The starting point
One unit per 50 guests, for a four-hour event. Everything else is an adjustment to that number.
The two adjustments that matter
Duration. An eight-hour event is not the same as two four-hour events with the same guests. People arrive, settle, and use facilities more as the day goes on. Double the hours and you want roughly double the capacity, not the same bank working twice as long.
Alcohol.Usage climbs 30 to 40 percent when drinks are served. This is the single most common miscalculation we see: a wedding reception planned on dry-event numbers, and a queue by nine o’clock.
| Guests | 4 hrs, no bar | 4 hrs, with bar | 8 hrs, with bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 100 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 250 | 5 | 6 | 9 |
| 500 | 10 | 13 | 17 |
A planning guide, not a rule. Site layout, whether food is served, and how spread out the grounds are all shift it. We will sense-check your number for free before you book.
Where they go matters as much as how many
- Firm, level ground with truck access. A unit on a slope is unusable and a unit the service truck cannot reach costs you an off-road hauling fee. Level and within reach of a vehicle beats scenic every time.
- Away from food, and downwind. Far enough to be out of mind, close enough that nobody is walking two minutes in the dark. Somewhere near the edge of the main area usually solves both.
- Spread them out at bigger events. Two banks of five beat one bank of ten. It halves the walk and stops one queue forming for everybody.
- Plan the accessible unit first. It needs a flat approach and more room around it, so it constrains where the rest can sit. Deciding it last means moving everything.
- Take delivery the day before. It gets delivery off your event-day timeline and leaves room to fix an access problem while fixing it is still easy.
Common questions
How many portable toilets do I need for 100 guests?
For a four-hour event with no alcohol, two units covers 100 guests comfortably. Add alcohol and you want three. The working rule is one unit per 50 guests for four hours, then scale up with both duration and drinking.
Does serving alcohol change how many units I need?
Yes, and by more than most people expect. Guests use facilities roughly 30 to 40 percent more often when alcohol is served, so a wedding reception needs materially more capacity than a daytime function with the same headcount.
Do I need an accessible unit?
Plan for at least one. Accessible units are wider, have a level entry and grab bars, and for many public events they are a requirement rather than a courtesy. They also need a flat approach, which affects where the whole bank can go.
When should the units be delivered?
The day before for anything starting in the morning. It removes delivery from your event-day timeline entirely, and it means a problem with access or placement is discovered while there is still time to solve it.
Do multi-day events need servicing partway through?
Usually. A unit at a busy multi-day event will want servicing every day or two depending on traffic. It is far cheaper than adding units you only need at peak, and it is the difference between guests using them on day three and avoiding them.
Get the number checked before you book
Our map-based quote works out units, delivery and timing for your actual site across Vancouver Island, BC. Or call and describe the event — that is usually faster.