Single-city placement
A unit set entirely within one city, under that city's rules and its permit office.
Serving Suffolk County
Portable Toilet Permits in the Cities Around Boston, MA
Why a Boston-area event or job that crosses into Cambridge, Somerville or another nearby city needs that city's own permit, and what to ask for.
- Standard units, ADA units and handwash stations
- Construction sites, festivals and private events
- Delivery, servicing and pickup scheduled around your dates
Get a fast quote
Fastest: call (888) 351-0294. Or send this and we call you back.
Neighboring Cities
Permits in Cambridge, Somerville and Other Neighboring Cities: what it covers
Quick answer
Cambridge, Somerville, Brookline, Chelsea, Revere, Everett, Malden, Medford, Lynn, Quincy, Milton, Waltham, Watertown, Newton and Arlington each set their own permit and street rules. A unit placed in one of those cities is arranged with that city, and no single Boston rule covers it. The provider confirms which city's rules apply before the booking.
Greater Boston is a set of separate cities and towns, and each one sets its own permits. A street that runs from Boston into Cambridge, or a park on the line between Somerville and Charlestown, falls under two sets of rules. The first step is to find which jurisdiction the spot lies in, not to assume that Boston's rules apply.
Cambridge is home to Harvard and MIT and is a separate permitting jurisdiction. Somerville is a dense, small city with its own offices for permits. Brookline is a separate town with its own permits for its streets. Each of these, and the others in the list, governs its own events and its own streets.
This page does not give a city-specific rule for any of them. The published guidance for each city should be checked with that city's offices, and the provider can confirm which city's rules apply to a given spot once the address is known.
- Service area
- Boston & Suffolk County
- Availability
- Call to reach a local provider
- Phone
- (888) 351-0294
Warning signs
Signs you need permits in cambridge, somerville and other neighboring cities
Where a unit sits near a boundary, confirm which city's emergency services will respond, and keep the unit off the line where a stop or a route changes hands.
- A street event that starts in Boston and ends in Cambridge with one permit filed
- A job on a boundary street where the spot is in Somerville but the crew is booked through Boston
- A park event on a town line with no decision about which town's permit applies
- A school or church event in Brookline with no contact at the town hall
Our process
How our permits in cambridge, somerville and other neighboring cities visit works
Find the jurisdiction
Confirm which city or town the exact spot lies in, using the address or the parcel line, not the name of the neighborhood.
Ask that city's office
Contact the permit office for that city or town and ask what it requires for portable toilets at the event or job.
File under that city's rules
File the permit and the unit plan under that city's rules, and keep a copy of the approval in the event file.
Check the boundary
If the event or the route crosses a boundary, file with each city that governs a part of it and show the units on each part.
Confirm before delivery
The provider confirms the spot and the permit status before the truck is booked, so a delivery is not made into an unpermitted space.
Which cities around Boston set their own permits?
Cambridge, Somerville, Brookline, Chelsea, Revere, Everett, Malden, Medford, Lynn, Quincy, Milton, Waltham, Watertown, Newton and Arlington each set their own permit and street rules.
The list covers the cities and towns closest to Boston, and each governs its own streets, parks and event permits. A permit issued by Boston does not cover a spot in any of them, and a permit from one of them does not cover a spot in Boston.
How is a boundary event handled?
The event is filed with each city or town that governs part of the route or the grounds, and the units are shown on each part of the plan.
A race or a parade that crosses a city line has more than one permit office to satisfy. The organizer should ask each office what it needs, and the provider should show the units on the map for each part of the route.
What should I ask the city office?
Ask whether a permit is needed for portable toilets, how far in advance it must be filed, what the plan must show, and whether the city has its own accessibility rule for temporary events.
Each office's answers can differ, and the questions are the same for each. A written answer is the safest record. The Massachusetts Architectural Access Board's rule for temporary events applies across the Commonwealth, but the city's own permit can add to it.
Who pays for a permit?
The permit fee is paid to the city or town office that issues the permit, and the rental does not include it. The organizer budgets for the fee in the event's own costs.
