How fast can you deploy after a hurricane or flood?
Speed depends on road access and how many sites need coverage at once. St. Petersburg sits close to towns we already serve, and that matters when FEMA staging areas or shelters pop up fast: Gulfport is 5.2 miles west, Bear Creek is 6.6 miles west, and Lealman is 6.6 miles northwest. A roll-off delivery truck needs about 60 feet of straight clearance behind it, so we ask about driveway and street access before we roll. If your site lost power along with water, a light tower rental or a temporary power pole can go out on the same trip as the toilets. We also bring handwashing station rental units, because sanitizer alone does not meet the intent of 29 CFR 1910.141(d)(2), which calls for soap and towels or a hand drying device at every wash station. For crews doing debris cleanup, OSHA 1926.51(c) sets out how many toilets a workforce needs, scaled by headcount, and we size the order to match your crew instead of guessing.
What do disaster relief customers usually order?
Most orders mix a few unit types rather than just toilets. Shelters and staging areas often need standard porta potty rental units for volume, at least one ADA accessible porta potty per ADA Standards section 213.2, which requires 5 percent of a cluster to be accessible units with never fewer than one, and a roll-off dumpster rental for storm debris. Households waiting on septic repairs sometimes need a holding tank rental bridging the gap, and if flooding backed up a line, emergency septic service gets the tank pumped so the system does not back up again. Contractors clearing yards lean on a 10 yard dumpster rental for smaller debris piles or a 20 yard dumpster rental when the load is heavier. If a work site needs to be secured overnight, temporary fence rental keeps people out of a damaged structure. Here is roughly what disaster response customers pay across unit types, based on measured rental data:
| unit | day | week | month |
|---|---|---|---|
| standard | $100-350 | $130-500 | $125-325 |
| ada | $200-400 | $185-240 | n/a |
| dumpster | $51-112 | $426-778 | $426-500 |
| septic | $150-300 | n/a | n/a |
Delivery runs separately, typically $100 to $500 for a single trip depending on distance and load, and a service fee applies on top for daily service calls. If you are still working out how many units your site actually needs, how many porta potties do I need walks through the math by headcount and hours.
Do storm-damaged properties still need to follow permit rules?
Placement in the public right of way still needs confirming with the city, and we recommend calling before equipment lands on a street or sidewalk during recovery. That check matters even in an emergency, because a unit blocking a road or sightline can create a bigger problem than the one it solved. Our porta potty placement guide covers ground stability and clearance, both of which matter more after a storm since soil gets saturated and uneven. ADA Standards section 302.1 calls for stable, firm, slip-resistant surfaces, which is harder to guarantee on storm-softened ground, so we walk the site before we set anything down. If your property is 7 to 12 miles out toward St. Pete Beach, 9.5 miles southwest, or Pinellas Park, 10.1 miles northwest, tell us up front so we can route the truck efficiently. For agricultural properties hit by flooding, OSHA 1928.110 sets a separate standard for field sanitation, requiring one facility per 20 hand-labor employees within a quarter mile walk, which we account for on farm and agricultural restrooms jobs. Storage needs come up too. A storage container rental can hold salvaged belongings while repairs happen, and a mobile office trailer rental gives adjusters or contractors a dry place to work.
How quickly can a unit actually arrive after I call?
Same-day delivery is common for disaster response when the site is already accessible, but blocked roads or downed lines can push it back. Call St. Petersburg Porta Pros directly rather than emailing first. We prioritize shelters and active work sites over standing orders during declared events.
Will insurance or FEMA cover the rental cost?
That depends on your policy and any declared assistance program, which we cannot advise on. Keep your invoice and delivery record from us. Many adjusters ask for dated paperwork showing when service started and stopped.
Can you service a unit that is still standing after flooding?
Sometimes, if the tank and structure are intact and the ground has stabilized enough for the truck. We inspect before pumping. If the unit shifted or cracked, we swap it rather than risk a bad seal.
Do you provide handwashing stations without toilets?
Yes. Some shelters already have restrooms but need extra wash stations. Each one comes with soap and towels per 29 CFR 1910.141(d)(2), not just sanitizer, and we can place several around a site depending on foot traffic.
What if my regular pickup schedule gets disrupted by the storm?
Call us and we will adjust the route. Storm weeks often mean rescheduling service across many properties at once, so earlier notice helps us hold your spot in the rotation and avoid a missed pump-out.
Next step
Get a delivery date
Tell us the address, the dates and the headcount. We size the order and confirm the route.