If you've ever tried to book portable toilets for an event or a building site, you'll know the options can be confusing. Not every unit is the same, and picking the wrong one can mean unhappy guests, unhappy workers, or a call to us halfway through your event asking for an upgrade. Here's a straightforward look at the main types of portable toilets, what they're actually good for, and how to pick the right one for your situation.
Standard Portable Toilets
This is the one most people picture when they hear "portaloo." A simple cubicle, a toilet seat, and a sealed waste tank that uses a chemical treatment to keep odours down. There's no flush and no running water, but that's not a downside - it's what makes these units so easy to place almost anywhere, with no need for a water or drainage connection.
Standard units are the workhorse of the industry. They're what you'll see lined up on construction sites, tucked into the corner of a farm show, or set up for a weekend event where budget matters more than extras. If you just need to hire portable toilet units quickly and without fuss, this is usually the starting point. Regular servicing keeps them clean and usable throughout a hire period, however long that runs.
Portable Toilets with Handwashing Facilities
These take the standard unit and add a built-in sink, usually fed by a small onboard water tank or a water-saving foot pump system. It sounds like a small addition, but at food festivals, markets, or any event where hygiene is front of mind, it makes a real difference - guests don't have to go hunting for a separate handwashing station.
They're also a sensible step up for longer construction hires, where workers are on site all day and proper handwashing matters for more than just comfort. When people ask about portable toilet hire for a job that runs more than a day or two, this is usually the option we point them towards.
Disabled-Access Units
Every event or work site should have proper provision for guests or workers who need it. Disabled-access units are built wider than standard cubicles, with a level or low-sill entry, grab rails fitted around the seat, and enough turning space to actually use a wheelchair or mobility aid comfortably inside.
These aren't just a nice-to-have. For public events especially, having accessible facilities is often expected as standard, not requested as an afterthought - so disabled toilet hire is worth including in your plan from the start rather than adding it in later.
Event Toilets
Weddings, festivals, sporting events - anywhere guests are paying attention to their surroundings - tend to call for a slightly different unit than a building site would. Event-style toilets are still simple and self-contained, but they're finished to a higher standard: cleaner lines, better lighting inside, and a general feel that suits a guest-facing occasion rather than a work site. It's why portable toilet hire for events tends to focus as much on presentation as on practicality.
Welfare Units
For longer jobs - a construction project running for weeks or months, say - a single toilet cubicle usually isn't enough on its own. That's where welfare unit hire comes in. Our Mobile Welfare Unit Hire combines a toilet with washing facilities and a rest area in one towable Groundhog unit, so your team has everything they need without multiple separate hires cluttering up the site.
How to Choose the Right Type
A few questions usually narrow it down quickly:
How many people, and for how long? More users or a longer hire period generally means more units or a welfare unit rather than a single cubicle.
- What's the setting? A wedding calls for a different unit than a building site, even if the underlying mechanics are similar.
- Do you need accessible provision? If there's any public or mixed-ability attendance, plan an accessible unit in from the start.
- What's the ground like? Site access and surface conditions can affect which units are practical to deliver and position.
If you're not sure, it's usually easier to describe your event or site to us directly than to guess - we can talk through what actually fits.
Keeping Units Clean Throughout the Hire
Whichever type you go with, regular servicing is what keeps it usable for the whole hire period rather than just the first day. We follow a structured servicing process for every unit we place, so facilities stay properly maintained whether you've hired for a weekend or a full construction schedule.
Get in Touch
Not sure which type suits your event or site? Get in touch with our team and we'll help you work out exactly what you need.