Porta potty dimensions, and how much room a trailer needs
Sizes from two manufacturers’ spec sheets, an accessible unit for comparison, and the space to keep clear around a restroom trailer.
· Restroom Ranch, Westfield, Indiana
How big is a porta potty?
A standard porta potty is about 44 inches wide, 47 to 48 inches deep and 91 inches tall, going by the spec sheets of two major manufacturers, PolyJohn and Satellite Industries. That is a footprint of roughly 4 feet by 4 feet, and about 165 pounds empty. A wheelchair accessible unit is much larger: Satellite’s Freedom is 66 inches wide and 86.5 inches deep.
A restroom trailer works at a different scale. Ours run from 17 feet to just under 20 feet long and 11 to 12 feet wide, and the spot needs about five feet of clear space on every side.
Porta potty sizes, by model
Exterior measurements from each manufacturer’s product page. The PJN3 and Tufway are standard units, and the Freedom is wheelchair accessible.
| Model | Width | Depth | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PolyJohn PJN3 | 43.5 in | 47 in | 91 in | 165 lb |
| Satellite Tufway | 44 in | 48 in | 91 in | 164 lb |
| Satellite Freedom | 66 in | 86.5 in | 90 in | 310 lb |
Inside a standard unit. PolyJohn gives the PJN3 an interior of 41 by 41 inches, 82 inches of headroom, a 19-inch seat height and a 60-gallon holding tank. That room holds the toilet and, on many models, a urinal. There is no vanity.
A row of them. Four PJN3 units side by side measure 14 feet 6 inches across before you leave any gap between them. That is arithmetic on PolyJohn’s 43.5-inch width, and you still need room for the doors to open and for the service truck.
The accessible unit. Satellite says the Freedom is built to meet ADA and Title 24 requirements. It takes nearly three times the floor area of a standard unit, so leave a spot for it in the plan from the start. Our ADA guide covers what the standards require at events.
How big is a restroom trailer?
Exterior dimensions from our three listings, and the space each one takes with five feet clear on every side.
| Trailer | Length × width | Height | With 5 ft clear |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Station | 17 ft × 11 ft 7 in | 11 ft 4 in | 27 ft × 21 ft 7 in |
| 3-Station | 19 ft 10 in × 11 ft 4 in | 11 ft 7 in | 29 ft 10 in × 21 ft 4 in |
| 5-Station | 19 ft 10 in × 12 ft 4 in | 11 ft 7 in | 29 ft 10 in × 22 ft 4 in |
The last column adds five feet on every side, which is the clearance our site checklist asks for around doors and steps. It is arithmetic on the listed dimensions, not a separate specification. The listings do not say whether the length includes the hitch, so measure the spot generously.
For comparison, the 5-Station holds five toilets in about 245 square feet of trailer (19 feet 10 inches by 12 feet 4 inches). Five PJN3 units take about 71 square feet of ground between them, with no sink, no light and no heat or air conditioning.
Will a trailer fit your spot?
Four checks with a tape measure, before you book.
The footprint
Mark out the “with 5 ft clear” size from the table on firm, level ground. A trailer has to sit level to drain and to feel steady underfoot.
The height
Our trailers stand 11 feet 4 inches to 11 feet 7 inches tall. Check for branches and power lines above the spot and along the way in, because nothing can hang overhead.
The way in
A truck tows the trailer to the spot, so the route matters as much as the destination. Measure gates and driveway pinch points against the trailer’s width, and look at the turns.
Power and water
Two separate 120-volt, 20-amp circuits within 100 feet, and a water source within 100 feet. Without a water connection, the trailer runs from its onboard tank.
Not sure? Send us a photo of the spot and the route from the road. We would rather solve a tight gate on the phone than on the morning of the event. Our guide to what a luxury porta potty is covers the rest of what a site has to provide.
What fits inside a trailer that size
The 5-Station’s listing gives it three women’s and two men’s stations, with a urinal in the men’s room, and its floor plan puts a mechanical room between the two sides. The 3-Station has two women’s rooms and one men’s room, and the 2-Station one of each.
Every room has a lockable door, and steps stand at each entrance, so the ground in front of the doors needs to be as clear and level as the spot under the trailer.
Sizing by guest count is a separate question: our 3-Station serves up to 225 guests and our 5-Station up to 300, and how many restrooms you need works through examples.
Questions people ask next
How big is a porta potty?
About 44 inches wide and 47 to 48 inches deep, a footprint of roughly 4 feet by 4 feet. PolyJohn lists its PJN3 at 43.5 by 47 inches, and Satellite Industries lists its Tufway at 44 by 48 inches.
How tall is a porta potty?
Both standard units we checked are 91 inches tall, which is 7 feet 7 inches. PolyJohn gives the PJN3 82 inches of headroom inside.
How much does a porta potty weigh?
About 165 pounds empty. PolyJohn lists 165 pounds for the PJN3 and Satellite Industries 164 pounds for the Tufway. The wheelchair accessible Freedom weighs 310 pounds.
How big is a wheelchair accessible porta potty?
Satellite Industries lists its Freedom at 66 inches wide, 86.5 inches deep and 90 inches tall, nearly three times the floor area of a standard unit. Satellite says it is built to meet ADA and Title 24 requirements.
How big is a restroom trailer?
Restroom Ranch trailers measure 17 feet by 11 feet 7 inches for the 2-Station, 19 feet 10 inches by 11 feet 4 inches for the 3-Station and 19 feet 10 inches by 12 feet 4 inches for the 5-Station, and stand 11 feet 4 inches to 11 feet 7 inches tall.
How much space does a restroom trailer need?
The trailer plus about five feet clear on every side, on firm, level ground with nothing overhead. For our trailers that works out to 27 feet by 21 feet 7 inches for the 2-Station and up to 29 feet 10 inches by 22 feet 4 inches for the 5-Station, plus a route a truck can tow it along.
Check that a trailer fits your spot
Send the date, the guest count and a photo of the spot. We will tell you which trailer fits and what it costs, with delivery, setup and pickup included.