Builders need separate facilities — full stop
If you are having a kitchen extension built, a loft converted, a bathroom ripped out and retiled, or any significant work done to your home, there will come a point — usually around day three — when you regret offering your builders the use of your bathroom.
It starts with good intentions. You are all adults, the bathroom is right there, and it seems churlish to deny access. Then reality sets in. The muddy boot prints on the landing. The layer of plaster dust that appears on surfaces you cleaned that morning. The queue outside the bathroom at ten o'clock when three tradesmen arrive simultaneously and all need to go before starting work.
A portable toilet in the driveway or garden eliminates this entirely. The builders have their own facility. Your bathroom stays yours. Everyone is happier.
Why your contractors need a dedicated toilet
Beyond domestic harmony, there are practical and legal reasons for providing a separate facility.
The CDM 2015 obligation
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 apply to domestic building projects where you employ contractors. The welfare requirements include suitable and sufficient sanitary conveniences. While HSE applies these requirements proportionately on domestic sites, the expectation is clear: contractors need access to toilet facilities, and relying indefinitely on the homeowner's bathroom is not a robust arrangement.
Professional standards
Reputable building firms expect on-site welfare provision. For many contractors, a portable toilet on the client's driveway is standard practice — it demonstrates that the homeowner takes the project seriously and has made proper arrangements. Some contractors will request one if it has not been provided.
Protecting your home
Building work generates dust, dirt, and debris. Tracking that through your house multiple times a day — through hallways, up staircases, across carpets — causes wear and cleaning that you would not otherwise need. A dedicated toilet outside the house keeps the construction traffic outside where it belongs.
When your own toilet is out of action
Bathroom renovations create the most urgent need. If your only toilet is being stripped out, replumbed, tiled, and refitted, you need an alternative for the duration. That might be one week for a straightforward retile or three weeks for a full renovation with new plumbing.
A portable toilet on a short-term hire is the simplest and most practical solution. It is delivered clean, fully stocked, and ready to use from day one.
For households with a single bathroom — which is many houses across Cheshire and Shropshire — this is not optional. You cannot function without a toilet for two weeks. The hire cost is negligible compared to the cost of the renovation itself and the inconvenience of driving to a relative's house every time nature calls.
Where to position it
Most domestic portable toilets go on the driveway, a paved patio, or a firm area of garden close to the house. The unit is approximately 1.2 metres square, so it fits comfortably in most front gardens and on most driveways without blocking vehicle access.
Positioning priorities
- Firm, level ground: The unit needs a stable surface. Tarmac, concrete, block paving, and compacted gravel all work well. Soft lawn is acceptable if the ground is dry and firm, but may become boggy in wet weather.
- Access for servicing: Our service vehicle needs to park within approximately fifteen metres of the unit. A standard residential street provides this easily. If the unit is in a rear garden, we need a path wide enough to reach it with our equipment.
- Proximity to the work area: Position the toilet close enough that workers can use it without a long walk, but far enough from living spaces that it does not dominate your daily view.
- Neighbour consideration: Place the unit as far from boundary walls and neighbouring properties as the site allows. A clean, well-maintained portable toilet is inoffensive, but thoughtful positioning shows consideration.
Typical hire durations for home projects
Every project is different, but these ranges cover the most common domestic scenarios:
- Bathroom renovation: 1 to 3 weeks
- Kitchen extension: 4 to 12 weeks
- Loft conversion: 6 to 12 weeks
- Garage conversion: 3 to 8 weeks
- Full house renovation: 3 to 6 months
- New build extension: 8 to 16 weeks
We are flexible on duration. Home improvement projects have a well-earned reputation for overrunning — if your builder needs an extra fortnight, the hire extends seamlessly. If the project finishes ahead of schedule, call us and we collect promptly. There are no fixed contracts and no penalties for early return.
What the neighbours will think
Less than you imagine. Modern portable toilets are clean, compact, and unremarkable. They look like what they are — a temporary practical necessity associated with building work that the neighbours can see is underway.
Most neighbours will understand immediately. Many will have hired one themselves when their own house was being worked on. If you are concerned about appearances, position the unit behind a vehicle or screen it with temporary fencing.
The alternative — workers using nearby gardens, alleyways, or knocking on neighbouring doors — is far more likely to generate genuine complaints.
The cost relative to the project
A single portable toilet for a four-week domestic hire costs less than a single day's labour for your builder. Over a twelve-week extension project, the total toilet hire cost represents a fraction of one percent of the overall build cost.
It is, by any measure, the cheapest practical decision you will make on the entire project. And it buys domestic peace, professional relationships with your contractors, and compliance with welfare regulations.
What is included in the hire
- Delivery to your property at the agreed time
- A clean, fully stocked portable toilet
- Toilet paper, hand sanitiser, and hand wash
- Weekly servicing for hires of one week or more — cleaning, waste removal, restocking
- Collection at the end of the hire
- No hidden charges — the quoted price is the price, plus VAT
Chelford Mobile Services provides portable toilet hire for home renovations and extensions across Cheshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, and Greater Manchester. Call 07534 362 251 to arrange delivery.