31-year-old's portable toilet company makes Rs 39 crore pa: 'It's is low tech, AI-proof'

The US portable toilet rental industry generated $3.3 billion in 2025, and according to the business owner, there is still 'plenty of market share for the taking' in the Bay Area. (Representational image: Unsplash)

A 31-year-old California entrepreneur has built a multimillion‑dollar business from one of the least glamorous services imaginable: portable toilets. Daniel Tom, owner and operator of Bay Area Sanitation, now manages nearly 2,000 porta‑potties across the San Francisco Bay Area — generating $4.3 million (about Rs 39 crore) in annual income in 2025, CNBC Make It reported.

Tom launched the company in 2023 with just one truck and 100 rentable toilets. The business became profitable within its first year and has scaled rapidly alongside the region’s booming outdoor events and construction activity. Bay Area Sanitation earned $3.1 million (about Rs 28 crore) in 2024, rising to $4.3 million (about Rs 39 crore) the following year as Tom expanded his fleet and customer base.

‘People get disgusted — until they hear the revenue’

Tom said the reaction he gets when he tells people what he does is often predictable. “I get a lot of disgusted looks,” he told the publication. “But once I explain the business model and the revenue, most of the time they get interested.”

Each unit can hold up to 60 gallons of waste and requires weekly cleaning, restocking, and pumping -- tasks handled by the company’s 12 vacuum pumper trucks and 19 employees. Labour alone accounts for around 30 percent of the company’s revenue, Tom said, with additional costs including fuel and supplies.

Tom pays himself around Rs 1 crore a year, choosing to reinvest most profits to accelerate growth. His next goal: scaling to 5,000 portable toilets and $10 million (about Rs 91 crore) in annual revenue within five years. The company recently signed a lease for expanded warehouse yard space to accommodate a larger fleet.

‘I take pride in what I do'

The US portable toilet rental industry generated $3.3 billion in 2025, according to IBISWorld -- and according to Tom, there is still “plenty of market share for the taking” in the Bay Area. Long‑term rentals, which start at $160 (about Rs 14,500)  per month and include weekly cleanings, form the backbone of his business and deliver predictable recurring revenue. He estimated his net profit margin at around 22 percent.

For Tom, the appeal goes beyond profitability. “I take pride in what I do,” he told CNBC Make It. “I provide a service that everybody needs. Everybody goes, right?”