Toilet facilities during build

[Walkers]

I am getting ready to start building a guest house and bedroom extension on my house. When I built my shop I had friends come out to help with everything when needed, and just used the bathroom in my house when needed. With this new build there are several full days of concrete work, which I am not planning on doing myself. There will be other farmed out work as well. I need to figure out what type of toilet facilities to use for transient labor. I am a bit off the beaten path, so using a port-a-John type thing is expensive because of the servicing requirements, as well as the fact that this will likely last to the end of the year.

I am considering building a small enclosure and installing a composting toilet as well as a simple urinal that drains to a buried bucket/drum with holes in it.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[The Cobbler]

Here, we have to provide approved facilities for workers . if your set up is not going to raise any flags, I'm sure it would be OK.

 

[Walkers]

Here, we have to provide approved facilities for workers . if your set up is not going to raise any flags, I'm sure it would be OK.

Well, do you approve of my toilet facilities?

 

[jack stand]

At the end of the beaten path and they don't like your crapper? Be careful mowing the lawn. I've seen where Mexican crews **** right on the wall they're leaning on even with rows of fiberglass outhouses available. (We were the last guys there at 6pm except for the drywall bunch, their "evidence" was there on the wall at daybreak the next morning) I've found a little hunk of insulation with a nice pile on it on the 2nd floor.
It depends on the crews but I've seen other things I won't describe here.
Some big jobs are full of 3rd world workers with 3rd world "cultures".

 

[finn]

The porta John vendors travel all over to service customers. Give them a call. You might be surprised, and a phone call is quick and easy.

I also don’t think they have to service them all that often, either, given the chemicals they use these days.

 

[Walkers]

Looks like rental is $175 per month minimum. Multiplied by 10 months.

 

[Sturgeon]

Second Finn's view.

 

[wssix99]

Looks like rental is $175 per month minimum. Multiplied by 10 months.

Don't be cheap on this. Take this deal.

Your workers are trained and used to this level of service and will accept the port-a-potty in whatever condition it is presented to them. If they have a gripe - they will take it out on the port-a-john service. If YOU don't keep whatever contraption you are inventing perfectly clean, your workers will rebel against YOU and get inventive when they have to go to the bathroom. Odds are very good you will be in a situation wishing you paid for the port-a-john service.

 

[Farmall450]

Looks like rental is $175 per month minimum. Multiplied by 10 months.

Consider it an investment in your future house(s)

 

[gleman]

I'd just pay for the port-a-pottys. Way less hassle if problems arise. I live in a fairly remote area and the rates seemed reasonable to me.

Also it won't give the sheetrockers an excuse to stick Gatorade bottles of pee in the walls with their McDonald's bags!

 

[GDM]

 

[inphx]

Hey neighbor, during my build i was able to buy one on craigs list for $400 and periodically called to get it pumped, in between i bought at walmart by the gallon the RV treatment to stretch times between servicing. I sold it for the same at the end.

How will your guest house eventually be connected to the sewer/septic? My garagemahol ended up with one of these buried outside to pump uphill to get the slope to tap into my septic - maybe you can tap into your sewer in a shed?

 

[walta]

The fact is if you are going to build a house in 10 months there are will be many parts of the build you will not have the time to do the work personally if you have any hope of staying on schedule. Yes, it will rub you the wrong way knowing you are capable just not enough hours to do everything. Consider this is one disgusting low skill job you are chousing higher out for the low price $1700.00 and you don’t have to listen to complaints about substandard out house and if there is a problem the solution is a simple phone call.

Every day of this build you will make this same trade you pay money for people’s time and skills. My guess is before the build is done 1700 will seem like pocket change.

Walta

 

[Jeff C]

Looks like rental is $175 per month minimum. Multiplied by 10 months.

I’ll be the jerk to state the real truth… if you’re not willing to spend $45 a week to provide the “standard” job site bathroom for my workers I have zero interest in doing business together. Around here, the “standard” is a porta potty with weekly service (not just some extra “blue” RV fluid dumped on top of the ever growing pile of you know what to “stretch times between servicing”).

I’ll also tell a true story from 19 years ago…
The day I got married, I had someone tell me as I was about to walk down the aisle that there was still time. He said I could just keep walking straight out the door instead of turning to go up to the altar. He was joking and it’s been a great 19 years so far.

You’re at the beginning of a long marriage to this construction project. If the porta potty is worrying you enough to post on here about it I strongly recommend you to consider which path is best for you before you say “I do.” There’s still time for you to continue straight, walk out the door and hire a general contractor to do all of this. Yes, he will add his profit but he will also deal with all of the “****” you’ve forgotten to include in your budget.

 

[Meursault74]

 

[p00p]

you don't want to have #3 issues for #1 & #2 situations. Rent the jon is what I'd do do.

 

[iagsxr]

When I was in college I worked for a house painter. Our very first job he takes a five gallon bucket, puts it in their detached garage and says if we have to poop use the bucket and then dump it in their backyard "where they won't notice".

