All you need to know about hiring a skipAll you need to know about hiring a skip

What can I put in the skip?

First Skip Overloading

All you need to know about hiring a skip needs to start with Skip Overloading. It’s not the skip driver being unreasonable – it’s the law! They are legally bound to not carry unsafe loads and unfortunately, many people order smaller skips than they need in order to save money. Our advice – order a larger skip than you think you need because you will always fill it – just don’t go over the line!    You may end up ordering a second skip costing you more money than if you got a bigger one to start with.

Items that can be put in a skip will vary from company to company

  • Bricks
  • Domestic waste such as food and food packaging
  • Fittings (non-electrical)
  • Furniture
  • Furnishings
  • Gas Cookers
  • Hard Core
  • Metal
  • Plastic
  • Packaging (including cardboard, plastics, polystyrene
  • Rubble
  • Soil (not contaminated with asbestos or oil)
  • Solidified paint
  • Wood

Please view skip sizes as the capacity of the skip determines what types of waste can be put in.

What can’t I put into the skip?

  • Asbestos
  • Compressed Gas Cylinders (full or empty)
  • Computer Towers & Screens
  • Electrical Equipment (e.g. Electric Cookers, Electric Fans)
  • Explosives
  • Fluorescent Tubes
  • Fridges
  • Household Batteries
  • Medical Waste of any kind
  • Microwaves
  • Oils (hydraulic oil, engine oil, cooking oil)
  • Other Chemicals (e.g. bleach, detergents, processing fluids)
  • Paint Tins (unless completely empty)
  • Plasterboard
  • Solvents (e.g. paint, glue)
  • Toasters
  • Televisions
  • Telephones
  • Tyres
  • Vehicle Batteries

Some items not allowed to be put in a skip can be collected separately.

If you are not sure about the waste you will be putting in the skip, please contact the company before booking.

IF A SKIP ONCE COLLECTED HAS FOUND TO HAVE ITEMS THAT ARE NOT ON THE ACCEPTED LIST, THE CUSTOMER WILL BE LIABLE TO  RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL CHARGE.

SKIPS THAT ARE OVERLOADED COULD INCUR AN ADDITIONAL CHARGE OR YOU MAY BE ASKED TO REMOVE THE EXCESS WASTE

All you need to know about hiring a skip

Will I need a Highway (Road) Permit?

If the skip is being placed on private property, a Highway Permit is NOT REQUIRED.

If the skip is put on the verge outside your home and if the land is private property, a Highway Permit is NOT REQUIRED.

If the skip will be placed on the public road/highway or on the verge outside your home which is owned by local council/Highways Agency then a Road Permit IS REQUIRED under the Highways Act 1980.

Skip Highway Permits can only be obtained by the skip hire company from your local Council and 3 working days+ normally are required to process and obtain the permit. Skips cannot be delivered without a permit issued.

Council charges for a road permit can vary in cost from £50 to £200. The permit will have a time period from seven to fourteen days and can be extended for an additional cost. Some areas you may need to pay an increased cost as you may need to have a parking bay suspended for the skip placement.

A skip on the road/highway needs to conform to council rules, you may be required to add lights at night. The skip company needs on the skip to display a 24-hour contact number and for safety reasons, each end of the skip facing traffic must be painted yellow and have two areas of reflective markings.

To know that a Highway Permit has been purchased on your behalf, you should ask you skip hire company for proof of your permit.

All councils publish Highway permit information on their website.

HIGHWAYS ACT – Click here
Plan of how a skip should be placed on the Highway and the lighting and traffic cones required
Details of how a skip should be placed on a public highway

Skip Sizes

TypeSizeHeightLengthWidth
Mini – Ideal for home or small building jobs. Mixed or Heavy waste.3 yd1.0 m1.8 m1.5 m
Midi – Ideal for home or small building jobs.  Optional Drop End Door for easy loading. Mixed or Heavy waste.4 yd1.1 m2.4 m1.5 m
Maxi – Suitable for more bulky items Mixed or Heavy waste. Optional Drop End Door for easy loading.5 yd0.8 m2.7 m1.75 m
Builders – Standard skip used by builders. Mixed or Heavy waste. The is the largest skip available for heavy only waste i.e rubble/soil  Optional Drop End Door for easy loading.6 yd1.1 m3.3 m1.8 m
Large – Ideal for large domestic jobs and building sites for their lighter mixed waste.  GENERALLY CANNOT BE USED FOR JUST ONLY RUBBLE OR SOIL8 yd1.2 m3.4 m1.8 m
Large – Suitable for very large building projects or industrial waste.  GENERALLY CANNOT BE USED FOR JUST ONLY RUBBLE OR SOIL.10 yd1.3 m3.6 m1.8 m
Extra Large – Suitable for larger projects. CANNOT BE USED FOR JUST ONLY RUBBLE OR SOIL12 yd1.6 m3.4 m1.8 m
Industrial – Ideal for larger projects. CANNOT BE USED FOR JUST ONLY RUBBLE OR SOIL14 yd1.8 m3.6 m1.8 m
               Skip Size          Volume         Dimensions  No. of bin bags     Max Weight
Mini Skip     2 cubic yards        4 x 3 x 3 feet          15 – 20       2 Tonnes
Midi Skip    4 cubic yards       6 x 4 x 3 feet          25 – 35       4 Tonnes
Small Builder Skip    6 cubic yards      10 x 4 x 4 feet          40 – 55       6 Tonnes
Builder Skip    8 cubic yards      12 x 6 x 4 feet          60 – 75       8 Tonnes
Large Builder Skip     10 cubic yards      13 x 6 x 6 feet         90 – 110      8 Tonnes

What do you need to know about Delivery & Placement of a skip on to your property?

