Who the rule applies to in Texas
Texas does not run its own OSHA plan for private-sector employers, so private construction sites here fall under federal OSHA. That means 29 CFR 1926.51, the sanitation section of the construction standard, is the reference point for a general contractor in Frisco or a sitework sub in Corpus Christi. General industry workplaces use 29 CFR 1910.141 instead. This guide is a planning aid, not legal advice; check the current text of the standard and your own safety program, and confirm anything unusual with your safety director.
The toilet ratios
Paragraph (c) of 1926.51 sets minimum toilet counts based on the number of workers on the site:
| Workers on site | Minimum toilets |
|---|---|
| 20 or fewer | 1 |
| 21 to 199 | 1 per 40 workers |
| 200 or more | 1 per 50 workers |
Worked examples
- A 12-person remodel crew: one toilet. See the remodel porta potty page for homeowner jobs.
- A 95-person warehouse slab and tilt-wall crew at peak: 95 divided by 40 is 2.4, so three toilets.
- A 240-person data-center build at peak: 240 divided by 50 is 4.8, so five toilets.
Always plan to your peak headcount, including subs, deliveries and inspectors who linger. Many supers add a unit once the site is large or hot, because queues cost working time.
Separate or lockable
The sex-separation language comes from the general-industry rule, 29 CFR 1910.141, which calls for separate facilities for each sex or a lockable toilet room that holds one occupant. Construction sites commonly use lockable single-user units regardless, and portable units are built that way. If you have a mixed crew, a lockable single-user unit is a clean answer. Verify which rule governs your project with your safety director. Do not rely on a door latch that does not work; check them on delivery day.
Handwashing
Where toilets are provided, workers are expected to have access to hand-washing facilities. In practice, that means a station with running water or a foot-pump tank, soap and paper towels, placed near the toilets. A rough planning ratio is one station for every four toilets, though a small site may simply need one. Gel alone is a stopgap, not a replacement, when hands are muddy or oily. See job-site handwashing stations for the options.
- Check water levels during hot weeks; heavy use drains tanks quickly.
- Protect tanks from freezing in winter.
- Restock soap and towels on a schedule rather than waiting for someone to complain.
Servicing and keeping things sanitary
The rule asks that toilet facilities be kept in a sanitary condition. For a portable unit that means regular pump-out, cleaning and restocking. Frequency depends on crew size, heat and the unit type. A small crew in cool weather may be fine weekly; a big crew in August may need more. Ask for the schedule in writing and tell us when a unit is filling faster than planned. Waste has to be taken to a permitted disposal facility under state and local rules. The servicing and pumping page explains what a typical visit includes.
Potable water
Drinking water on a site has to be potable and clearly separate from anything non-potable. Do not let a wastewater tank, a flush tank or a handwash unit double as a drinking source, and never swap tanks between jobs of different kinds. If you are renting tanks for a remote site, see freshwater and wastewater holding tanks, and label every one.
Mobile crews and linear work
Highway, pipeline, utility and TxDOT work moves. Section 1926.51 exempts mobile crews from the fixed-toilet requirement when they have transportation readily available to nearby toilet facilities, so the practical question is how quickly workers can actually reach one. A towable porta potty that follows the crew is a common solution. Write down your plan: where the units will be, who moves them and how often.
Crane-liftable units on tall or tight sites
High-rise and podium projects cannot always wait for a worker to ride down to the street. A crane-liftable porta potty has a lifting frame and is placed on upper levels by crane. The crane operator, rigger and site safety lead set the pick plan, and the unit usually needs to be empty or lightly loaded when moved. Plan the pick, the landing spot and the servicing route up front.
Tips for superintendents
- Put toilets near where people work, not at the far edge of the lot.
- Think about the truck: a pump-out vehicle needs a hard, dry, clear route. In Houston gumbo or Blackland clay, a muddy lane can strand it.
- Keep units level and, on windy West Texas sites, anchored.
- Walk the units weekly with a checklist: locks, lights, paper, soap, water, trash.
- Add units before a big concrete pour or a shift change, when many people arrive at once.
- Revisit the count whenever the crew grows. See the construction site rental page or the calculator.
Documenting your sanitation plan
Inspections go better when the paperwork is ready. Keep a short sanitation log with the number of workers at peak, the number of toilets and handwash stations, the service schedule, and the dates of each weekly walkthrough. When headcount grows, note when you added units. On multi-employer sites, make clear which contractor is responsible for coordinating sanitation, because a missing toilet is often an argument about whose job it was. Include sanitation in the pre-construction meeting and the site logistics plan, alongside parking, laydown and dumpsters. A single page on file is usually enough to show that you planned ahead. Photographs of the toilet cluster taken during weekly walkthroughs can also settle questions later about cleanliness, locks and supplies.
Verify the current rules
Federal standards are updated, and your owner, the project specs or a local jurisdiction may demand more than the minimum. Always check the current text on the OSHA website and your contract. When you call, give us the address, peak crew size and schedule, and we will talk through equipment that fits, then confirm coverage for your site.
Last updated November 6, 2026. This guide is general information, not legal, engineering or regulatory advice.