What general contractors and site superintendents in the Sioux Falls area need to know about sizing, placing and servicing jobsite restrooms.
Jobsite sanitation is a scheduling issue disguised as a facilities issue. Every trip off site is fifteen to twenty minutes of paid time, and multiplied across a crew and a season it becomes one of the easiest avoidable costs on a project.
This guide covers what actually matters in the field: how many units, where they go, how often they are serviced, and what changes when the temperature drops below freezing for three months.
OSHA's sanitation standard requires toilet facilities scaled to the number of employees. The practical industry norm of one unit per ten workers exceeds the minimum and is what most experienced superintendents specify, because the minimum produces lines at 9:30 a.m.
| Workers on site | Units | Recommended service |
|---|---|---|
| 1–9 | 1 | Weekly |
| 10–19 | 2 | Weekly, twice weekly in summer |
| 20–39 | 3–4 | Twice weekly |
| 40–59 | 5–6 | Twice weekly, split placements |
| 60+ | 1 per 10 workers | Twice weekly plus handwashing |
Placement should change as the site does. A single position for the life of a build guarantees the unit is in the wrong place for most of it.
On a long or multi-building site, two units at opposite ends save more time than three grouped at the entrance. Walking distance is the hidden cost. A rough rule: no worker should be more than about a two-minute walk from a facility.
Add a hand washing station near the break area once concrete, drywall or insulation work begins.
Cold weather is where poor vendors become obvious. Winter tank treatment, earlier-in-the-day service, and placement clear of plow routes and drift lines are the three practical measures. On your side, keeping the approach shoveled is the single biggest factor in whether the service visit happens on schedule.
Do not place a unit downwind of a building corner where snow loads. It will be buried by February.
Quote sanitation at your expected peak crew size, on a monthly basis, for the full duration including closeout. It is far easier to remove a unit than to explain an overage. Include handwashing where the scope calls for it and accessible units on publicly funded work.
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The sanitation standard scales facilities to worker count, commonly applied as one facility for up to 20 workers and additional facilities as the crew grows. Most contractors use one unit per ten workers as the working target because it prevents lines rather than merely meeting a minimum.
In nearly all cases the general contractor provides site sanitation for all trades. It is simpler, cheaper and avoids the situation where three subs each bring their own unit.
Weekly is the baseline for a small crew. Move to twice weekly above roughly twenty workers, in hot weather, or any time the unit is unpleasant before the next scheduled visit.
Yes, and they should be. Repositioning during a scheduled service visit is routine and keeps the facility where the crew actually is.
Where workers handle concrete, sealants, insulation, treated lumber or soil, yes — and crews notice immediately. A single station near the break area covers most crews under twenty.
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