▪ To find a good toilet to use for your jobsite, drive by other new home construction or remodeling projects in your neighborhood. Get the name and number off of their porta-potty and you're good to go.

▪ I don't like strangers wandering through my house, so I make a portable toilet available whenever possible. In Atlanta, GA, I pay $74.90 per month.

▪ You may have a problem with unauthorized use of your portapotty. The following individuals might try to use your toilet without asking permission: delivery truck drivers, joggers, walkers, construction workers from nearby projects, random drivers who need to relieve themselves. This can make your toilet a lot dirtier and odiferous than it would be ordinarily.

This is why I always use a combination lock on the door. I simply unlock it when there will be workers on my jobsite or when I know that the portable toilet company will be coming by to service the toilet. Usually, I give the toilet company the combination so that they can access it for their weekly cleaning.

▪ Check to be sure that the porta-potty company is actually cleaning your toilet weekly if they have promised to do so. I find that many companies will skip occasional cleanings, hoping that you will not notice.

▪ Put your portable toilet in an out of the way location on the job site. They can get very smelly, and they are an eyesore for your neighbors.

Former builder and instructor of "Save Time and Money in Home Remodeling" cont. ed. course at Emory University