UK Event Toilet Calculator (Council Ratio Table)
General answer
UK councils publish the ratio table (mirroring the Purple Guide and BS 6465-1): for events open 6+ hours, 1 toilet per 100 females and 1 toilet per 500 males plus 1 urinal per 150 males; under 6 hours the ratios relax to 1/150, 1/600 and 1/175. Add 20–25% where alcohol is served, at least 1 hand-washing facility per 10 toilets with soap and water, and at least one accessible toilet. A 300-guest evening wedding with a bar (50/50 split) needs roughly 2 female toilets + 1 male toilet + 1 urinal, uplifted to ~5 facilities.
Your numbers below — the calculator personalizes this.
UK council table (event open 6+ hours, 50/50 gender split): 1 female toilet + 1 male toilet + 1 urinal, +25% because alcohol is served.
Plus ≥1 hand-washing facility with soap and water, and at least 1 accessible toilet.
UK ratios are gender-split and duration-banded
Unlike the US PSAI usage model, UK guidance allocates by gender with urinals reducing male toilet counts — which is why a 50/50 300-guest event needs only ~4 base facilities but a female-skewed guest list needs more. Councils expect this table in your event plan when you apply for permissions, so using it isn't just good planning, it's what the licensing authority will look for.
Marquee weddings on private land still deserve the same math: one house bathroom for 120 guests over 8 hours is the single most-regretted DIY wedding decision in UK planning forums.
Assumptions
- Council-published table (Pembrokeshire) used as the official variant; the Purple Guide primary text is paywalled.
- Default 50/50 gender split — adjust for your guest list.
What changes this answer
- Event runs 6+ hours — ratios tighten from 1/150 to 1/100 (female).
- Alcohol served: +20–25% provision.
- Gender mix differs materially from 50/50.
Sources
- Pembrokeshire County Council — event toilet ratio table — tier 1, verified 2026-07-22
- Purple Guide (Events Industry Forum) via published extracts — primary text paywalled — tier 3, verified 2026-07-22
Last checked 2026-07-22. Tiers: 1 government/regulator · 2 industry body · 3 official supplier docs · 4 large surveys · 5 professional material.
Legal information — not legal advice
Rules cited on this page apply to: UK. They were verified against the official sources listed above on 2026-07-22 and can change.Rules often differ by state, province, council or venue and depend on your event's specifics — confirm current requirements with the issuing authority before relying on them.