Choose the rental term from the project schedule, not from the price you hope to see. The term should cover the crew’s time on site with room for slips, and multi-year road work needs units serviced across phases. Headcount sets the minimum count, so term and count must be planned together.
Key takeaways
- Start from the project schedule. A term should cover the crew’s time on site with margin for delay.
- Headcount sets the minimum number of units under Michigan’s construction rule, so a longer job with more crews needs more units or more servicing.
- Reported road projects in the city run for different lengths, from a 2026 reconstruction to a multi-year rebuild through 2029.
- Long terms are dominated by servicing. Agree the visit frequency for each stage rather than accepting one weekly visit for the whole job.
- Ask how an extension is priced before you need one. No extension rate is sourced here.
- Removal is part of the term. Confirm the collection date, the final service and the hauler, and check that hauler’s license.
How long will the site need units?
Start from the project schedule. A rental term should cover the crew’s time on site with room for delay, and a multi-year project needs units that are serviced across its phases rather than a single block booking.
The project schedule is the starting point, and it is rarely a single date. A crew may be on a site for a few weeks in one phase and return months later for the next. The rental term should match the phase the crew is in, with a note of when the next phase is expected to start.
Reported timings in the city show how different these can be. The I-94 rebuild between I-275 and Michigan Avenue has been reported as running through 2029. The Michigan Avenue reconstruction in Corktown, from Cass Avenue to I-96, was reported for 2026, and the Gratiot Avenue bridge over the Dequindre Cut was reported for summer 2026 through February 2027.
Those are reported figures, not confirmed schedules for any one contractor. Confirm the current schedule with the contractor and the agency before choosing a term, because a term chosen from an outdated date will end too early or run too long.
Does headcount set the number of units for the term?
Headcount sets the minimum. The 2008 summary of Michigan’s construction rule ties units to headcount, so a longer job with more crews needs more units or more servicing, not the same count stretched over more weeks.
The count is set by the largest shift on the site, not by the average. A crew that doubles for one phase needs the count for the doubled crew during that phase, even if the rest of the job is smaller. Stretching a small count over a large crew is the mistake that causes trouble.
The summary describes one toilet for one to 20 employees, two for 21 to 40, and one more for each 40 or fewer beyond that. Use it as a structure to check against the current rule, which should be read directly before a term is agreed. The construction site toilet requirements guide sets out the steps.
When the crew count changes mid-term, tell the provider in writing. A larger crew needs a revised count, and the term should be extended or the units adjusted to match, not left to run short.
| Project | Reported timing | What it means for the term |
|---|---|---|
| I-94 rebuild, I-275 to Michigan Avenue | Running through 2029 | A multi-year term with servicing across several phases |
| Michigan Avenue reconstruction, Corktown | Reported for 2026 | A shorter term, with the count matched to the crew |
| Gratiot Avenue bridge over the Dequindre Cut | Summer 2026 through February 2027 | A term that ends with the crew, plus margin for delay |
| I-696 eastbound closure | Reported until November 2026 | A short term, if the crew is working that closure |
Should the term be short, long or mixed?
Road work moves along a corridor, so one fixed set of units may not match where the crews are at each stage. Ask whether units can be moved or exchanged as the work shifts, and write the answer into the order.
A single fixed term suits a site that stays in one place. A corridor project does not, because the crews move on, and units left behind at an earlier stage are paid for without being used. A mixed arrangement, with units moved or exchanged between stages, can match the count to the work more closely.
Ask the provider how a move is handled: whether it is quoted as a new delivery, what happens to the units being moved, and how the servicing schedule changes. Those answers cannot be guessed from this page, and they should be in writing before the order is placed.
Keep the term and the count linked. Every change to the crew’s location should prompt a check on whether the count and the term still fit the stage.
What does a long term cost in servicing?
Over a long term, servicing and supply are the lines that build up. Agree the visit frequency for each stage and the process for extra visits, rather than accepting one weekly visit for the life of the job.
Servicing is where a long term accumulates cost. A unit used by a full crew fills faster than one used by a few people, and a plan with one visit a week may be short during a busy stage. The visit frequency should be set stage by stage, with the crew count in mind.
The pumping and servicing service describes what a visit involves. Ask how many visits are included, how an extra visit is requested and how the supply of paper and water is checked between visits.
Compare two term quotes by their servicing plans as well as their totals. Two quotes with different visit frequencies are not comparable on one number.
What happens at the end of the term?
Removal is part of the term. Confirm when the units are collected, how the final servicing is done and that the waste is handled by a hauler whose license you have checked.
Set the collection date in the order, and tie it to the end of the crew’s time on site, not to the end of a phase that may move. A unit left after the crew has gone is a cost with no use, and the removal should be booked with the same care as the delivery.
The final servicing before collection matters too. Ask for the last visit to be scheduled before the removal, so the unit leaves empty and clean. The waste must go through a licensed hauler. The waste rules guide explains the license checks.
Keep a note of the removal date and the final servicing record. It closes the order and protects both sides if a question arises after the site is cleared.
Frequently asked questions
Should I rent for the whole project or extend?
Rent for the period you can plan with margin, and ask how an extension is priced before you need one. No extension rate is sourced here, so get it in writing.
Is a term quote the same as a per-day quote?
Not always. Ask whether the figure is set for the term or per period, and whether the servicing visits are included. Two quotes with different structures cannot be compared on one number.
What if the crew count changes during the term?
Tell the provider in writing. Under the 2008 summary of the rule, unit counts follow headcount, so a larger crew needs a revised count, and the term may need to change with it.
Can a unit stay on site after the crew leaves?
This guide cannot answer that for any one site. Ask the provider for the removal date and the final service visit, and check the waste handling before the unit leaves.
Sources
This guide is general information for Wayne County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.