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Composting Outhouse Guide: Composting Toilet vs Outhouse
A composting outhouse is an outhouse building with a composting toilet inside instead of a pit, so you keep the backyard privy but lose the digging, the smell and the moving.
Key Takeaways
- A pit outhouse is temporary. The hole is about 3 feet wide and 4 to 6 feet deep, and a family of four fills it and has to move the outhouse every 2 to 5 years.
- A composting outhouse stays put. A Green Toilet container fills in about four months for a family of four, then rolls out and finishes composting for about 12 months.
- Outhouses smell because the pit is anaerobic. Mixed, wet waste with no oxygen produces ammonia and methane. A vented composting toilet keeps waste drier and aerated.
- Outhouse composting toilets start at $639. The Sun-Mar GTG is the budget pick; the Green Toilet range runs $1,349 to $1,849, and the Family Package needs no power.
- Siting is easier. A pit needs 100 feet from any water source and 3 feet above the water table. A composting toilet holds waste in a container instead of the ground.
Related reading: Green Toilet: The Composting Outhouse Solution · Do Composting Toilets Smell? · Dry Flush vs Outhouse · Composting Toilet vs Septic Tank
The Short Answer
For most cabins, homesteads and hunting camps, a composting toilet in an outhouse beats a traditional pit outhouse. It uses the same small building, but waste goes into a removable container instead of a hole. That means no new pit every few years, far less odor and fewer flies, and finished compost you can use on non-edible landscaping.
The best composting toilet for an outhouse is an under-floor batch system such as the Green Toilet Family Package ($1,395, no power required) or the Green Toilet Lux ($1,849, 120V duct fan). A pit outhouse still wins on upfront cost, since it is mostly DIY labor. Compare every model in our outhouse toilets collection or the full composting toilets range.
Composting Toilet vs Outhouse: Side-by-Side Comparison
The difference is where waste goes and how it breaks down. A traditional outhouse collects liquids and solids together in a pit. A composting toilet collects them in a ventilated container with carbon cover material, so the waste composts with oxygen.
| Factor | Traditional pit outhouse | Composting outhouse |
|---|---|---|
| Where waste goes | Open pit in the ground | Removable container or composting drum |
| Decomposition | Anaerobic (no oxygen) | Aerobic (with oxygen), like a garden compost pile |
| Odor | Moderate to strong | Minimal when vented and maintained |
| Upfront cost | Low, mostly DIY labor | $639 to $1,849 for the toilet |
| Lifespan of the setup | Move every 2 to 5 years | Permanent structure |
| Siting | 100 ft from water, 3 ft above the water table | Flexible, waste is held in a container |
| End product | Filled pit that gets buried | Compost for non-edible landscaping |
The verdict: a pit outhouse is cheaper on day one, and a composting outhouse is better on every day after that.
How a Traditional Pit Outhouse Works, and Why It Smells
A traditional outhouse is a pit latrine with a small building on top. You dig a hole, build the structure directly over it, and everything that goes in stays in the ground.
Because the pit collects liquid and solid waste together, it turns into sludge with no oxygen in it. That anaerobic breakdown produces ammonia and methane, which is why outhouses smell and attract flies. Liquids can also move into the surrounding soil, which is the groundwater risk people worry about.
What building a pit outhouse involves
- Dig a pit about 3 feet wide and 4 to 6 feet deep (5 feet is typical).
- Line the walls with cribbing so the pit does not cave in.
- Keep the pit at least 100 feet from any water source.
- Stay at least 3 feet above your local water table. If you hit water while digging, stop and move.
- When the pit is full, bury it and relocate the outhouse. For a family of four, that is every 2 to 5 years.
Outhouse vs latrine vs pit toilet vs vault toilet
Here is how these terms relate.
| Term | What it means | Where waste ends up |
|---|---|---|
| Pit latrine / pit toilet | The hole in the ground that collects waste | In the soil |
| Outhouse | The small building over the toilet, usually over a pit | Depends on what is inside |
| Vault toilet | A sealed underground tank instead of an open pit | In the tank until it is pumped out |
| Composting outhouse | An outhouse with a composting toilet inside | In a container, then composted |
In short, a latrine is the hole and an outhouse is the shelter. Swap the hole for a composting toilet and the same shelter becomes a composting outhouse.
How a Composting Outhouse Works
A composting outhouse uses aerobic decomposition, the same process as a healthy garden compost pile. The goal is to keep waste aerated and not waterlogged, because oxygen-rich compost does not produce the sewage smell of a pit.
- The toilet sits in the outhouse. With an under-floor system like the Green Toilet, a porcelain toilet sits on the floor and the compost container sits underneath.
- Excess liquid drains away. The Green Toilet container has a capillary base that keeps the compost active while excess liquid drains into a separate leach pit or canister.
- Cover material adds carbon. A scoop of sawdust or peat moss after each use covers waste and helps it compost.
- A vent pulls air up and out. A 4-inch vent pipe creates a steady updraft, the chimney effect, so air moves out of the building instead of into it.
- Full containers finish composting. Roll the full container out on its wheels, put a lid on it, and slide in an empty one. The full one finishes composting in about 12 months.
