Guide · Willits & Mendocino County
California Jobsite Toilet Rules: Cal/OSHA §1526 and §1527 Explained
California has its own jobsite sanitation rules. Here is what Title 8 actually requires, what it does not, and how to set up a compliant site.
How many toilets does a California construction site need?
A California construction site needs one toilet for every 20 employees or fraction thereof, counted separately for each sex, under Cal/OSHA Title 8 §1526. Urinals can count toward the total, but toilets must make up at least half. Crews under 5 may share one all-gender single-user toilet.
"Fraction thereof" matters. Twenty-one workers of one sex need 2 toilets, not 1. Mixed crews are counted per sex, so 12 men and 6 women need 1 toilet for each group, or 2 total, unless the units are single-user all-gender and the total still meets the ratio.
Are hand-wash stations required on jobsites?
Hand-wash stations are required on California jobsites. Title 8 §1527 calls for one washing station per 20 employees or fraction thereof, with enough water, soap and single-use towels or a hand dryer. Where porta potties are used, the station must sit outside the toilet, except for crews under 5 with a single toilet.
Hand sanitizer inside a porta potty does not satisfy §1527 on its own. A two-sink portable hand-wash station placed next to the toilets is the simplest way to comply.
What does "kept clean and in good working order" mean?
Section 1526(d) says toilets must be clean, in good working order, private, and stocked with toilet paper. In practice that means a regular service schedule. Weekly pump-out and restock suits about 10 workers per unit on a 40-hour week; larger crews per unit need twice-weekly service.
Worked example: an 18-person framing crew
An 18-person framing crew of 15 men and 3 women needs at least 2 toilets under §1526, one for each group, and 1 washing station under §1527. For comfort and to keep tanks from overfilling between weekly services, we would set 2 standard units plus 1 two-sink hand-wash station.
- Count each sex: 15 men → 1 toilet; 3 women → 1 toilet.
- Washing stations: 18 total ÷ 20, rounded up → 1.
- Service check: 9 workers per unit on weekly service stays under our 10-per-unit planning limit.
Exemptions and what this guide does not cover
Section 1526 does not apply to mobile crews that have ready transportation to nearby toilets. Farm field work follows a different rule, Title 8 §3457. This guide summarizes the regulations and is not legal advice; confirm your setup with your safety officer or Cal/OSHA.
Official text: Title 8 §1526 and Title 8 §1527.
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