Skip lorries are large, if you are having a skip placed on your property you need to consider a few things:-

  • The driver will place the skip where you request, which in most cases whilst being parked on the Public Highway but…..
  • Can the land/drive the skip will be placed on take the weight of the skip and contents without doing any damage?
  • If the skip lorry needs to drive on to your property, is there enough width for the lorry to manoeuvre, can the land/drive support the lorry weight?
  • In the result of any damage being done to your property from delivery or collection of the skip, skip companies will not accept responsibility, please check with the company if you are not sure.
  • Placement of a skip on customer property will result in damage if the customer has requested a delivery without fully assessing the potential of what could happen (this happens to all companies). If you think delivery and placement of the skip on your property will not be straight forward i.e. width/height restrictions, soft ground etc or restricted access as to where the skip will be placed, please call the company before ordering having available as much information as possible.  At the end of the day, it will be your responsibility to make sure no damage happens.  Read the skip hire company’s Terms & Conditions before booking so there can be no disputes in the event of damage.

All you need to know about hiring a skip

Skip Hire Period

The maximum hire period varies from company to company. This can be from, Seven to Fourteen DAYS.   Companies may ask for a collection date when ordering. Some companies without notice, automatically collect the skip at the end of the hire period.  If you find you need the skip on site longer than the agreed period,  call the company for an extension asap most do not charge but some do.

Using a WAIT & LOAD service

The Wait & Load Service is an alternative to normal skip hire often only available on 5yd, 6yd and 8yd skip sizes.

Using a WAIT & LOAD service is for when you cannot have a skip placed on your property or if you do not want a skip placed on the Highway and incur the cost of purchasing a Road Permit, or maybe you do not want the waste left on your property in a skip for any longer than necessary. On arrival, the skip will be unloaded with the driver waiting and you must instantly fill the skip. Generally, the MAXIMUM time given to load the skip varies from 20 minutes to 40 minutes, additional time could incur an additional charge.

You may not be able to order this service for same day collection or make a booking online.

Using a GRAB service

A second alternative is a GRAB lorry service where the driver will self-load your waste using a hydraulic Grab Bucket. This service is Pricing On Application depending on the amount of waste.

All you need to know about hiring a skip

Payment

Most skip hire companies take payment when you place the order over the phone using a  credit/debit card or by a BACS payment, a few will take payment when the skip is delivered.

Check your skip hire company has a current Waste Carrier License

Making sure the company you hire to remove your waste has a current Waste Carrier License as it is important because if they do not, you could find yourself in court as the skip industry is heavily regulated and you could be an accessory to the offence.

Click here to check with the regulating Government department

Terms & Conditions

Read the TERMS & CONDITIONS of the company before ordering. FIND OUT WHAT IS INCLUDED AND WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED IN  THE BOOKING AGREEMENT 

Why isn’t my skip dropped off and picked up when I ask for it?

One of the All you need to know about hiring a skip biggest questions is this one. This isn’t always the skip company’s fault – too many people don’t understand that hiring a skip is not like calling a taxi.

Just think about what goes into the average skip lorry driver’s day. It’s heavy haulage we’re talking about here. Lots of things can go wrong on a pick-up or drop-off, that will slow down the whole day’s schedule.

One example is when a customer puts what looks like hazardous waste in a skip, and the driver has to check with whoever filled the skip, before accepting the load.

Another delay, which is all too frequent, is when a skip has been overfilled, or maybe earlier in the shift, the driver was given incorrect drop-off, or collection details, by a customer.

Maybe patience is needed when waiting for your skip to arrive as it’s rarely a case of deliberately bad customer service. Congestion on roads is also becoming a bigger and bigger problem.

Why do skips cost so much money?

No-one is pretending skip hire is cheap, but think about the overheads involved:

  • Skip Lorry £35,000+
  • Skips £500 plus
  • Vehicle Insurance £2000 per year per vehicle
  • Public Liability £1250 per year per vehicle
  • Employer’s Liability £1250 per year per vehicle
  • Skip Lorry driver £25,000 per year
  • Fuel £20,000 average per year
  • Office staff £18,000 per year per member of staff
  • Landfill taxes England and Wales £88.90/ton increasing by every year.
  • Cost of Recycling machinery buying shredders, trommels, weighbridges, picking stations etc – £millions.

Getting rid of waste is not a cheap business, but it has to go somewhere!

Examples of  UK average

Skip Hire Prices in 2020 

ALL PRICES ARE TO BE USED AS A GUIDE AND WILL VARY FROM COMPANY TO COMPANY

The cost of a Highway Permit is NOT INCLUDED in these prices

Location6-yard skip 8-yard skip
UK Average£226£253
Birmingham£195£220
Bournemouth£267£328
Brighton£232£276
Bristol£240£273
Bromley£240£280
Cambridge£201£234
Cardiff£238£247
Chelmsford£219£249
Chester£202£232
Croydon£267£313
Doncaster£186£238
Edinburgh£175£221
Exeter£267£319
Glasgow£204£207
Gloucester£235£272
Hemel Hempstead£231£275
Ipswich£217£249
Iver£249£294
Leeds£168£227
Leicester£209£231
Liverpool£190£203
London£265£283
Luton£268£288
Manchester£199£227
Middlesbrough£230£241
Milton Keynes£241£267
Newcastle£227£259
Northampton£175£205
Norwich£205£229
Nottingham£188£236
Oxford£250£295
Portsmouth£249£296
Reading£239£292
Sheffield£188£226
Southampton£282£337
Swindon£250£308
Tunbridge Wells£241£290
York£179£223