For a workplace or construction site: 1 toilet and 1 washbasin for up to 5 people, 2 for up to 25, scaling to 5 at 100 people. For events, plan around 1 toilet per 100 women and 1 per 500 men plus urinals. Here are the full tables and the cheapest way to cover each headcount.
The legal baseline for any workplace, including construction sites, is the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 and its Approved Code of Practice, HSE L24. For construction specifically, Schedule 2 of CDM 2015 requires the facilities from day one; our welfare facilities guide covers the full list. The toilet numbers in L24 are:
| People at work (mixed or women only) | Toilets | Washbasins |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 5 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 to 25 | 2 | 2 |
| 26 to 50 | 3 | 3 |
| 51 to 75 | 4 | 4 |
| 76 to 100 | 5 | 5 |
Sites used only by men can substitute urinals for some of the toilets:
| Men at work | Toilets | Urinals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 15 | 1 | 1 |
| 16 to 30 | 2 | 1 |
| 31 to 45 | 2 | 2 |
| 46 to 60 | 3 | 2 |
| 61 to 75 | 3 | 3 |
| 76 to 90 | 4 | 3 |
| 91 to 100 | 4 | 4 |
Two rules people miss. First, washing facilities must have warm water, soap and a way to dry your hands, next to the toilets. Second, mixed-sex use is only acceptable where each toilet sits in its own room with a door that locks from the inside, which is exactly how twin WC cabins are built.
Events are not covered by the workplace tables. The ratios most UK event organisers and licensing authorities work to, for an event of up to 6 hours without significant alcohol service, are:
Longer events, camping, food and alcohol all push the numbers up, sometimes to double. Your local licensing authority has the final say, so agree numbers with them early. The HSE's event safety pages cover the wider welfare duties for organisers.
For a worked example: a 1,000-person event split evenly needs 5 toilets for women, 1 toilet and 4 urinal positions for men. One 4-WC toilet block, one 4-bay urinal station and a couple of single units covers it with margin.
Any site or event open to the public needs at least one wheelchair-accessible toilet, and it cannot be up a step. For buildings, Approved Document M sizes the compartment; for portable provision the practical options are a 10ft accessible WC cabin at £13,400 or a wheelchair-accessible portable toilet at £2,199, both ex VAT.
Matching the tables to real units, cheapest compliant option first. All prices ex VAT; every unit is brand new, never ex-hire.
| Headcount | Covers it | Price ex VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Crew up to 5 | Single WC cabin (WC + basin) | £3,200 |
| Men-only crew up to 15 | WC + urinal cabin | £4,600 |
| Mixed crew up to 25 | Twin WC cabin (two lockable rooms) | £4,800 |
| 26 to 50 people | 10ft toilet block, 4 WC | £12,600 |
| Public venue, sports ground | 20ft block, gents + accessible | £20,200 |
| Event overflow, remote corners | Recirculating portable toilets | from £1,055 |
Everything in the table is in stock on the toilet & welfare cabins page and the portable toilets page. If the venue needs something closer to a permanent washroom, with cubicle partitions and proper finishes, look at the luxury toilet blocks instead. For what the cabins themselves cost and what drives the price, see how much a welfare unit costs.
Send the number of people, the split and your postcode and we confirm the cheapest compliant setup and a delivered price the same day.