Each office sets its own fee and its own payment method. The organizer should ask for the fee and the payment method in writing when the requirement is confirmed.
A fee that is not budgeted early can delay a filing, so the question is asked at the start of the planning, not in the last week.
Options
Types and options for permits in cambridge, somerville and other neighboring cities
Boundary placement
A unit or event that crosses a city line, which needs the permit of each city that governs a part of it.
Town-line placement
A spot on a town line where the jurisdiction must be settled from the parcel before any permit is filed.
Suffolk County
Why permits in cambridge, somerville and other neighboring cities is different in Greater Boston
Cambridge is home to Harvard and MIT and is a separate permitting jurisdiction from Boston.
Somerville is a dense, small city along the Green Line, and its own city offices issue its permits.
Brookline is a separate town bordering Boston's Brighton, Jamaica Plain and Roxbury neighborhoods, and town permits apply on its streets.
One call and it gets handled.
Most permits in cambridge, somerville and other neighboring cities calls are scheduled the same day when a technician is free, and you approve the price before any work starts.
Where we work
Permits in Cambridge, Somerville and Other Neighboring Cities across Suffolk County
- Neighboring Cities in Downtown, Beacon Hill and North End
- Neighboring Cities in Back Bay, South End and Fenway
- Neighboring Cities in South Boston
- Neighboring Cities in Charlestown
- Neighboring Cities in East Boston
- Neighboring Cities in Roxbury
- Neighboring Cities in Dorchester
- Neighboring Cities in Jamaica Plain
- Neighboring Cities in Roslindale
- Neighboring Cities in West Roxbury
- Neighboring Cities in Hyde Park
- Neighboring Cities in Allston and Brighton
- Neighboring Cities in Cambridge
- Neighboring Cities in Somerville
- Neighboring Cities in Brookline
- Neighboring Cities in Chelsea
- Neighboring Cities in Revere
- Neighboring Cities in Everett
- Neighboring Cities in Malden
- Neighboring Cities in Medford
- Neighboring Cities in Lynn
- Neighboring Cities in Quincy
- Neighboring Cities in Milton
- Neighboring Cities in Waltham
- Neighboring Cities in Watertown
- Neighboring Cities in Newton
- Neighboring Cities in Arlington
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Related
Related services
Tight-Lot and Urban Block Placement
Placement planning for Boston's rowhouse blocks, narrow frontages and filled-land lots, where the truck route is the hardest part of the job.
Waste Handling and Disposal
How the waste from a Boston portable toilet is hauled and disposed of under Massachusetts rules, from pump-out to an approved disposal site.
Public Event Portable Toilets
Portable toilets for Boston public events, planned for the permit file and sized by the operator from the expected crowd and the event's length.
ADA Accessible Portable Toilets
Accessible units for Boston temporary events, planned as a share of each cluster under the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board's rule.
Guides
Read before you book
What permits does a Boston event need for restrooms?
A Boston event that puts portable toilets on a street, a park or a reservation runs through the permit route for that space.
Where does portable toilet waste go in Massachusetts?
In Massachusetts, removing or transporting septage, or the contents of portable toilets, requires a Board of Health permit.
Do Cambridge and Somerville permits differ from Boston's?
Yes.
FAQ
Permits in Cambridge, Somerville and Other Neighboring Cities FAQs
Does a Boston permit cover a spot in Cambridge?
No. Cambridge sets its own permits, and the spot must be arranged with the city.
Which cities are on the list?
Cambridge, Somerville, Brookline, Chelsea, Revere, Everett, Malden, Medford, Lynn, Quincy, Milton, Waltham, Watertown, Newton and Arlington.
How do I know which city a spot is in?
Use the parcel line or the address, and confirm with the city's assessor or permit office if the spot is close to a boundary.
Does the provider handle the permits for other cities?
The provider confirms which city's rules apply and what the unit plan must show. The permit itself is filed by the organizer or the site lead with that city's office.
Are the accessibility rules the same in every city?
The Massachusetts rule for temporary events applies across the state. A city's own permit can add conditions, so each office should be asked.