Cal/OSHA's Title 8 section 1526 calls for one toilet facility for each 20 employees or fraction, of each sex. Urinals may count, but toilets must be at least half the required number. Where fewer than five employees work, one single-user all-gender toilet is enough. Confirm how it applies to your crew.
Key takeaways
- California's rule, Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations section 1526, asks for one toilet facility for each 20 employees or fraction, of each sex.
- Urinals may count toward the number, but toilets must be at least half the required total.
- With fewer than five employees, one single-user all-gender toilet is sufficient.
- Federal OSHA is worded differently: one toilet for up to 20 workers, then one seat and one urinal per 40 workers above 20.
- The rule counts employees, so a crew that grows through a project needs the unit count revisited as headcount changes.
- Los Angeles Porta Potty Rental connects you with independent local providers. We do not say any unit meets a code; confirm your count with Cal/OSHA or your safety consultant.
What does California require for toilets on a construction site?
California's Title 8 section 1526 asks for one toilet facility for each 20 employees or fraction, of each sex. Urinals may count, but toilets must be at least half the required number. A site with fewer than five employees may use one single-user all-gender toilet.
The rule sits in the state's construction safety orders, enforced by Cal/OSHA, the division of the Department of Industrial Relations responsible for workplace safety. Its core is a ratio: one facility for each 20 employees, and the phrase or fraction means a partial group of 20 still needs a full facility.
Two details change the arithmetic. First, the rule says of each sex, so a crew's makeup affects how the count is read. Second, urinals may count toward the total, but at least half of the required number must be toilets. For an unusual crew, ask Cal/OSHA or a safety consultant how to apply the wording, because we are describing the rule, not interpreting it for your site.
This guide is general information and not legal advice. Rules can change, so read the current text of the regulation, which we cite below.
How does the one-per-20 rule work in practice?
Divide your employees by 20 and round up. Twenty or fewer employees points to one facility, 21 to 40 to two, and 41 to 60 to three. A site with fewer than five employees may use a single single-user all-gender toilet. This arithmetic shows the minimum under the rule's ratio and is not a design for your site.
The or fraction wording matters because it rounds up. A crew of 21 does not get a fractional second facility; it needs a second one. A crew that doubles in the framing phase needs the count reviewed, even if the first few weeks were fine.
The table below shows the arithmetic using the ratio alone. It does not apply the of-each-sex wording or the half-toilets rule, which depend on your crew and your mix of units. Treat it as a quick way to see whether your current rental count is in the right neighborhood, then confirm the details.
| Employees on site | Facilities by the ratio alone | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | 1 | A single-user all-gender toilet is sufficient where there are fewer than five employees |
| 5 to 20 | 1 | One facility for up to 20, read with the of-each-sex wording |
| 21 to 40 | 2 | A fraction of a second group of 20 counts as a full group |
| 41 to 60 | 3 | Urinals may count, but toilets must be at least half the total |
| 61 to 80 | 4 | Review the count whenever headcount changes |
How does the federal OSHA rule differ?
Federal OSHA, as we saw it described, calls for one toilet for up to 20 workers, then one toilet seat and one urinal for every 40 workers above 20. California's state rule is worded differently, counting one facility per 20 employees or fraction. Contractors in California follow the state rule and check the federal one for reference.
The two systems share a starting point: up to 20 workers, one toilet. They diverge above that. The federal wording we saw steps up per 40 workers above 20 and pairs a seat with a urinal. California's wording steps up per group of 20 and counts facilities of each sex.
For most California jobs the state rule is the one that governs, and it asks for more facilities as headcount rises. We cite the federal standard, 29 CFR 1926.51, for reference. Do not assume that satisfying one rule satisfies the other. Ask a safety consultant.
What counts as a jobsite toilet, and does a rental unit meet it?
We found nothing in our sources that confirms which unit types satisfy section 1526, so we make no claim that any rental unit meets it. A provider can describe standard units, accessible units and restroom trailers in general terms, but compliance is for you and your safety advisor to confirm.
Contractors often rent portable toilets for jobsites, and they are a common answer to the need for a facility on a site with no building plumbing. What we cannot do is say a particular unit meets the regulation. The text we sourced is about counts and facilities, and the question of which unit satisfies it should go to Cal/OSHA or your safety consultant.
What a provider can do is describe what is available. The portable toilet rental page covers standard units, the accessible portable toilets page covers larger units that need level ground, and the restroom trailer page covers flushable trailers that suit bigger crews or longer jobs. Providers also supply handwash stations, described on the handwash station rental page.
Servicing is done by the provider. You should not move or empty a unit yourself.
How should I plan units as a project moves through phases?
Plan from headcount by phase. Demolition, framing, finishing and landscaping bring different crew sizes, and the rule counts employees. Map the expected crew for each phase, compare it with the ratio, and tell the provider early so units can be added or reduced when the crew changes and units are free.
Most jobsites do not hold a steady headcount. A project may start with a small survey and demolition crew, swell during structure and mechanical work, and thin out again at finishing. A toilet count that suited week two can be short in week ten.