Best Composting Toilets for an Outhouse
The best outhouse toilets are batch systems with a container you can swap, because an outhouse usually has room underneath or behind the seat and no plumbing. Here is how the models we carry compare for outhouse use.
| Model | Price | Type | Capacity | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green Toilet Family Package | $1,395 | Batch, under-floor | Expandable with spare containers | None required |
| Green Toilet Lux | $1,849 | Batch, under-floor | 120 L or 330 L containers, expandable | 120V duct fan |
| Green Toilet 100 Easy | $1,349 | Batch, with spare container | 1 to 2 full-time, 3 to 5 part-time | See product page |
| GL 90 | $1,439 | Batch | 2 to 3 full-time | Electric duct fan |
| Sun-Mar GTG | $639 | Urine-diverting | Unlimited, removable chambers | 12V fan, 110/240V adapter included |
| Sun-Mar Excel NE | $1,999 | Continuous | Up to 5 adults | None required |
| Sun-Mar Centrex | from $1,936 | Continuous, central | 1000: 3 adults full-time; 3000: 6 full-time, 9 part-time | Electric or non-electric |
Green Toilet Family Package: best for an off-grid outhouse
The Family Package is the natural fit for a composting outhouse with no electricity. It is an under-floor batch system that needs no power, and you add spare containers as your household grows.
Green Toilet Lux: best if the outhouse has power
The Lux puts a porcelain toilet above the floor and the compost container below it. It works indoors or in an outhouse, and its 120V duct fan handles venting. When a container is full, you swap in a spare.
Green Toilet 100 Easy and GL 90: smaller households
The 100 Easy comes with a spare container and suits 1 to 2 full-time users or 3 to 5 part-time users, which makes it a good cabin or seasonal outhouse toilet. The GL 90 is a batch toilet for 2 to 3 full-time users and needs space under the floor for its container.
Sun-Mar options: budget and no-power continuous composting
The Sun-Mar GTG is the lowest-cost option at $639. It diverts urine into its own removable chamber and runs a 12V fan. The Sun-Mar Excel NE is fully non-electric, vents through a 4 in pipe and handles up to 5 adults. The Sun-Mar Centrex is a central unit that sits below the bathroom and pairs with a low-flush toilet, so it suits a larger outbuilding with space underneath.
Sun-Mar and Waterless Toilet Shop products ship free. For a deeper look at the two composting styles, see batch vs continuous composting toilets.
Maintaining a Composting Outhouse
A composting outhouse trades pit digging for a simple container routine. Here is what that looks like for a family of four using a Green Toilet.
| Task | How often |
|---|---|
| Add cover material | After each use |
| Swap the full container for an empty one | About every 4 months (about 3 times a year) |
| Let a lidded container finish composting | About 12 months |
| Check moisture and ventilation | Regularly, per the manufacturer's guidelines |
Worked through, those figures mean one container is filling while up to three others finish composting. That is why the Green Toilet range is built around spare containers, and why the outhouse toilet collection also carries spares, hemp and jute liners.
Tips for effective composting
- Use enough cover material to fully cover each deposit. Sawdust and peat moss both work; see coco coir vs peat moss for the trade-offs.
- Keep the vent clear so aerobic bacteria get the air they need.
- Watch moisture. Excess humidity is the usual cause of smells and gnats.
- Follow the manufacturer's guidelines for cleaning and maintenance.
- Use finished compost on trees and non-edible landscaping.
Cost Over Time: Pit Outhouse vs Composting Outhouse
A pit outhouse costs little in cash but a lot in labor, and that labor repeats. A composting outhouse costs more once and then mostly costs cover material.
- Pit outhouse over 10 years: at one new pit every 2 to 5 years, a family of four digs, cribs and relocates 2 to 5 times.
- Composting outhouse over 10 years: one toilet at $639 to $1,849, plus cover material and any spare containers. The building never moves.
- Site limits: every new pit has to meet the 100 foot water setback and the 3 foot water table clearance. A composting toilet reuses the same spot.
Before you build either one, check your local health department's rules for outhouses and composting toilets.
Who Should Choose Which
Choose a composting outhouse if:
- You want a permanent outbuilding that never has to move.
- Odor and flies near the cabin or campsite are a concern.
- Your land is close to water or has a high water table, which makes a pit hard to site.
- You would like usable compost for non-edible landscaping.
- You have no power: pick the Green Toilet Family Package or Sun-Mar Excel NE.
A traditional pit outhouse may still suit you if:
- Upfront cash is the only constraint and you can do the digging yourself.
- Use is occasional, the site has deep dry soil, and it is well away from water.
- Your local rules allow pit privies on your property.
Weighing other waterless options too? Read dry flush vs outhouse, or browse the full composting toilets range to compare every model side by side.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a composting outhouse?
A composting outhouse is an outhouse building with a composting toilet inside instead of a pit in the ground. Waste goes into a ventilated container with carbon cover material, where it breaks down aerobically into compost. The building stays in one place because there is no pit to fill up.
Can you put a composting toilet in an outhouse?
Yes, and under-floor batch systems are designed for it. The Green Toilet Lux works indoors or in an outhouse, and the Green Toilet Family Package needs no power, which suits off-grid outhouses. You need room below the floor for the container and a vent pipe to carry air up and out.
What is the difference between a latrine and an outhouse?
A latrine, or pit toilet, is the hole in the ground that collects waste, and an outhouse is the small building over it. Most traditional outhouses are pit latrines with a shelter on top. A vault toilet uses a sealed tank that gets pumped out, and a composting outhouse replaces the pit with a composting toilet.
Do outhouses smell?
Traditional pit outhouses usually do smell. Liquids and solids mix in the pit with no oxygen, and that anaerobic breakdown produces ammonia and methane and attracts flies. A properly vented composting toilet keeps waste drier and aerated, so odor is minimal.
How often do you empty a composting outhouse toilet?
For a family of four, a Green Toilet container fills in about four months. You roll the full container out, put a lid on it, and slide in an empty one. The full container then finishes composting for about 12 months.
How do you build an outhouse that doesn't smell?
The most reliable way is to put a composting toilet in the outhouse instead of digging a pit. Add carbon cover material such as sawdust or peat moss after each use, keep excess liquid draining away from the solids, and run a 4-inch vent pipe so air moves up and out of the building. Check your local health department's rules before you build.
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