What does a film set actually need?
Base camp takes the real load, not the shooting location. Crew spend the day at the trucks, and the restroom order sits with the rest of the base camp build.
- A restroom trailer at base camp, sized to the crew
- One or two standard units at the shooting location for anyone who cannot walk back
- A separate unit for background if the day carries a large extras call
- Handwashing at craft services, not near the trailers
- A light tower on any night exterior, because base camp is dark long before the set is
Trailer sizes go 2 stall, 4 stall and 8 stall. A luxury trailer is the cast option on larger productions.
How many stalls for a crew?
One stall per 15 people over a 12 hour day is the working figure. That is tighter than an event, because crew are on site for the whole day rather than passing through, and lunch creates a spike nothing else on a set does.
| Crew and cast | Stalls | Typical setup |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 2 | 2 stall trailer |
| 40 | 3 | 4 stall trailer |
| 60 | 4 | 4 stall trailer plus 1 standard |
| 100 | 7 | 8 stall trailer plus 2 standard |
| 200 with background | 14 | 8 stall trailer plus 6 standard |
Accessibility applies here as anywhere. The 2010 ADA Standards, section 213.2 Exception 4, require 5 percent of the single-user units in a cluster and never fewer than one to comply with section 603, and most trailers are not accessible unless specified with a lift. Ask for it by name. ADA accessible units covers the spec.
Power and water on location
This is where productions get caught, because a trailer is not a plug-and-play item. Manufacturer specs on a two stall want a dedicated 110 volt 20 amp circuit, roughly 100 gallons of onboard freshwater or a hose connection, and a level pad the tow vehicle can back onto.
On a lot or a stage that is trivial. On a South Philadelphia rowhouse block it is not, and the answer is usually a generator on the genny truck with the restroom trailer as one of its loads. Tell your gaffer the draw before the truck order goes in, because a trailer added late to a full genny is a problem discovered at 6am. A temporary power pole is the answer on a longer build rather than a day shoot.
Film set restroom pricing in Philadelphia
Typical market ranges, reviewed July 2026. Ranges rather than quotes, and a multi-week shoot prices very differently from a one day insert.
| Item | Typical range | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Standard unit | $200 to $400 | per day |
| Standard unit | $130 to $500 | per week |
| Deluxe flushable | $150 to $290 | per week |
| Restroom trailer | $175 to $2,500 | per day |
| Restroom trailer | $150 to $1,650 | per week |
| ADA accessible unit | $199 to $400 | per day |
| Handwash station | $75 to $175 | per unit |
| Delivery | $50 to $150 | per movement |
Weekly beats daily by a wide margin on anything over four shoot days, and a multi-week shoot should be priced against monthly rates. Trailer pricing and what porta potty rental costs have the breakdowns.
Base camp on a Philadelphia location
Philadelphia locations divide sharply. Center City and the rowhouse neighbourhoods give you the look and take away the parking. Northeast Philadelphia, the Navy Yard district and the lot-heavy area around Lincoln Financial Field, Citizens Bank Park and the Wells Fargo Center give you space and a different look.
On a rowhouse block:
- Base camp is usually a street away from the location, not on it
- The trailer needs a tow path, which is wider than a parking space
- Delivery has to happen before the block fills, so 6am rather than 9am
- Overhead wires and tree canopy decide which end of the block works
- A holding tank rather than a mains tie-in, because there is nothing to tie into
We would rather walk the block with the location manager than guess from a map. The placement guide has the clearances we work to, and holding tank rental covers longer builds.
Night shoots and multi-day builds
A night exterior changes the order in two ways. Everything needs lighting, and servicing has to happen in daylight when the unit is empty rather than overnight when it is in use. ANSI/PSAI Z4.3 puts the baseline service interval at one visit a week for a unit taking about 10 users a day, and a 60 person crew blows straight through that, so a working set trailer needs servicing every day or two.
The tank on a standard cabin holds 60 to 70 gallons. On a full crew day it fills. Book the service schedule with the rental rather than calling for it, because a same-day pump on a live set is the most expensive way to solve a problem that a calendar entry would have prevented.
Do film shoots need a portable toilet permit in Philadelphia?
If anything sits on public ground, yes. Philadelphia issues portable toilet permits through the City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health, under its infectious waste program, on the application that also covers holding tanks. Not through a streets or transportation department, which is where production coordinators from other markets look first.
That sits alongside the location and parking permissions a production already files with the city, and it is a separate application rather than part of them. On private property, a studio or an interior location, no portable toilet permit applies. See permit requirements, and note that if the production also drops a container on the street, dumpster permits are a different application again.
Film set restroom questions
How late can we add a trailer?48 to 72 hours in the season. Trailers are the tightest inventory we carry.
Can you deliver at 5am?Yes, and on a rowhouse block it is often the only workable window.
Do you supply generators?We supply light towers and site power equipment. A trailer can run off the production genny, which is what most shoots here do.
What about a unit for background holding?Standard units near holding, one per 40 background, and a handwash station beside them.
Do you cover locations outside the city?Yes. Bensalem is 14.8 miles and Camden is 7.3. See service areas.
Do you take the set waste too?Yes. Roll off dumpsters for strike, and storage containers for anything that lives between locations.
Book film set restrooms
How often are they serviced during a run?
ANSI/PSAI Z4.3 sets the weekly baseline. Multi-day events get serviced nightly.
Do you handle power for a night shoot?
We can arrange the portable generator rental film crews expect, and light towers with it.
Send the crew count, the shoot days and the base camp address. We will tell you what fits the block before you commit to it. Request a quote or contact us. Related: event restroom rental, shower trailers, porta potty rental in Philadelphia, the FAQ, or the home page.
Next step
Get a delivery date
Tell us the address, the dates and the headcount. We size the order and confirm the route.