The flushable porta potty, with a sink or AC: what actually exists
Three kinds of portable restroom, what each one has, and where a single unit stops and a trailer starts.
· Restroom Ranch, Westfield, Indiana
The short answer
Yes, a flushable porta potty exists. It is a single cabin with a foot-pedal flush, and many have a sink as well. Sanitation companies rent them, and Fixr’s cost guide puts one at $85 to $150 a day.
Air conditioning and heat are a different matter, because they need electricity and a standard unit normally has none. A few specialty single units have them. For most events, the unit with a flushing toilet, hot running water and climate control is a restroom trailer. That is what we rent, starting at $1,420 per event.
Three kinds of portable restroom
People use one name, porta potty, for all three.
The standard unit
A plastic cabin over a holding tank. Fixr lists a toilet, ventilation, a mirror and a paper dispenser, and notes that these units do not flush. It needs no power and no water hookup.
The flushing unit
A single cabin again, with a foot-pedal flush and, usually, a sink or a sanitizer dispenser. It carries its own water, so it still needs no hookups. Rental companies also call it a deluxe or VIP unit.
The restroom trailer
Private rooms on a trailer, with flushing porcelain toilets, sinks with hot and cold water, lighting, heat and air conditioning. It needs level ground and power.
How a flushable porta potty works
You flush with a pedal on the floor. As United Site Services describes its own units, when you press the pedal “a small amount of water is released into the bowl to rinse and remove waste.” The waste goes into a holding tank that is hidden from view.
The manufacturer PolyJohn builds its units three ways: with no flush, with a recirculating flush, and with a fresh-water flush. On its Fleet Fresh Flush, the sink is plumbed to the tank, clean water does the flushing, and the water from hand washing drains into the toilet tank. Nothing connects to a hose or a sewer.
A flushing unit fills sooner. PolyJohn’s usage table rates its non-flush tank at about 120 uses and its flush tank at about 75. The sink has its own 20-gallon tank, good for about 400 hand washes. Fewer uses per unit means more units, or a service visit partway through a long event.
Flush, sink, hot water, AC: which unit has what
Standard and flushing are single units, priced from Fixr’s national figures. The trailer column is our own.
| Feature | Standard | Flushing | Trailer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flushes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Sink | On some | Often | Yes |
| Hot water | No | Deluxe only | Yes |
| Heat and AC | No | On a few | Yes |
| Needs power | No | No | Yes |
| Price | $80 to $125 a day | $85 to $150 a day | from $1,420 per event |
On the sink. Fixr prices a standard unit with a sink at $85 to $125 a day, so a sink does not require a flushing unit. Those sinks typically work by foot pump. Fixr describes hot and cold running water only on deluxe units, at $200 to $350 a day, and on restroom trailers.
Our porta potty rental cost guide has the full price list, by type and by rental length.
Air conditioning and heat need a plug
Climate control needs electricity, and that changes what you can rent.
A standard porta potty normally has no electricity, which is why it can sit at the far end of a field. An air conditioner or a heater needs power, so an air conditioned porta potty is a powered unit by definition.
Single air conditioned units do exist. The two we found are both regional. Texas Outhouse in Houston rents one with a 28-day minimum and states that it is not available for event rentals. CALLAHEAD in New York builds a single unit with a 5,000 BTU air conditioner and a 1,500 watt heater, and it runs on a 110 volt connection.
A restroom trailer is where climate control comes as standard. Every Restroom Ranch trailer has heat and air conditioning. They plug into two separate 120-volt, 20-amp circuits within 100 feet, and the winter heat package needs a 50-amp circuit of its own. Our cold-weather guide covers a winter event in detail.
Which one to book
A standard unit
For a job site, a road race or a field with no power. It is the cheapest option and the easiest to place.
A flushing unit with a sink
For a casual party where you want guests to flush and wash their hands, and the spot has no outlet nearby. Book it from a sanitation company. We do not rent them.
A restroom trailer
For a wedding, a gala or any event in July or December. You get private rooms, a vanity and mirror, hot water and climate control, and you need level ground and two circuits.
Our trailers come in three sizes: the 2-Station from $1,420 per event, the 3-Station from $1,749, which serves up to 225 guests, and the 5-Station from $2,199, which serves up to 300. Delivery, setup and pickup are included. If the name is what brought you here, our post on the luxury porta potty explains why the trade calls it a restroom trailer.
Questions people ask next
Are there flushable porta potties?
Yes. A flushing unit is a single cabin with a foot-pedal flush and usually a sink or a sanitizer dispenser. Fixr’s national cost guide puts one at $85 to $150 a day. A standard unit does not flush.
How does a flushable porta potty work?
You press a pedal on the floor and a small amount of water rinses the bowl into a hidden holding tank. The unit carries its own water, so nothing connects to a hose or a sewer. The manufacturer PolyJohn rates its flush tank at about 75 uses, against about 120 for its non-flush tank.
Do some porta potties have sinks?
Yes. Fixr prices a standard unit with a sink at $85 to $125 a day, and many flushing units include one. They typically work by foot pump. Hot running water is found on deluxe units and in restroom trailers.
Do porta potties have AC?
A standard porta potty does not, because it normally has no electricity. A few companies rent single air conditioned units in their own regions, and those need a power connection. Restroom trailers have heat and air conditioning as standard.
How much is an air conditioned porta potty?
In practice that means a restroom trailer. Restroom Ranch trailers start at $1,420 per event for the 2-Station, $1,749 for the 3-Station and $2,199 for the 5-Station, with delivery, setup and pickup included. Fixr’s national range for a restroom trailer is $900 to $3,000 a weekend.
Does Restroom Ranch rent flushing porta potties?
No. We rent restroom trailers only. Every one has flushing porcelain toilets, sinks with hot and cold water, lighting, heat and air conditioning. For a single flushing unit, call a sanitation company.
Want the flush, the hot water and the AC?
Send the date, the place and the guest count. We will tell you which trailer fits and what it costs, with delivery, setup and pickup included.