A Baltimore site is prepared before a portable restroom delivery by clearing the spot, confirming the access for the truck, checking the ground, marking the unit's place and having the permit paperwork ready if the spot is on public ground. Doing those five things before the day means the drop is quick and the unit is level when the crew leaves.
Key takeaways
- Clear the spot and mark it so the crew can find it without asking.
- Confirm the truck's access, including the gate width, the turn and any low overhead line.
- Check the ground for a firm, level footing, and report any soft or sloped patch in advance.
- Keep hydrants, driveways, fire lanes and doors clear of the unit's footprint.
- For a public spot, have the permit and the restroom plan ready at the site.
- Name one person on site who will receive the crew and sign for the placement.
Clear the spot and mark it
Clear the spot of cars, bins, materials and debris, and mark its corners so the crew sets the unit where the plan shows it.
A spot that is cluttered on the day means the crew must move things before it can set the unit, and that costs time and sometimes damages the items moved. Clearing the spot the day before, and moving bins and parked cars, saves the drop.
Marking the corners with a stake, a cone or a chalk line tells the crew exactly where the unit goes. The mark should be on the ground the owner has agreed to, and it should match the drawing.
Confirm the truck's access
Confirm the route the truck takes from the road to the spot, including the gate width, the turn, any low branch or wire and the place the truck will stop.
A delivery truck needs a straight approach, room to turn and a place to stop without blocking a driveway or a fire lane. A gate that is narrower than the truck's track or a low branch can stop the drop entirely.
If the access is tight, tell us before the day, so the crew can plan a different approach or a smaller vehicle. It is far better to know on the phone than to find out at the curb.
- The gate width and the approach
- The turn at the corner
- Low branches and overhead wires
- The stop point for the truck
Check the ground
Check the ground is firm and level, and tell us about any soft, sloped or uneven patch, since a unit set on a soft or sloped spot will lean and its door will swing.
Most Baltimore spots are concrete, brick, flagstone, asphalt or grass. A unit on concrete or asphalt is simplest. A unit on grass, gravel or brick with gaps needs a pad or shims, and a unit on a slope needs a pad with a level top.
After rain, check the spot again. A lawn that held firm on a dry day can soften, and a pad may be needed where the ground was fine before.
Keep the unit's footprint clear
Keep the hydrants, the driveways, the fire lanes, the doors and the walkways clear of the unit's footprint and its door swing, so the unit does not block anything the city or the household needs.
A unit placed across a driveway blocks the household. A unit within the clearance of a fire hydrant is a hazard. A unit whose door opens onto a walkway is a trip. The technician checks each on the walk and moves the spot to suit.
Where the spot is on public ground, the city office may require a clear distance from a hydrant or a fire lane, and the plan shows it.
Have the paperwork ready for a public spot
For a spot on public ground, have the permit and the restroom plan on site or ready to show, so the crew and any inspector can see the approved layout.
An inspector who comes to a public event or a public placement will want to see the approved layout. The printed plan is kept on site, dated to the event, and matched to the spot the crew is setting.
Where a permit has a condition on the unit, such as a set distance from a street or a closed hour for collection, the condition is written on the plan and given to the crew.
On the day of the drop
On the day, one person on site receives the crew, confirms the spot and signs for the placement, and the crew checks the unit's level, door and sanitiser before it leaves.
A named person on site saves a second call. The crew arrives, the person confirms the spot, and the placement is checked. The unit is left level, with the door closing, and the sanitiser in place.
The crew notes the placement for the pickup crew, so the unit can be found when it is collected.
After the drop and before collection
Once the unit is down, keep the spot clear, report any fault straight away and tell us before the collection day, so the pickup is planned against the agreed date.
A unit that starts to lean, a door that sticks or a spot that has sunk is reported the same day. The technician can often correct the fault on the next visit, and a fault reported early is easier to fix.
Tell us the collection date in advance, and keep the spot clear for the crew on that day. The spot is returned to the state the plan records.
The crew's checklist on the drive in
The crew checks the spot, the access and the unit on the way in, and reports any change before the unit comes off the truck.
On arrival the crew compares the spot with the plan, checks the access and looks at the ground. A change is reported to the office before the unit is lowered, so the plan can be revised and the crew is not left guessing.
A spot that has changed since the plan was drawn is a reason to stop and call, not a reason to place the unit where it seems to fit.
Protecting the ground and the walls
The crew protects the ground, the curb and the walls of the spot when lowering and placing a unit, so the owner's property is left undamaged.
A unit lowered onto a curb or a wall can leave a mark or a chip. The crew uses boards or a protective mat where the unit touches the ground's edges, and it checks the owner's property after the placement.
Any damage to the ground or a wall is noted on the record and reported to the owner the same day.
Weather on the day of the drop
Rain, wind and heat each change how a drop is done, and the crew checks the forecast and the ground before the day, so the placement is planned for the weather.
Rain softens the ground and makes the access slippery, so the pad and the route are checked before the crew arrives. Wind can push a light unit, so it is weighted or pinned on the day. Heat makes the wait on the truck longer, so water is taken for the crew.
The crew calls the office if the weather changes the plan, and the placement is agreed with the site before the unit comes off.
Deliveries on a tight rowhouse block
A rowhouse block has narrow frontages and shared alleys, and a delivery there is planned with the truck's approach and the neighbors' driveways in view.
A truck on a rowhouse block must stop without blocking a neighbor's driveway. The approach is planned for the quietest hour, and the neighbors are told when a truck will be on the block if that is practical.
Where the alley is the only way to the back, the delivery is planned for that route, and the unit is placed to be reached from it.
Planning for a second delivery or a move
A second delivery or a move to a new spot is planned with the same care as the first, since a move that is rushed leaves units on the wrong ground.
A move from one spot to another is booked for a day the site agrees. The old spot is checked for marks and the new spot is prepared before the unit leaves the old one, so the unit is not left without a place to stand.
A second delivery for a longer job reuses the record of the first, so the crew knows the access, the ground and the owner's rules without starting again.
Before the crew leaves, the placement is checked from the outside: the unit is level, its door latches, its sanitiser is in place and the spot is clear of the truck. The contact on site signs for the placement, and the crew writes the spot on the record so the collection crew can find the unit without asking. A placement that is signed for is one that can be discussed later with evidence rather than memory, and that small step is the one most often skipped on a busy morning.
Frequently asked questions
How much notice does the crew need?
Confirm the spot, the access and the day as early as you can. Public spots need the permit file to be complete, which takes time.
Who should be on site on the day?
One person who can receive the crew, confirm the spot and sign for the placement.
What if the spot is too soft?
Tell us in advance. A pad or shims may solve it, or the spot may need to move, and the technician will say which.
Does the unit need a clear distance from the street?
On a public spot the city or county may set a distance from the street or a hydrant, and the plan shows it.
What if the truck cannot reach the spot?
Tell us before the day. A different approach or a smaller vehicle may be possible. On the day, the crew will call before it leaves.
Who collects the unit?
The same company that placed it, on the agreed date, once the spot is confirmed clear.
Is anything needed on the ground after the unit is collected?
The spot is checked for marks and debris and should be left as it was found. Any damage is noted at collection.
Can the crew place a unit on a sidewalk?
Only where the permit allows it and the unit does not block the pedestrian path. The technician checks the spot first.
What if a neighbor objects to the placement?
Tell us. The placement can be moved if the owner or the office agrees, and the plan is updated.
Sources
This guide is general information for Baltimore City homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.