How to Start a Porta Potty Rental Business
Did you know you can make up to six digits figures from a porta potty business? For a “dirty job”, this is mind-blowing. The portable toilet industry is growing all over the world and there are already millions of them currently in use. I bet you can’t wait to find out more about this business because there is enough information to put you through how to start a porta potty rental business.
It costs about $175 to rent a standard portable restroom per month and at least $90 to rent one a day while a luxury porta potty would cost between $800 and $1,500 to rent. Porta potties can be sanitary when they are properly cleaned and maintained. To keep them from smelling, air fresheners and strong deodorizers are used. The deodorizers are usually the blue stuff in porta potties and waste is emptied by detaching parts of the potties and then disposing of the contents at authorized centers.
Important factors to consider
In this business, the way you will go about the planning, siting, branding, and even how much you charge will depend on a number of factors that involve the following:
Duration of usage and distance to client’s preferred location
This part will help you, especially in pricing. The amount you will charge a client will depend on factors like how far the place they want to install the porta potties is from their storage location and how long they will need the potties. Portable toilets are rented per day, per month or even just for a weekend. The pricing for a day’s use is usually on the high side compared to a month’s. Sometimes the client will request a technician on standby to maintain the potties to ensure they work properly. All these must be put into perspective before you start this business so that your pricing list will be made prior to any request for your services.
The cost and number of porta potties needed
These factors will also affect how you run your business- how much it will cost you to purchase the toilets and how many your client will need. At times, the target customer is not the only determinant of what porta potty you would add to your ranks, how much they cost would have your head turned also. The safest choice of porta potties is still the standard potties because they are the most affordable and they get the job done. However, with time, and the more you get familiar with the industry, you’ll be able to purchase different types.
Concerning the number of porta potties a client will need, you should ask the client how many guests they would be expecting or how many people will be using the toilets. This is because a porta potty should cater to not more than 20 people to ensure that it stays sanitary. Therefore, if your client has more than 20, you know the math.
Franchising
A starter in this business will not find it very easy because it is surprisingly a very competitive industry for a dirty job. There are many porta potty rental services and companies that have been in the business for decades and they already have a reputation. You will be competing with them and the cost of starting from scratch might be on the high side owing to the fact that you will need to spend on marketing, branding, and necessary equipment. In this regard, you may consider partnering with an established company in the industry. Although your privileges and influence will be reduced, you will bear little risk, get clients easily, make a profit, and gain experience in the industry.
The target customer
Starting a business has almost everything to do with the customer and they determine how you run the business. Define your target customer and plan your approach to the business in a way that suits them. Who do you think will need your services? How often will they need it? How lucrative will it be to cater to the needs of those sets of clients? These questions are vital because there are a variety of persons who can be your clients. You may not be able to purchase every single type of porta potty available because there are almost ten of them, therefore the type of clients you have in mind will help you make your mind upon the type of portable toilets you will get.
Your potential clients will be one or all of the categories listed below:
- Workers at construction sites
- Technicians at industrial sites
- All present at fundraising events
- Concert attendees
- Food festival participants
- Fairgoers
- Sporting event attendees
- Trade show attendees
- Families renovating their homes
Realities of a porta potty rental business
Life in the portable toilet rental business is not bad, to be honest, but it is important that you know what you’re getting into lest you fall into a sh***y situation.
The demand is huge
There is a huge demand for porta potties all around the world because let’s face it- a time will come when you either go to a party and have too much to eat or drink and you’ll just have to “go”. Sometimes, it’s just one of those bad days when you have terrible diarrhea in the middle of nowhere and your one wish is to find a place to let it all out. From weddings, carnivals, sports exhibitions to charity events, there are loads of people who need your services. Construction workers, event planners, and even the local government want to have these facilities in places where it would be difficult to get restrooms so that people don’t dump their waste on any corner they find.
It is profitable
A porta potty business stinks but the money doesn’t. This is the best part of this business by far. In fact, this is where you feel like everything you had gone through, and all the sh*t you had to take from other people (literally) finally paid off. A portable toilet rental is a profitable business, not just for the business owner. The average technician earns between $50,000 and $58,000, while some makeup to $100,000 and that’s a lot. As a matter of fact, a porta-potty business is ranked among the top 7 most profitable dirty jobs. Forget about the stink, at the end of the day, it will all be worth it.
It’s a dirty business
It sounds funny but in truth, a portable potty rental service is literally full of sh*t. In fact, it’s going to take some skill to explain what you do to your kids in a subtle way. Human waste is probably the dirtiest and most unsanitary thing to come in contact with; on top of that, it’s just plain disgusting. In a business that involves providing human waste facilities, dumping them, and maintaining the toilets, the average technician always has a pile of shit to deal with regularly. There will be cases where during the disposal of the waste something goes horribly wrong and there’s a plastering of human waste all over the place, that’ll be one of those times when you will curse the day you bought your first porta potty.
