Portable Toilet Rental in Uptown, Chicago

When does a concert night in Uptown need rental units?

Not every concert does. The venues in the historic district are buildings with their own facilities, and we make no claim that any of them rents portable toilets. A rental becomes a question when an event extends past the building: an outdoor stage, a long queue on the sidewalk, a festival-style day, or work on the venue itself that closes its restrooms.

Where an event is large, Chicago's code for temporary events is the starting point. Toilets must meet the minimum quantity in the Chicago Plumbing Code: more than 30 people present needs at least 2 toilets, and above 600 people it adds 1 toilet for every additional 300 people or fraction of 300. Our guide to how many portable toilets a Chicago event needs works through the arithmetic.

For the biggest outdoor shows, the concert and stadium event toilets page explains what to ask a provider and which questions belong with the venue instead.

What about a Montrose Beach day or a lakefront event?

A volleyball tournament, club outing or fundraiser on the shoreline puts people far from the nearest building. If any part of it is on Chicago Park District property, the Park District's special event permits apply: events with 50 or more participants, amplified sound, vending, tents or stages need a permit, and the Park District requires portable toilets for participants at picnic levels 3 and 4 and at all athletic, corporate and festival or performance permits. Its revenue department is at (312) 763-6710.

Summer matters here. The July 1995 heat wave reached 106 F at Midway on July 13 with a heat index above 115 F, and that kind of day makes shade, handwashing and frequent servicing more than a convenience. Ask the provider about servicing for a long hot day, and read our summer heat portable toilet guide before you finalize the plan.

Never try to move or empty a unit yourself, and do not let guests do it. Servicing belongs to the provider.

Is an old theater district a construction challenge?

Buildings put up between 1900 and 1930 are often under restoration, and a restoration crew needs toilets while the building is closed. The Chicago Plumbing Code says no one may begin construction, alteration or repair of a building without sufficient toilet facilities for employees, at least one per 30 employees or fraction, and that in a multi-story building no floor may be more than four stories from a story with toilet facilities.

Tell the provider the crew size, the number of weeks and how a truck will reach the spot, and ask the permit office to confirm the figure. The construction site toilets page lists the details that make a first call quicker.

How should you describe an Uptown site to a provider?

Give the nearest cross street among Broadway, Lawrence and Wilson, the surface the unit would sit on, and the hours the crowd or crew will be there. A unit on a sidewalk, in a lot or on a lakefront path each raises its own placement questions, and the provider is the one who answers them.

Add whether any part of the site is on Chicago Park District land, a public street or private property, since each has a different permission behind it. A rental provider can deliver only to a spot you are allowed to use. Servicing happens on the provider's schedule, and no one on your side should try to empty or relocate a unit.