Options for a bathroom in a barn?

[cold1313]

We are all tossing out ideas, most of which will work for a given situation. But we do not have the needed info to say yes this will work and this wont.

Does he need a permit to build and if so which ones.
Some electric inspectors are required to see the plumbing sewer finals before signing off.
What is his surroundings, lay of the land.
Distance from existing home and septic.
Does he have the equipment and skill set to do what needs to be done.
I do enjoy the sharing of ideas and Lord knows I learn heavily from all of you but we are guessing at this point.

Thanks for all of the replies, they are all very helpful!
I am a mechanical engineer, with the equipment/knowledge/friends to do about anything I could think of. I've rebuilt my house and once I finish the basement, the new building is next on the list. I will need a building permit which means I give the township $25 and tell them the size of the barn, case closed No inspections. No electrical inspections or anything else like that. I install that all myself anyway.

Luckily we still do it the old fashioned way. The area is clear around the build site with the ground eventually sloping down towards my pond and creek.

Lots of people around here have porta pots at their buildings but I want something nicer for the family. If it was just a shop, that'd be fine.

Keep the ideas coming, I just want to have a rough idea on what I could do after the building is up. I have a well but just recently switched to rural water (it was just run out to the house). I will run a water line out to the building very easily using a trencher.

 

[Alan W.]

Thanks for all of the replies, they are all very helpful!
I am a mechanical engineer, with the equipment/knowledge/friends to do about anything I could think of. I've rebuilt my house and once I finish the basement, the new building is next on the list. I will need a building permit which means I give the township $25 and tell them the size of the barn, case closed No inspections. No electrical inspections or anything else like that. I install that all myself anyway.

Luckily we still do it the old fashioned way. The area is clear around the build site with the ground eventually sloping down towards my pond and creek.

Lots of people around here have porta pots at their buildings but I want something nicer for the family. If it was just a shop, that'd be fine.

Keep the ideas coming, I just want to have a rough idea on what I could do after the
building is up. I have a well but just recently switched to rural water (it was just run out to the house). I will run a water line out to the building very easily using a trencher.

Didnt know you were going to run the power from your house panel assumed you were going to have a separate meter.
This is why I kept my service where we had the mobile home. Got water electric and septic for my future garage. No hassles.

 

[GSVette]

Couple of personal experiences-Incinolets are only marginally acceptable for occasional use. I bought the ‘commercial’ version for my bathroom install at a lake cabin as I really didn’t want to put in a basin, ejector pump and lines to an uphill holding tank. Found the Incinolet very marginal for weekend use for a small family so tore it out and installed a basin, macerating ejector pump and 2” tight line to a 300 gallon holding tank approximately 25’ above the grade of the basin-system has worked well for more than 15 years.

Recently completed bathroom in my shop- it is hooked to the septic system I installed the year previously for my eventual house build. Septic sized for a 5 bedroom house so the addition of the shop bathroom made no difference to the tank sizing or laterals required. I did add (for my own peace of mind) a 1000 gallon tank for the shop only-it was about a 200’ run to the 1500 gallon main house tank with about a 15’ drop in grade so I was a bit worried about liquid outrunning solids.

Long post but bottom line, I’d put in a 30 or so gallon basin with a quality macerating ejector pump and tie it to your existing system.

 

[Molalla1]

I've long dreamed of having a bathtub in the barn. But in our country, we have a cold climate, and alas, it makes no sense.

Welcome to TBN . . . if you want one (bathtub) DO IT!

 

[Jstpssng]

I wanted a toilet up near my garden but didn't want the expense of a septic. I dropped a plastic 55 gallon drum in the ground, put a shed over it with a seat, and hole going through the floor. Voila! No worrying about polluting my well, and if it ever fills up I'll dig another hole, drop another barrel in and bury the old one.

 

[Molalla1]

I wanted a toilet up near my garden but didn't want the expense of a septic. I dropped a plastic 55 gallon drum in the ground, put a shed over it with a seat, and hole going through the floor. Voila! No worrying about polluting my well, and if it ever fills up I'll dig another hole, drop another barrel in and bury the old one.

Well, sans the drum, that's what our forefathers did . . . .

 

[Jstpssng]

Well, sans the drum, that's what our forefathers did . . . .

They did a lot of things I prefer not to do.

 

[Zeus24]

We have a bathroom at the cottage. I can't imagine life without a bathroom. We usually go to the cottage for at least three days—all that time, we need to take a shower and have a bathroom in the house. We also have a summer shower. We chose to design the bathroom in a wooden style. It seemed to us that this design was perfect for a country house. We ordered all the necessary items from https://phoenixbathroom.co.uk/. We had a problem with delivery from other stores since the house is in the countryside. But we chose furniture, plumbing and interior details on this site and we had the goods delivered very quickly. I hope you will choose something suitable for you.

 

[TheMan419]

When I am in the barn I use the bathroom "around the corner and over by that tree"

I hope it is a two hole type because that is the one I use..... the wife on the other hand wants a real toilet and a sink etc.

 

[zoranutt]

Did you think about buying 100% cotton towels, instead of a dryer? Jet-air dryers were found to be the worst option, with bacteria levels in the air around them 4.5 times higher than with warm-air dryers and 27 times higher than with paper towel dispensers. Even five minutes after use, 48% of the bacteria was collected around the hand dryers, and they were still detected 15 minutes after use. It's up to you what to choose but I would buy some towels. It is much more comfortable, just put there a towel radiator uk, to keep it dry.