October 04, 2026•12 min read
For most businesses with steady male traffic, the best choice for urinal installation vs toilet installation is both: toilets for everyone, plus urinals in the men's room to save water, space, and wait time. A small office or a single-user restroom only needs a toilet. A restaurant, gym, bar, or church in Hillsboro gets the most value from a mix. Even some homeowners now add a home urinal during a bathroom remodel.
At AllScope Plumbing and Construction, Inc., we handle toilet, sink, and urinal installation for homes and businesses across Hillsboro and the surrounding Oregon communities. This guide compares cost, water use, space, cleaning, and Oregon code, so you can pick the right fixture before you call a plumber.
Urinals win on water use, space, and speed, while toilets win on flexibility because every guest can use them.
Here's what each row means for your business.
Only men can use a urinal, and only for standing use. It works well in a busy, high-traffic men's room with lots of quick visits. It's not a fit for a single-user restroom, since that room has to serve everyone.
Everyone can use a toilet, including men, women, kids, and people who need to sit. That's why every restroom needs at least one. It's also the only choice for people with mobility needs who use grab bars.
A new urinal in Oregon can use up to 0.5 gallons per flush. Many models use even less, like 0.125 gpf, which is about 2 cups of water. Over thousands of flushes a year, that small amount adds up to big water savings. It also cuts your sewer charges, since Hillsboro bills sewer based on water use.
A new toilet in Oregon can use up to 1.28 gallons per flush. That's more than twice what a standard urinal uses and about ten times a 0.125 gpf model. An old toilet from before the 1990s can use 3.5 gallons or more.
Yes. A waterless urinal uses no water at all. A special cartridge lets liquid pass through and blocks smells from coming back up. The cartridge needs replacing every few months, depending on how busy the restroom is.
No. A toilet needs water to move solid waste down the drain, so there's no waterless version. The closest option is a high-efficiency toilet at 1.28 gallons or less, certified by the EPA WaterSense program.
A urinal hangs on the wall and needs only a small spot. It fits in tight restrooms where a stall won't. Most urinals need about 30 inches of wall space, and many restrooms add a divider between them for privacy.
A toilet needs a full stall with a door and room to move. A standard stall is about 36 inches wide by 60 inches deep. An ADA stall needs extra square footage so a wheelchair can turn around inside. Our plumbing design and repiping team can plan the layout that makes the best use of your available space.
People spend only a short time at a urinal, often under a minute. That keeps lines moving during busy hours, like lunch rush or halftime.
People spend longer in a toilet stall, since it serves all restroom needs. During a rush, that can mean a line at the door.
Urinals are optional. In a men's room, they can count toward part of the fixtures Oregon plumbing codes ask for. Under ADA accessibility standards, if you add urinals, at least one needs a rim no higher than 17 inches. A plumber in Aloha or anywhere in Washington County can confirm what your specific building requires.
Oregon code requires at least one toilet in every restroom. The Oregon Building Codes Division sets how many toilets you need, based on your building type and how many people use it.
A urinal has less surface to clean, so each cleaning is quick. But it needs a wipe-down every day to stop smells and stains. Splashback can also leave a mess on the floor.
A toilet has more parts to clean, like the seat, bowl, base, and stall floor. Wall hung toilets are easier to clean, since the floor under them stays open.
Urine leaves a hard buildup called uric scale inside the drain, which slows or blocks it. The flush valve can also stick and keep running.
Toilets clog from too much paper or wipes. Over time, the flush valve and the wax seal at the base can wear out and leak.
The best urinal for most businesses is a wall-mounted, low-flow model at 0.125 to 0.5 gpf with a sensor or manual flush valve.
There are plenty of options, so here's what to compare:
A professional installation follows the same steps for a urinal or a toilet: plan, rough-in, set the fixture, connect the water line, and test.
Here's how the installation process works:
A job done right the first time saves you from a costly redo later. That's why many building owners hire a plumber in Cedar Hills or another licensed professional instead of a handyman for this kind of building and plumbing work.
A home urinal makes sense for some homeowners, but it should sit next to a toilet, not replace it.
Residential urinals are becoming increasingly popular in home bathrooms, garages, and basement bars. Many homeowners like them because they save water and keep the toilet seat cleaner. Still, a home urinal requires a drain, a vent, and a water line, just like in commercial buildings.
A urinal for your home works best if:
Skip it if:
A home bathroom upgrade like this is a popular option during a remodel, since adding the lines costs less while the walls are open. A plumber in King City or nearby can assess your bathroom layout and tell you if a residential urinal is a realistic addition.
The Oregon Plumbing Specialty Code sets how many toilets, urinals, and sinks your business needs, based on building type and occupant count.
Here's what matters most:
Before any urinal installation vs toilet installation project, check that your plan meets these rules. It saves you from failed inspections and redo work.
Pick a mix of toilets and low-flow urinals if your business has a shared men's room, and stick with toilets only if you have single-user restrooms.
Use this quick checklist to settle the urinal installation vs toilet installation question for your space:
The team at AllScope Plumbing and Construction, Inc. can look at your restroom and tell you how many fixtures fit your space and meet code. Our plumber in Tigard and the rest of our Washington County crew handle fixture planning from permit to final inspection.
Both cost about the same to install as a replacement. A new urinal costs more when the plumber must add a new drain, vent, and water line.
Yes. In Oregon, a urinal uses 0.5 gallons or less per flush, while a toilet uses up to 1.28 gallons. That saves about 0.78 gallons per use.
No. Oregon code requires at least one toilet in every restroom. Urinals can only count toward part of the required fixtures in men's rooms.
They stay odor-free when staff clean them daily and change cartridges on schedule. Skipping either step causes odors and drain buildup in older pipes.
Yes. A home urinal needs a drain, vent, and water line, plus a permit for new plumbing. It works best during a bathroom remodel, next to a toilet.
Yes. Adding a new fixture or moving a drain needs a plumbing permit. The City of Hillsboro issues it, or Washington County outside city limits.
Still weighing urinal installation vs toilet installation? AllScope Plumbing and Construction, Inc. installs toilets, urinals, and sinks for homes and businesses in Hillsboro and nearby towns. We check your space, explain your options, and give you a clear price before work starts. Contact us or call (503) 796-1113. See our toilet, sink, and urinal installation service.
