The Austin Center for Events sorts special-event applications into four tiers, and each tier has its own deadline before the first event day. Restrooms follow city guidance on peak attendance, and right-of-way closures need a separate permit from the Office of Special Events. The tier you land in decides how early the restroom plan must be set.
Key takeaways
- Four tiers sort Austin special-event applications, and the submission deadline runs from 3 business days for Tier 1 to 180 calendar days for Tier 4 before the first event day.
- Deadlines vary in spring festival season, so the published window is a starting point and not a fixed date for every event.
- City guidance works to about one toilet per 50 people at expected peak attendance, with 5 to 10 percent of units ADA-accessible.
- The parks department's special-request form uses a different and lower ratio for events over 250 attendees, so the permitting office settles the count.
- Right-of-way permits for events are issued by the Office of Special Events, and only after an event application has been filed.
- Items placed on sidewalks must leave five feet of continuous, undisturbed pedestrian and ADA access.
What does the tier system decide?
The Austin Center for Events places each application in one of four tiers. The tier sets the submission deadline and how the review runs, so it is the first thing to check.
The tiers are how the city organizes special events for review, and the Austin Center for Events publishes both the tier system and its deadlines. The deadlines are counted back from the first event day. Tier 1 is due 3 business days out, Tier 2 is due 30 calendar days out, Tier 3 is due 120 calendar days out, and Tier 4 is due 180 calendar days out. Those are the windows to plan around, and they move in spring festival season, so the published figure is a starting point.
The practical point is that a restroom plan is part of the application, and the tier decides how early it has to be settled. A small event in Tier 1 has very little time to find units and a placement. A Tier 4 event has months, but the unit count, the accessible share and the placement still have to be fixed well before the final approval. Plan the restrooms on the same calendar as the application, not after it, and let the tier tell you when the first decision is due.
When do Tier 3 and Tier 4 events get their answers?
Tier 3 and Tier 4 applications receive a preliminary approval or denial within 10 business days. Final approval comes 30 calendar days before the event.
Those two timelines matter most to festival organizers. The preliminary answer tells the organizer whether the event can go ahead in principle and what conditions come with it. The final approval, 30 calendar days before the first day, is when the event is confirmed to run as planned. Restroom units and handwashing can be arranged in the period between those two decisions, but a condition set at preliminary review can change what is needed on the ground.
Because the restroom count is tied to peak attendance, a change in the expected crowd after preliminary approval can change the number of units. Keep the attendance estimate honest from the start and update it if the plan changes. An estimate that is too low at the application stage is the kind of gap that surfaces at final approval, when there is the least time left to fix it. A festival and music event restrooms plan is easier to revise early than late.
What restroom ratio does the city work to?
City guidance works to about one toilet per 50 people at expected peak attendance. The guidance applies to Tier 3 and Tier 4 events, and to some Tier 2 events.
The city's special-event guidance on portable restrooms and water sets the reference figure at about one toilet per 50 people at expected peak attendance. It recommends that 5 to 10 percent of the units be ADA-accessible, which is above the federal floor. The guidance applies to Tier 3 and Tier 4 events, and to Tier 2 events of four or more hours that include alcohol, food or beverages.
The figure is about peak attendance, not the total number of people over the day, and it is the number to plan around. Write the peak estimate down with the reasoning behind it, because the permitting office will ask how it was reached. A figure that sits close to the guidance and is well explained is easier to work with than an unexplained one. For an event outside the city limits, the state standard for mass gatherings is covered in the Travis County mass gathering guide, and it uses a limit of no more than 50 persons per toilet seat.
Why does the parks department use a different number?
The parks department runs its own special-request form, and that form sets a different and lower figure for larger events. For park events, the parks department also decides whether temporary toilets are required at all.
The parks department's special-request form works to a different figure for events over 250 attendees: two toilets per 500 attendees, with at least one ADA-accessible unit. The form also says that the parks department decides whether temporary toilets are required at all. That matters for any event held in a city park, because the park's own answer can override the general guidance in one direction or the other.
The city's paperwork therefore contains two numbers, and they do not match. The careful approach is to plan the unit count to the higher guidance figure, confirm the number with the permitting office, and ask the parks department which figure it will apply to your event. Working from the higher figure does not commit you to a count the park will reject, and it leaves room to reduce the count once the office has answered.
