How does skip hire work? All you need to know
How does hiring a skip work?
Hiring a skip isn’t as complicated as you might think.
Here are the steps you’ll need to take.
1. Find a local skip hire company
Start your search for a skip hire company near you by entering your postcode below.
All the skip hire companies you see on Checkatrade have gone through our checks and passed. This means they’re approved by us and their work comes with our guarantee.
Contact or pay a trade through Checkatrade and you’re covered by our 12-month guarantee of up to £1,000*
2. Book your skip
Once you’ve chosen a skip hire company, you’ll then need to book your skip. You can usually do this over the phone or online.
You’ll need to let the company know what size skip you need, when you want it to arrive, and where they should drop it off.
3. Your skip is delivered
Your skip hire company will drop your skip off in the agreed location on the day that your skip hire starts.
Usually, they’ll give you a call when they’re on their way. Make sure to let them know if you want the drop-down door to face a specific direction.
Now, you can get to work filling your skip!
4. Wave goodbye to your skip
When the duration of your skip hire ends, the company will come back to collect it.
Hopefully, you’ll have filled it with everything you need to get rid of by now. But if not, don’t worry. Usually, you can extend your skip hire without any problems.
What to consider when hiring a skip
Before you hire your skip, there are a few things to consider – from the best size skip for your needs, to whether you need a permit.
Here’s the full lowdown.
What size skip is best to hire?
Skips are measured by the number of cubic yards that they can hold.
The perfect size for you will obviously depend on how much waste you need to dispose of. But that can be tricky to calculate!
Here are some rough ballparks to help.
Small home project
For a small home project, a 2-4 yard skip could be just right. This will take approximately 10-20 bin bags or 1-2 carloads full with an extended boot.
Small home or garden clearance
Clearing out a small home or garden? Consider a 4-6 yard skip. This should fit between 30-50 bin bags or around the same amount as a small van.
Large kitchen or home refurbishment
For a small kitchen or home refurbishment, it’s worth considering a 6-8 yard skip. This will take approximately 60-80 bin bags, or enough to fit into a standard transit van.
Full home or office declutter
For a larger declutter, you might want to think about hiring a 12-14 yard skip. That’s enough to fit around 110-120 bin bags, or to fill an 8m x 6m garden shed.
How long can you keep a skip for?
How long you can keep a skip for will depend on the company you use.
Usually you’ll be able to book your skip for a maximum of 14 days upfront. However, you’ll be able to extend the skip hire at a later date if you need to. Some companies will let you do this for free, but most will charge you an additional fee.
If you already know that you’ll need your skip for longer, it’s worth talking to your skip hire company to see if something can be arranged in advance.
Are you allowed to put anything in a skip?
No! What you’re allowed to put in your skip will vary depending on what kind of skip you hire. But there’ll always be some restrictions.
You can choose between a mixed waste skip or an inert waste skip.
Most homeowners will opt for a mixed waste skip, as this will enable you to dispose of a broad mix of waste materials – from builder’s waste to household appliances, carpets to furniture, and even garden waste.
On the other hand, if you opt for an inert waste skip, you’ll only be able to dispose of inert waste. This is waste from demolition and construction work, such as soil, sand, cement and rubble.
What cannot be put in a skip in the UK?
You can put most household waste in a mixed waste skip – so long as it doesn’t pose a hazard.
That said, there are some things that you can’t put in a skip. If you do, you’ll likely be charged an additional fee. Your skip hire company might remove these items and leave them at your property.
So, what can you not put in a hired skip? To be on the safe side, here are some things you should avoid.
- Asbestos
- Batteries
- Clinical or medical waste
- Electrical appliances & equipment
- Fluorescent tubes
- Fridges, freezers, and air conditioning units
- Gas canisters and gas bottles
- Hazardous & toxic materials
- Oil, petrol, and diesel
- Paint and tins of paint
- Plasterboard
- TVs & computer screens
- Tyres
How much is too much in a skip?
You might want to fill your skip as much as possible, to get your money’s worth. But bear in mind that there are limits to how much you can put in your skip.
Height limits
You should never fill your skip above the height of its sides.