The simplest habit is a one-page headcount plan. List the phases, the largest crew expected in each, and the facilities the ratio implies. Share it with the provider when you order, so the rental can grow with the job instead of being patched after a crew arrives and finds a line.
Watch the opposite problem too. When a phase ends and the crew drops, units that nobody uses still need servicing and still take up room. Ask whether the rental can be reduced and what notice that needs. Subcontractors who arrive for a short push, such as concrete or roofing crews, count as employees on site for the days they are there, so ask each trade how many people it will bring.
Record your headcount and unit count at each change. If an inspector, an owner's representative or a safety consultant asks how you decided, a dated note is far more helpful than memory.
How do Los Angeles projects change the plan?
Los Angeles projects vary: studio expansion in Culver City, D Line construction along Wilshire, home renovations in preservation districts and debris removal after the January 2025 fires. Each has its own crew pattern, duration and access, and each changes how many units you need and where they can stand.
Large projects run for months. Sony's studio in Culver City, Amazon MGM Studios' purchase of Culver Studios and a 620 million dollar project at Hackman, 413,000 square feet in all, are the sort of long jobs that need steady sanitation. The D Line Extension opened its first section in May 2026, with section two planned for spring 2027 and section three for fall 2027, so transit construction is a continuing story along Wilshire.
Smaller jobs have different problems. Home renovations in preservation districts, such as the Highland Park-Garvanza overlay of about 4,000 structures, put a unit near neighbors and parked cars, so the question of where it can stand and be reached comes first. Our long-term portable toilet rental page and the delivery and placement planning page cover those questions.
After the January 2025 Eaton and Palisades fires, LA County Public Works led removal of more than 2.5 million tons of debris from nearly 10,000 properties in six months. EPA staging areas included Lario, Topanga Canyon Boulevard, Will Rogers State Beach and the Altadena Golf Course. Work on that scale has its own sanitation needs, covered on the disaster cleanup and staging toilets page.
How often are jobsite units serviced?
Servicing frequency is agreed with the provider and depends on crew size, the number of units and how long the job runs. A bigger crew fills units faster, and a longer job needs a repeating schedule. Ask what schedule your quote includes and what an extra or missed visit costs.
On a construction site, units are used by the same people every day, and the load follows the workday. A crew that shows up at 7 a.m. and breaks at noon creates predictable peaks. A provider can set a schedule against that rhythm.
The servicing and pump-out page describes what a visit involves. For cost questions, our rental cost guide explains why published prices conflict and what a written quote should list. Use it before you compare offers for a long rental.
What should I check before ordering for a jobsite?
Check your current and expected headcount, any phases when the crew grows, the rule text itself, where units can stand and be reached, and the servicing schedule. Then ask the provider for a written quote and confirmation that units are free for your start date. Keep records of counts as headcount changes.
A little preparation avoids the common failures: too few units after a crew grows, units placed where a truck cannot reach them, and a servicing schedule that does not match the work.
Run through the list below before you call (888) 351-0294, which connects you with an independent local provider.
- Peak headcount by phase, since the rule counts employees and the count may need to rise.
- The current text of Title 8 section 1526, read with your safety consultant, including the of-each-sex wording and the half-toilets rule.
- A place to stand units that is level, reachable by a truck, and away from active work.
- Whether you also need handwash stations, accessible units or a restroom trailer.
- The servicing schedule and what happens if headcount or hours change.
- A written quote and confirmation of availability for your start date.
Frequently asked questions
How many toilets does a California construction site need for 25 workers?
By the one-per-20-employees-or-fraction ratio, 25 employees works out to two facilities, since the fraction counts as a full group. The rule also reads the count of each sex and requires toilets to be at least half the total. Confirm your crew's makeup with Cal/OSHA or a safety consultant.
Can a small crew share one toilet?
Where fewer than five employees work, the rule as we sourced it says one single-user all-gender toilet is sufficient. Above that, the one-per-20 ratio applies. Check headcount often, since a crew that grows past four needs the count reviewed.
Do urinals count toward the required number?
Under Title 8 section 1526 as we sourced it, urinals may count, but toilets must be at least half of the required number. That means a site cannot fill its whole count with urinals. Ask a safety consultant how it applies to your units.
Does a portable toilet automatically satisfy the rule?
We make no claim that any particular unit meets the regulation. The sources we used describe counts and facilities, not unit types. A provider can describe what is available, and you or your safety consultant confirm that your setup satisfies the rule.
Who services the units on my site?
The independent provider does. A provider's crew pumps out, cleans and restocks units on an agreed schedule. Do not move or empty a unit yourself. Ask what schedule your quote includes and how an extra visit is handled.
What if my crew size changes during the project?
Revisit the count whenever headcount changes, since the rule counts employees. Tell the provider about planned growth early so units can be added when a provider has them free, and ask about reducing units when a phase ends. Keep a dated note of each change.
Sources
- Cornell Legal Information Institute – 8 CCR section 1526, Toilet facilities (California)
- California Department of Industrial Relations – Title 8, Section 1526
- U.S. OSHA – 29 CFR 1926.51, Sanitation
This guide is general information for Los Angeles County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.