A question that sounds simple but is not
Ask a portable toilet hire company what is included in the price, and you will get one of two answers. The good ones will give you a clear, itemised list. The others will give you a low headline number and hope you do not ask about the extras until the invoice arrives.
The portable toilet hire industry has a transparency problem. Delivery charges, service fees, environmental levies, fuel surcharges, and call-out fees all have a habit of appearing on final invoices despite never being mentioned during the quoting process. The result is that comparing quotes between companies becomes an exercise in reading the small print rather than comparing like with like.
We prefer a different approach. Here is exactly what is included when you hire from Chelford Mobile Services, and exactly what is not.
What is included in every hire
Delivery and positioning
We deliver the unit to your site or event venue at the agreed time. There is no separate delivery charge — it is built into the hire price. Our driver positions the unit on level, suitable ground in the agreed location. If the intended position turns out to be unsuitable on the day — soft ground, restricted access, a last-minute change to the site layout — we discuss alternatives with you and reposition accordingly.
For construction sites, delivery typically takes place within twenty-four to forty-eight hours of booking. For events, we agree a specific delivery date and time during the booking process.
The unit itself
A clean, fully functional portable toilet with:
- Chemical flush system
- Lockable door with functioning mechanism
- Internal ventilation
- Toilet seat and cover
- Integral hand sanitiser dispenser
- Hand wash dispenser
The unit is inspected and cleaned before every delivery. You receive a facility that is ready for immediate use — not a unit that was collected from the last site and delivered without attention.
Consumables
Every unit is delivered fully stocked with:
- Toilet paper — sufficient for the hire period (event hires) or until the next service visit (construction hires)
- Hand sanitiser — antibacterial gel in the integral dispenser
- Hand wash — soap for handwashing
- Chemical treatment — blue chemical in the waste tank for odour control and waste breakdown
These are not extras. They are not billed separately. They are included in the price and replenished at every service visit.
Weekly servicing (construction site hires)
For construction site hires running beyond one week, a weekly service visit is included in the weekly hire rate. There is no additional servicing charge — it is built into the price from the outset.
Each service visit covers:
- Complete emptying of the waste tank using a vacuum system
- Thorough interior cleaning with disinfectant
- Fresh chemical treatment applied to the tank
- Full restocking of toilet paper, hand sanitiser, and hand wash
- Mechanical inspection of the door lock, hinges, and ventilation
- Documentation of the visit — date, time, technician, and services performed
The servicing standard does not change over time. A unit on hire for twelve months receives the same quality of service visit as a unit in its second week.
Collection
We collect the unit at the end of the hire period. There is no separate collection charge — it is included in the hire price, the same as delivery. We aim to collect within one to two working days of the agreed end date, or sooner by arrangement.
Service documentation
Every service visit is logged in our system with the date, time, technician name, and all actions performed. This documentation is available on request and can be provided for:
- HSE inspections and compliance audits
- Principal contractor reviews
- CDM welfare records
- Site management documentation
The paper trail is not an extra service — it is a standard part of every construction site hire.
What is not included
We believe in stating exclusions as clearly as inclusions. Here is what falls outside the hire price.
VAT
All our prices are quoted plus VAT at the prevailing rate (currently twenty percent). This is standard practice across the industry and applies to all hire types.
Extended hire beyond the agreed period
If you keep the unit beyond the agreed end date, additional hire charges apply at the same weekly or daily rate. However, we are flexible about this — if your project overruns by a few days, talk to us. We will work something out that is fair to both sides.
Additional time charges for access delays
Our hire pricing assumes a maximum of fifteen minutes per unit for delivery, servicing, and collection. If site access problems — locked gates without a keyholder, blocked access routes, missing site contacts — cause delays significantly beyond this, we may charge additional time at a published hourly rate.
This is rare. In practice, it only becomes an issue on sites with persistent, unresolved access problems that have been discussed and not addressed. For the vast majority of hires, the standard time allowance is more than sufficient.
Damage beyond normal wear
You are responsible for the condition of the unit during the hire period. Normal wear and tear is expected — scuffs, minor marks, and the general effects of construction site life are entirely acceptable and not charged for.
Wilful damage, vandalism, arson, and theft are a different matter. These are your liability under the hire agreement. If a unit is damaged beyond repair, the replacement cost applies.
Specialist positioning requirements
Standard delivery and positioning are included. If your site requires specialist access — a crane lift over a wall, positioning inside a building, or delivery to a location that our standard vehicle cannot reach — we will discuss the options and any additional costs before proceeding.
The bottom line on pricing
When we quote a price, that is the price. Delivery, collection, consumables, servicing, and documentation are included. The only addition is VAT.
We do not add fuel surcharges, environmental levies, call-out fees, or administration charges. We do not quote low to win the booking and invoice high at the end. The price we agree at the outset is the price you pay.
If you have received a quote from another company that looks significantly cheaper, check what is included. The headline rate is only meaningful if it covers the same scope of service. A low weekly rate with separate delivery, servicing, and collection charges will often total more than an all-inclusive quote.
Chelford Mobile Services provides portable toilet hire across Cheshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, and Greater Manchester. Call 07534 362 251 for a clear, all-inclusive quote.