Getting fencing, portable toilets, and waste bins in place before Day 1 isn’t just good practice—in Alberta, it’s frequently the difference between a crew that starts on schedule and one that’s legally barred from starting at all. This guide walks through the specific rules, the real cost of getting it wrong, and how to plan these three services together so they don’t conflict with each other on-site.
Key Takeaways
- A crew that can’t start work because services aren’t ready isn’t just inconvenienced—it’s a direct labour cost. A 10-person crew idled for half a day at $45/hour in wages is over $2,000 lost before a single task begins.
- Alberta’s OHS Code sets exact toilet ratios by crew size (Schedule 7, Table 24.1) and gives OHS officers the power to issue tickets ($300–$500), administrative penalties (up to $10,000 per day), or prosecute serious violations (up to $500,000 for a first offence).
- Fencing, toilets, and bins interact physically on a site—placing them without a shared plan is one of the most common (and avoidable) causes of first-week slowdowns.
- Booking two to four weeks ahead, in a specific sequence, gives you room to fix problems before your crew shows up rather than after.
- A simple week-by-week countdown and a single-page site layout plan solve most of the coordination issues that generic “book early” advice doesn’t address.
Why Site Service Setup Timing Actually Costs You Money
It’s easy to treat “get job site services set up early” as a vague best practice. It’s more useful to think of it as a direct line item.
If your crew shows up and can’t legally start work because there’s no toilet on-site, that’s lost wages. A 10-person crew earning $45/hour that sits idle for a four-hour morning while a portable toilet gets delivered is roughly $1,800 in labour cost with nothing to show for it, before accounting for any rescheduling fees, client relationship damage, or lost trades-coordination time if your framing crew was slotted right behind the crew that didn’t start.
Beyond wages, there’s regulatory exposure. Alberta OHS officers can:
- Issue a ticket for straightforward non-compliance, ranging from $300-$500 for employers (plus a 20% victim surcharge)
- Apply an administrative penalty of up to $10,000 per incident, rising to $10,000 per day if the non-compliance continues
- Pursue prosecution for serious violations, with fines up to $500,000 for a first offence and an additional $30,000 per day if the violation continues, or up to $1,000,000 for a subsequent offence
Alberta publishes OHS conviction records publicly, and general contractors evaluating your bid on future work can see them.
Fencing: Security & Site Boundaries
Temporary fencing needs to go up first, before any equipment or materials arrive, and stay up for the entire duration of the project. Under the National Building Code – Alberta Edition, when a construction or demolition activity is 2 metres or more from a public way, a fence is required, complete with a lockable gate.
Practical fencing questions worth answering before delivery:
- Where is the 2-metre distance measured from? Generally from the edge of the active work or excavation area to the public way (sidewalk, road, or lot line)—not from your property line. On tight urban lots in Calgary or Edmonton, this can mean your usable buffer is smaller than expected, so confirm your site plan accounts for it before fencing arrives.
- What if your lot is too small for standard fencing? Talk to your rental provider about custom panel configurations rather than assuming a standard layout will fit—this is a common surprise on infill and downtown lots.
When to book: Two to four weeks in advance, so fencing is the first thing delivered—before any other equipment arrives on-site.
Toilets: Planning for Crew Size & Duration
Alberta’s OHS Code (Part 24, Section 357, Schedule 7, Table 24.1) sets a minimum number of portable toilets based on the number of workers of each sex on-site:
| Number of Workers | Minimum Toilets Required |
| 1–10 | 1 |
| 11–25 | 2 |
| 26–50 | 3 |
| 51–75 | 4 |
| 76–100 | 5 |
| More than 100 | 5 plus 1 for each additional 30 workers |
A few details that change how you plan, not just what you order:
- The ratio applies per sex, not per total headcount; a mixed crew needs separate facilities calculated separately for each group.
- Section 358 of the Code requires that self-contained (non-plumbed) toilets be serviced and emptied regularly enough to prevent overflow—this is why servicing schedules aren’t just a comfort issue; they’re a compliance one. An overflowing unit isn’t just unpleasant; it’s a documented violation if an officer sees it.
- There’s a narrow exception: if your site is close enough to a public building or a nearby business willing to let your crew use their facilities, you may not be required to provide your own—worth checking if you’re working a small infill site downtown.
