toilet provider near you. You can start the search, ask the right questions and be more confident in your rental decision. If you’re looking for a portable toilet provider in the St. Paul, Rochester or Mankato, Minnesota or St. Louis, Missouri areas, feel free to contact us about what portable toilet options we can offer you today!
