PortaPottyBossPro Blog — Event Rentals & Booking

ADA Units and Hand Wash Stations at Events: Putting Them on Every Quote

An event quote that lists only standard units is an incomplete quote. Most events need at least one ADA accessible unit, and almost every event with food needs hand wash stations. Customers often do not think to ask for either. When you include them on the quote and explain why, you protect the customer, the guests and your own name.

Two Lines That Belong on Most Event Quotes

In How Many Porta Potties Does an Event Need? How to Guide Your Customers, we talked about the overall count. This guide is about the two items that customers most often leave off when they guess: accessible units and hand washing. Both are easy to add to an estimate, both are easy to explain, and both make your event setups look professional.

ADA Accessible Units

An ADA accessible unit is larger, sits at ground level, has a wide door and room inside for a wheelchair to turn. Guests who use wheelchairs, walkers or canes need it. So do many older guests, parents with small children and anyone who simply needs more room.

For public events, the venue, the city or the event permit may require accessible units. The rules vary by place, so ask the customer what their permit or venue says, and follow it. For private events like weddings and parties, ask whether any guests have mobility needs. Most hosts are glad you asked, and some will tell you about a grandparent they had not thought about.

When you build the estimate, ADA Accessible is its own unit type, with its own price from your service list. The unit type and quantity show on the job card on the driver's phone, so the right unit goes on the truck.

Where to Put ADA Units

An accessible unit is only accessible if a guest can reach it. Placement matters as much as the unit itself:

• On firm, level ground, ideally pavement or packed gravel, not soft grass or a slope
• Close to the main path, not at the far end of a bank behind standard units
• With the door facing a clear approach, not a curb, ditch or tent stake
• Near the area where guests with mobility needs will spend their time, such as seating or a grandstand ramp

Write that into the placement notes: "ADA unit on the paved path by the pavilion, door facing the path, not on the grass." The note shows on the driver's phone under the address, and the driver's placement photo stays on the job.

Hand Wash Stations

Guests notice when there is nowhere to wash their hands, especially at events with food. A hand wash station next to a bank of standard units makes the whole setup look cleaner and keeps lines moving, because people are not waiting inside a unit to use a small sanitizer dispenser.

Hand Wash Station is its own unit type in PortaPottyBossPro. Add it to the estimate as a separate line with its own quantity. Many operators recommend one at every bank of units, and more near food vendors, barns and children's areas. Use your company's guidance, and explain it to the customer.

Talking About Them Without Upselling

Some customers worry that every extra line on a quote is a sales trick. Keep it simple and honest: "Most events this size include one accessible unit, and hand wash stations by the food area. Here is what that adds." Give them the choice, and if they decline, note it on the estimate. That note protects you if a guest complains later.

For weddings and upscale events, deluxe flushing units often include a sink, and restroom trailers include sinks inside. If a customer chooses those, a separate hand wash station may not be needed at that spot. That is a nice thing to point out, because it shows you are recommending what fits, not what costs most.

Service and Refills

Hand wash stations need fresh water and soap, and the waste tank needs emptying. On a one-day event, they usually last the day. On a multi-day festival or fair, plan for them during each service visit. Put a note on the service job so the driver knows to refill every hand wash station, not just pump the units.

ADA units are serviced like any other unit, but their location matters during service too. The driver needs to reach them without blocking the accessible path during event hours, which is one more reason to schedule service before the gates open.

Billing Clearly

Each ADA unit and hand wash station is its own line on the invoice, with sales tax handled per site. A customer who sees "Hand Wash Station x2" knows exactly what they paid for. If one is added the week of the event, add it to the job and the invoice reflects it. Card on file means the final charge happens when the pickup is completed.

The Professional Touch

Accessible units and hand wash stations are small items on the quote, but they show that you think about every guest. Customers who see them on your quote, and not on a competitor's, have a good reason to choose you. For more on how these fit into the rest of the event workflow, visit the event porta potty rental software page.