Restrictions
The restrictions that are involved in this line of business are amazing and rightfully so because human waste is one of the most poisonous to both humans and the environment in general. This is why governments take the disposal of human waste very personally and there can be restrictions like where to site your business, what you shouldn’t use for your portable toilets, and the likes.
Another form of restriction is the nature of the business. The need for these portable potties will determine how much clients seek your services and this can be affected by a few factors. Portable potties are almost completely used outdoors, except for RV’s and trailers which have their own porta potties inside, and when there is no need to be outdoors or when it is not suitable for an outdoor gathering, the business might suffer. Harsh weather conditions, and certain seasons, like winter, will discourage outdoor gatherings and people would prefer to use indoor facilities instead. This will reduce the demand for your services.
What you must have to run the porta potty business
Startup money
A portable toilet business will require a considerable amount of money to start. There are useful equipment to buy and other things to sort out with money. The storage unit where the portable potties will be housed before they go out to be used and after that must be spacious and you will need to pay rent or lease it. The chemicals, deodorants, toilet paper, and other cleaning agents will be bought as well. The haulage truck, the staff salaries, and the potties will need to be taken care of with money. Seeing that you will need a number of equipment, potties, and others, you may consider getting a loan. This intent must be accompanied by a well-drafted business plan.
Storage facility
The porta potties will go to the clients who will probably have them for up to a month and sometimes before a client is done with one, another client already needs it, so why do you need a storage facility? Okay, let’s go back to the start. Do you remember how you got those porta potties in the first place and how you had to wait a little while before your clients call? Well, you had to keep the toilets somewhere first, didn’t you? It’s that simple. Your potties will not always be in use and you will have to store them somewhere. Where you take them from down to your client’s place will be where you take them back to after they are done. The storage point is where you also have the opportunity to maintain the potties and brand them when necessary.
Porta potties
The heart and soul of the business cannot be excluded from this list. It is clear to see that the portable toilets will most likely be the number one piece of equipment anyone who’s interested in a porta potty business will purchase. There are different types of porta potties and each of them has their own purpose- there are a few things about each one that makes it peculiar and suitable for a particular function. In buying your first batch of porta potties, you must think about things like how much they would cost, what purpose they would serve, how much you will be spending on maintenance, and what type of porta potty clients you want to target.
The different types of porta potties include the following:
- The standard porta potty– this is usually the basic type. This almost one-size-fits-all type is a single-unit toilet that neither has a sink nor flush. They are mostly used at construction sites, concerts, and other outdoor events. People who are renovating their homes and would need a different bathroom also opt for this. It is one of the cheapest- one can rent them for less than $180 per month. It costs at least $750 to buy one.
- The deluxe porta potty: it is usually the flush-enabled type. It also has other features of a proper bathroom like the side urinal, a unit for washing hands and even a mirror. It looks like the standard type but is usually bigger due to its extra features. It is fancier than the standard potty, therefore, food festivals, picnics, parties, and other gatherings where people will need to wash their hands prefer this.
- The crane hook porta potty– this type is used for special types of professionals, especially construction workers who work above the ground. This potty is not installed on the ground like other portable toilets; it is usually carried by a crane to be used above the ground. They are made to withstand the pressure of being lifted by cranes and they are smaller than the average deluxe porta potty.
- The porta potty trailer– this is a fancy type where a trailer is set aside to be used as a toilet facility. This trailer is perhaps the most equipped, with flushing toilets, good lighting, and an overall stylish interior. They are built to contain multiple portable toilets to serve more people. These are the types they use on movie sets and many weddings to cater to guests’ VIP status.
- Handicap-accessible porta potty– this is perhaps the most thoughtful type of portable toilet. It was made specifically to cater to people in wheelchairs and other disabled persons to ensure that they can use them with little to no help. There are handrails, the toilets are spacious, the entrance is usually flat and the toilet seat is low compared to other porta potties.
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Technicians
A porta potty business is not the kind where you can do it all by yourself- you will need a few more hands to assist you to get the business moving. In many cases, the owner of the business does not get involved in the “dirty job” rather, they manage the day-to-day activities. This business will entail carrying the portable toilets from the storage point to the client’s location and then back to the storage site which will be handled by skilled drivers and a few other personnel who would help carefully mount the potties onto the haulage vehicles.
The cleaning will also be done by another (or in some cases, the same) set of personnel whose jobs will involve making the porta potties clean before use, replacing toilet papers and hand sanitizers and they might even be there to make sure the potties keep functioning throughout the duration of the potties’ use. The bigger your business grows, the more hands you will need to help move the business forward. Some porta potty cleaners are responsible for maintaining as much as 50 potties daily.