When to book: Two weeks in advance; portable toilets can sometimes be delivered in 24-48 hours in an emergency, but availability tightens considerably during Alberta’s busy summer construction season.
Waste Bins: Managing Waste From Day One
Waste bins are governed under Alberta’s Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, and picking the right size matters as much as scheduling pickups. Underestimating size is one of the most common, and most avoidable, mistakes we see.
| Bin Size | Best For |
| 12 cubic yards | Small home renovation jobs, junk removal |
| 18 cubic yards | Small-to-medium renovations, smaller roofing jobs, tight construction sites |
| 20 cubic yards | Medium residential projects, multi-room renovations, sites with regular pickup |
| 30 cubic yards | Major renovations, light commercial and industrial projects |
| 40 cubic yards | Demolition sites, large commercial projects |
When to book: Two weeks in advance, so bins are on-site and positioned before work begins.
Planning Fencing, Toilets, and Bins Together
Booking each service on time solves half the problem. The other half is that these three things occupy physical space on the same small site, and planned in isolation, they conflict:
- Don’t place your bin at your only vehicle gate. If your fencing plan has a single access point for delivery trucks, a bin parked there blocks every other delivery, including the fencing and toilet servicing trucks that need to come back.
- Keep toilets away from your bin’s pickup path. Waste trucks need a clear approach and enough clearance to lift and empty a bin. A toilet placed too close can force a provider to reschedule pickup, which then risks the overflow violation described above.
- Confirm your fence gate width matches your equipment, not just your bin. A gate sized for foot traffic won’t accommodate the truck delivering a 30- or 40-yard bin.
The simplest fix is a one-page site sketch, done before anything is delivered, showing where the fence line, gate, toilet(s), and bin will sit relative to each other and to your main work area. If you’re working with FenceLine Rentals, our crews can walk this through with you as part of delivery and setup.
Pre-Arrival Checklist & Timeline
| Timeline Before Crew Arrives | Action |
| 3-4 weeks | Confirm site plan; book temporary fencing |
| 2-3 weeks | Book portable toilets and waste bins |
| 1 week | Confirm delivery windows and access points with your rental provider |
| 2-3 days before | Fencing, toilets, and bins delivered and positioned per site sketch |
| Day 1 | Crew arrives to a fully compliant, ready-to-work site |
Who To Loop In & Why
Our crews at FenceLine are experienced and professional and will be ready to deliver and install your job site services on time and efficiently, but on your end, there are a few people who should know we’re coming so the whole process runs smoothly.
Make sure these people know when we’ll be arriving on site and what we’ll be delivering:
- Site superintendent: Needs to confirm the site sketch and adjust the first week’s schedule around delivery windows.
- General contractor: Needs visibility on service timelines that affect the overall project schedule.
- Property manager: May need to approve fencing placement, provide site access, or unlock a gated lot ahead of delivery.
Make Sure Your Site Services Are Ready With FenceLine Rentals
Getting fencing, toilets, and bins delivered on time is only part of the job—getting them placed so they work together, rather than against each other, is what actually keeps your first week running smoothly. If you’re getting ready to start a job site, our team can help you plan the layout as well as the delivery schedule.
Contact FenceLine Rentals to have services ready to go before Day 1.
FAQ
How many portable toilets do I need for my crew size?
This will depend on the size of your crew. Use our portable toilet calculator to find out.
Do I need an ADA-compliant toilet on my job site?
The ADA only applies in the United States and not in Canada. In Alberta, the Occupational Health and Safety Code requires at least one toilet that’s accessible for anyone on your site.
What size dumpster do I need for a construction project?
This is an important question, and the answer depends on the specifics of your job site. For smaller renovation jobs, as an example, we’ve found that 12-cubic-yard bins are perfect. For bigger commercial demolition or construction jobs, a 40-cubic-yard bin is often needed. It’s always best to get a bin that’s slightly bigger than you might expect to avoid running out of space to dispose of waste and creating a mess.
Does my job site need a permit for a dumpster or fencing?
No, permits are not required for dumpsters or temporary fencing if they are on private property. They may be required if they are being placed on public property, however.
What happens if job site services aren’t ready when the crew arrives?
If you don’t have temporary fencing, portable toilets or waste bins setup and ready to go when the crew arrives, they won’t be able to start work. This costs you money and can set a negative tone for your project.