Why? Well, if you pile your rubbish up higher than this, it could fall out while your skip is being transported. This is obviously dangerous as it could injure someone or damage their property.
With that in mind, if you exceed this height, your skip hire company might refuse to collect your skip. Or, they may ask you to empty some of its contents out before they take it away.
To make sure you don’t forget, most skips have the phrase ‘level loads only’ written on the side. Your skip hire terms and conditions will likely say the same thing.
Weight limits
There are also weight restrictions to abide by when you’re filling a hired skip.
Weight limits tend to vary a bit from company to company. But as a rough guide, here’s what you can expect:
- 2 yard skip: 2 tonnes
- 4 yard skip: 4 tonnes
- 6 yard skip: 6 tonnes
- 8 yard skip: 8 tonnes
- 10 yard skip: 8 tonnes
- 12 yard skip: 8 tonnes
That said, this isn’t normally something you’ll need to worry about. This is because, unlike builders, most householders don’t tend to fill skips with loads of very heavy waste such as soil and rubble.
Do I need permission to put a skip on a road?
Yes! If you put a skip on a public highway rather than on private land, you’ll need a skip hire permit from the council.
If it’s a controlled parking zone (CPZ), you’ll also need a CPZ suspension.
Wondering what counts as a CPZ? Just a few examples include yellow lines, areas that require a residents’ parking permit, or pay and display bays.
Usually, your skip hire company can sort out both of these for you so you don’t have to worry. However, it’ll come with an additional cost and will take a few days to arrange.
So, make sure to give plenty of notice, as you’ll need the permits in place before your skip is delivered.
How much is it to hire a skip in the UK?
The average skip hire cost in the UK is between £125 and £320 per week.
Skip hire prices can vary depending on lots of different factors. These include:
- The size of the skip
- How long you hire it for
- Whether you need a permit
- Your location
If you’re planning to put your skip on a public highway, you’ll also need to factor in the cost of a council permit. This is around £15 to £60.
Do you pay upfront for a skip?
Yes! Usually, skip hire companies will ask for payment at the point of booking. This might be the whole payment or just part of it.
That said, you may need to make additional payments later down the line if you decide to extend your skip hire or you place restricted items in your skip.
How does skip hire work – key takeaways
Hopefully, you’re now confident with how skip hire works.
But here are some key takeaways to make sure you leave no stone unturned.
- Work out what size skip you need
- Estimate how long you’ll need it for
- Decide where you’re putting your skip (you’ll need a permit to put it on public land)
- Get quotes from local skip hire companies
- Book your skip!
We always recommend getting at least three quotes from local skip hire companies. That way, you can make sure you’re getting a fair and competitive price.
Enter your postcode below to get quotes from skip hire companies near you.
FAQs
Which home improvement jobs would I need to hire a skip for?
There are many home renovation jobs where you may accumulate a lot of waste during a renovation.
We’ve picked out some of the most common jobs where you may need to hire a skip.
Is it illegal to take things out of a skip UK?
It’s unlikely that taking things out of someone else’s skip will be seen as stealing. However, the contents of a skip still belong to the person who hired it until it’s taken away.
Plus, many skips are placed on private land. So, if you’re going through someone’s skip, you may also be trespassing.
Ultimately, the only real way to make sure you’re taking items from a skip legally is to ask the person who hired it. A simple knock at the door goes a long way!
What happens to the stuff you put in a skip UK?
Your skip hire company will sort through the items you put in your skip before disposing of them.
Items that can’t be recycled will end up in landfill or get incinerated. However, a lot of items can be reused.
For instance, scrap metal is often supplied to other countries and green waste can be made into compost. Similarly, building materials like bricks, glass and concrete can often be recycled.
Why can’t you put a mattress in a skip?
You generally can put an old mattress in a skip. However, some skip hire companies prohibit it or charge additional fees to dispose of mattresses, due to their size.
Similarly, not all mattresses are the same. While a standard mattress is usually fine to dispose of in a skip, some types like memory foam mattresses require different handling because of how they’re made.
With that in mind, if you want to put a mattress in a skip, the best thing to do is ask your skip hire company what kinds of mattresses they accept.
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