This was in my hometown, my buddy and I drove ourselves to the jobsite. We'd either go home or to a convenience store to use the bathroom. Point being I've been on jobs where the whole crew has left for however long it takes to find a bathroom. The reduction in productivity pays for a porta potty real fast.

 

[Walkers]

Alright, I get the point. I’ll rent the damn thing.

 

[SlotlessMan]

Why rent? Just buy a porta john outright and sell it when done. I bought one new for $800 and sold it for $500. That was 2008 so YMMV.

This was the company I bought mine from

Portable Toilets | Porta Potty For Sale | Satellite Industries

Recognized as producing the highest quality Portable Restrooms in the world, Satellite is also committed to providing the highest level of customer service and satisfaction. Our full line of portable restrooms includes entry level to luxurious, specialty units

www.satelliteindustries.com

 

[jack stand]

Also it won't give the sheetrockers an excuse to stick Gatorade bottles of pee in the walls with their McDonald's bags!

this is what I wasn't going to mention. It wasn't unusual to have bottles or jumbo soda cups flung out of the 2nd floor windows, pretty much where the exterior guy were working.

 

[johninct]

Many years ago, when I was building houses, I heard stories of people crapping in the tub. My father, made it very clear to anyone on the jobsite that that was unacceptable behavior.

 

[Youngandfree]

There's a home inspector named Cy Porter in AZ that makes videos. He has had some videos where a home had contractors piss all up in the attic insulation, and even on newly laid carpet.

 

[bluedog225]

People ****.

 

[tool_scrounge]

On our house projects we always rent a port a potty. We also put out a big ice chest filled with ice, water, gator-aid, and Mexican Coke. The contractors and crews always comment on how well we take care of them. We always considered the small percentage it added to the project cost the quality tax (Happy employee = better quality work)

I learned this from my SIL, who did this on a large house remodel. She took such good care of the contractors, the General contractor’s crew would drop by and hang her Christmas lights for no charge for a couple years after the project completion.

 

[reader2580]

Why rent? Just buy a porta john outright and sell it when done. I bought one new for $800 and sold it for $500. That was 2008 so YMMV.

How do you get a purchased porta john serviced? Does a porta john company charge less money if you own the unit? I suspect most of the cost of renting a porta john is the servicing, not the unit itself.

 

[Metal-Marc]

 

[SlotlessMan]

How do you get a purchased porta john serviced? Does a porta john company charge less money if you own the unit? I suspect most of the cost of renting a porta john is the servicing, not the unit itself.

A pump is just a pump. Local service.

 

[finn]

A pump is just a pump. Local service.

Local service for my 300 gallon holding tank was quoted at around $300. I think they go by gallons though so a 50 gallon porta John would be somewhat less.

 

[dutchgray]

My uncle once through a 50lb box of nails out a second floor window that another working crapped on top off.
Trades going up into a loft and hiding one under the fiberglass is relatively common as well.
Just hire the plastic thunderbox.

 

[nadogail]

Dig a hole and build a small shack above it, it worked for previous generations. You can call it an Outhouse or a Privey, your choice.

 

[bugman-74]

Be sure to call around - I was quoted about the same price ($175/mo) from the regular places like Waste Management here in Tucson, but I eventually landed on a company called Stamback Septic for $85/mo (in 2020) and it was serviced weekly.

 

[ycgoat]

Around here I think if the job lasts a week or more, a portable is required. If you are acting as the General Contractor then that is part of your responsibility. My new building is in the woods, I did a lot of my own work, but when sub-contractors were on site I just left them a shovel, toilet paper, and asked them to keep it to a certain area; only the site clearing guys were there more than 3 days.

 

[Walkers]

Be sure to call around - I was quoted about the same price ($175/mo) from the regular places like Waste Management here in Tucson, but I eventually landed on a company called Stamback Septic for $85/mo (in 2020) and it was serviced weekly.

Nice. There is a place near me that does water storage tanks and pumps for the required dust control. I saw the other day that they had a portajohn on the back of one of their delivery trucks, so I am going to call them since they are close.

 

[Two Pump Chump]

Rent the Porta. Stash some xtra paper. Prepare to kill wasps. You are paying more than double what I paid in Idaho for two summers.

 

[lolaetype]

Many years ago, when I was building houses, I heard stories of people crapping in the tub.

I've actually seen that. Disgusting.

 

[nadogail]

Workers like being treated like decent people. Make some provisions for toilets and hand washing.

 

[kbuhagiar]

Workers like being treated like decent people. Make some provisions for toilets and hand washing.

Couldn't agree more.

Can't tell you how appreciative the contractors are when made aware of this provision.
We have a bathroon off of the garage, with a door directly to the exterior. We reserve that exclusively for workers' use whenever we have any craftspeople on site.

 

[drmarkr]

Quoted deleted Mod


Welcome to the forum.....that's quite a first post! lol

 

[NUTTSGT]

Amazing what threads spammers bring back. This is the second time this has happened with this thread.

 

[PCustoms]

Amazing what threads spammers bring back. This is the second time this has happened with this thread.

Big business in taking care of one's business.

Time to lock the stall door so to speak?