Waste disposal site
Probably the most important aspect of porta potty waste management, this is where you can get in trouble for not doing the right thing. Your clients will not ask where you’re going to dump their waste because you’re supposed to be a professional and have all that sorted. This should be a priority and you must see to it that you already have somewhere in mind and have registered with them or met every possible requirement that lets you dump waste there. There are different laws guiding the disposal of waste in different locations and the government has designated points of waste disposal. It is your duty to have them checked out and make sure that you follow the right procedures before you even agree to supply your first client with potties.
Haulage vehicles
Porta potties need to be transported to their new users’ preferred destinations and even you need to use a vehicle for that. There are different types of vans, pickups and other haulage vehicles to choose from, knowing the type of business you run. Get a new one or a used one that’s in great shape, fine-tune it (or them), brand it (or them), and start using them. They must be spacious and be able to carry technicians as well.
How to start your potty rental business
Plan and brand
The first practical step to starting a porta potty business is to make a business plan for it. The planning process takes more than just coming up with a business idea; every other factor related to the business that will affect its outcome will be sorted out in the plan. The key here is to list what your business entails, how it will be run, where it will be located, who your target customer would be, how to reach out to potential clients, how much it would cost to run the business, how much you should expect to make from the business and for how long and more. Branding is also needed to distinguish your business from the rest. Customize all your equipment, your storage facility, and your office with your business’s signature.
Secure the permits
If you didn’t know how serious the consequences of not managing these wastes are, this process will enlighten you. The government does not take the mismanagement of human waste lightly and they must see that you and your business are capable of proper human waste management before granting you permission to start your business. They make laws that determine how you transport the waste, how you make sure it doesn’t stink up the place, and more, owing to the hazardous nature of the wastes. They also have zoning laws that restrict you from mounting a porta potty at a location. To be on the safe side, find out the places in your area, where you are either allowed to run the business or not.
Find a waste disposal site
One of the first steps to starting your business that will give you the confidence to engage potential clients is having a site to dump the waste. There are designated areas by the local authorities where one can dump human waste and the next thing is to find them. The laws regarding how to run a portable toilet business are quite strict and rightly so. These wastes could cause harm to the environment and you and your team could get infections from coming in contact with them if not properly disposed of.
Market the business
Marketing is essential to your growth especially in the early stage of a porta-potty business. The competition, which is also a big factor, will be kicked out with really good marketing techniques. If you can, get a marketing team, let them be in charge of making sure that you get customers in no time. And if you can’t afford to hire experts, use more affordable means like social media and the good old word-of-mouth methods. Meet with managers of construction sites, event organizers, and the likes to get a good deal.
Find clients
In such a competitive industry, finding clients can be like discovering gold. Many businesses are already ahead of you and have gotten tons of loyal clients already. However, if you work smartly with the little resources you have, you just might get yours sooner than you think. Since you know who your target clients are, the rest shouldn’t be too difficult. Take advantage of situations like a construction about to happen in your vicinity, an accident that has caused the occupants of a place to seek serious renovations, a concert about to happen, a wedding to be done out in the open, or even a natural disaster (you should reduce the rental fee as a way of giving back to society) to meet with those in charge and get a good deal that suits everyone.
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Porta Potty Rental Cost
Rental cost for a portable toilet depends on many factors such as the type of porta potty you want to rent, location, event, and duration. Based on our findings, the cost of renting a porta potty for once a week per type is as follows:
- Standard: The rental cost ranges between $80 and $125
- Standard with Sink: The rental cost ranges between $85 and $125
- Flushable: The rental cost ranges between $85 and $150
- High Rise: The rental cost ranges between $125 and $225
- ADA Porta Potty: The rental cost ranges between $150 and $225
- Solar: The rental cost ranges between $175 and $325
- Deluxe: The rental cost ranges between $200 and $350
From the above, one can see clearly how the type of the porta-potty largely influences the rental costs. While starting the portable toilet business, one needs to consider the targeted customers. What types of a porta potty will be of high demand in the area? What types of events are common? For instance, the rental cost ranges porta potty rental cost for a wedding is much more expensive than just a party or outdoor event. You may need to start small. Demands from customers will help you determine the types of porta potty that will bring you quick turnover or high returns on your investment.
Conclusion
If there ever was something one wouldn’t want to touch with a ten-foot pole, it’d be someone else’s feces. Nevertheless, a porta potty business is a noble business; it takes skill, hard work and it is legal. Regardless of the fact that it is a “dirty job”, don’t sell yourself short- you’re a life saver.