Where does the permit cover work outside the city limits?
Permits follow the jurisdiction. Events in West Lake Hills, Pflugerville, Manor and Buda are arranged with those cities, and events in unincorporated Travis County are arranged with the county.
Austin's own tiers and deadlines apply inside the city limits. Events in the separate municipalities around the city, including West Lake Hills, Pflugerville, Manor and Buda in Hays County, are arranged with that city. Events in unincorporated Travis County go to the county instead, through its own process. The restroom standard for a county event comes from the state's mass gathering rules, which is a different track from the city guidance described here.
Do not assume the Austin rule carries over. Each of those cities sets its own process, and this guide does not give a city-specific rule for any of them. Ask the city or the county which application applies, and whether its restroom expectations match the figures described here. A Del Valle event, for instance, depends on whether the site is inside the city or in unincorporated ground, and that answer comes from the permitting office rather than from this page.
What does right of way add to a street event?
A street event that uses a public street or sidewalk also needs a right-of-way permit. Those permits are issued by the Office of Special Events, and only after an event application has been filed.
Right-of-way permits for events come from the Transportation and Public Works Office of Special Events, and only after an application to the Austin Center for Events. For the sidewalk itself, the special-event guidance asks for five feet of continuous, undisturbed pedestrian and ADA access wherever items are placed on sidewalks. A restroom unit set on a sidewalk takes up that space too, so it has to be counted in the layout from the start.
Street events on downtown routes need the most planning for this reason. A closure wider than the event needs, or a unit set a few feet too close to the curb, can put an approval at risk. Mark the placement on a plan, measure the clear width of the walkway, and keep it free of the unit's own footprint and its service path. The street festival and parade restrooms service covers how these layouts are usually drawn for a closed street.
What should the restroom plan say when it goes in the file?
A restroom plan a reviewer can check is short and specific. It gives the expected peak, the unit count and accessible share, the placement, and how handwashing and its wastewater are handled.
Write the plan so that a reviewer can check it without a phone call. State the expected peak attendance and how it was estimated. Give the number of units, the share that is ADA-accessible, and where each cluster sits on a site plan. List the handwashing stations and say where their wastewater goes, because the state rules for mass gatherings require handwashing and drying near each toilet location and a holding or absorption route for that water.
Attach a signed contract with the toilet provider where the county asks for one, and keep the paperwork in one folder with the approved permit. Once the event date is firm and the placement is known, call (888) 351-0294 so the provider can check the units against the plan before the application is final. A plan that matches the provider's numbers from the start is the simplest route through the review.
Frequently asked questions
Which tier is my event in?
The Austin Center for Events assigns the tier from the application, and the tier pages set out the criteria and the deadline that goes with each one. Check the deadline for the tier you are given, and count it back from the first event day. If you are unsure of the tier, file early and ask, because the deadline is set from the event date rather than from the application date.
Does a small event need a restroom plan?
The city guidance applies to specific tiers and to some Tier 2 events, so a small event may fall outside the ratio. The parks department and the permitting office decide whether temporary toilets are required in a given case. Ask before you assume the answer. A small event can still need handwashing or accessible access depending on the site and how it is run.
How many accessible units should I plan for?
City event guidance recommends 5 to 10 percent accessible units, and the ADA standard, as the city states it, asks for at least one or 5 percent of the units in each cluster. Plan toward the higher end when the crowd is large. Placement matters as much as the unit, so the accessible unit needs a firm level pad and an accessible route to it.
What do I need to show for a street event?
The right-of-way permit covers the closure or the use of the sidewalk, and the plan has to show where each unit sits. The sidewalk must keep five feet of continuous pedestrian access. The approved permit and the traffic-control plan stay on site during the event, so keep a copy with the crew running the placement.
What if my event is in Manor or Pflugerville?
Events in those separate cities are arranged with that city rather than with Austin. Each city sets its own process, and this guide does not give a city-specific rule for any of them. Ask the city office which application it uses and what restroom figure it expects. Events in unincorporated Travis County follow the county route instead.
When does a sidewalk closure need 311 notice?
For a planned sidewalk, bike-lane or alley closure, 311 must be notified at least three days before the closure. City pages also describe the notice as three business days, so give the longer notice when you can. The 311 notice is separate from the event application. Check the closure dates against the approved permit before you give it.
Sources
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