A complete guide to skip hire for DIYers
When you’re renovating your home (or even just clearing out your garage or demolishing part of your garden), you’ll probably find that you have so much stuff, you need a skip. I know we’ve been there. How does this stuff even accumulate?
Sometimes, it feels like it appears out of thin air, but there always comes a time for a clear out, and hiring a skip company is going to be the best decision you make, as they take the whole thing away for you, without a million trips back and forth to the tip.
However, before you go ahead and hire a skip, there are definitely a few things to consider. With my past expertise (hello multiple house renovations), I’ve learned some stuff along the way and I’m gonna share it with you.
What size skip do I need?
Okay, the main question everyone has when hiring a skip. What size do you really need? Too big, and you’ll waste money on a skip that you don’t actually need. Too small, you’ll have a load of stuff left in your garage or on your drive that you’ll have to remove yourself. So let’s figure out what size is right for you.
In the UK, a skip’s capacity is measured in cubic yards (I know, it’s a bloody weird metric to choose). One cubic yard equals around 0.76 cubic metres of space. This should hopefully explain a bit more about what I’m going to say below.
Mini and midi options
Mini skips are one of the most popular choices for domestic DIY projects. They’re not that expensive and they can hold most waste produced from smaller jobs. The smallest skip you can get is a 2-yard, and it will fit around 20 bin bags in it. So definitely not enough for a bathroom reno, but good enough for a house sort out or some garden clearance.
Then the next size up is a midi skip. The 4-yard skip is a great size for a bathroom refit, or if you’re redecorating another room, like a bedroom. A 6-yard skip is a good size for bigger projects, like a kitchen refit or if you’ve chopped down a medium-sized tree. Both of these will still fit on your drive, and a 6-yard skip will fit up to 60 black bin bags in it.
Skips can go even bigger, but these probably aren’t ideal or necessary for a house project. I’m gonna cover them anyway in the section below.
Builder’s and maxi options
For larger projects, or when undertaking multiple renovations at the same time, you would need the extra space provided by a builder’s skip. An 8-yard skip can hold up to 120 bin bags, and while it can fit on your driveway, it’s best not to use it for very heavy things (like rubble) as the truck won’t be able to carry it away. They’re better for house clearances, getting rid of lots of lighter things like clothes or curtains, etc.
The next available category are maxi skips, with capacities ranging up to 18-yards. I clearly wouldn’t recommend these for home use. They’re more commonly used by commercial clients. For industrial-sized jobs, roll-on roll-off skips are available in 20 to 40-yard capacities.
Understanding the dimensions and capacities of a skip
When searching for or booking a skip, they’ll be marked as a certain yardage, like 4-yard, but you might also see them marked as ‘4 cuya’, this just stands for cubic yards.
But, who even works in yards these days? What are we, American? Living in the 80s? You’ll probably want to understand how the yard measurements work in practice (aka in real measurements we can understand), so here ya go:
- 2-yard skip: 152cm x 122cm x 91cm (L x W x H)
- 4-yard skip: 213cm x 152cm x 91cm (L x W x H)
- 6-yard skip: 230cm x 152cm x 107cm (L x W x H)
- 8-yard skip: 360cm x 183cm x 137cm (L x W x H)
- 10-yard skip: 366cm x 180cm x 152cm (L x W x H)
- 12-yard skip: 370cm x 175cm x 183cm (L x W x H).
Okay now I’ve established the dimensions, but this can mean nothing if you don’t know how much you can actually fit inside.
So here’s how many bin bags you can fit inside each skip size:
- 2-yard skip: Holds up to 20 bin bags
- 4-yard skip: Holds up to 40 bin bags
- 6-yard skip: Holds up to 60 bin bags
- 8-yard skip: Holds up to 80 bin bags
- 10-yard skip: Holds up to 100 bin bags
- 12-yard skip: Holds up to 110 bin bags.
How much does it cost to hire a skip?
Right, let’s talk money, because that is probably a big factor for you, as well as size. Obviously the bigger the skip, the more you pay, so there are things you can do if you’d prefer to go for a smaller size and get rid of some items yourself. For instance, you could donate or giveaway usable items, like old furniture, or advertise unused building materials for free in your local area.
Another factor you might not have considered if your location. Skips hired in London are more expensive than a comparable service in the North of England. The number of local suppliers in your area can also impact the final quote, with better deals provided to consumers in highly competitive regions.
While prices vary, here is a starting amount for up to 14 days hire (inc. VAT):
- 2-yard mini skip – £120-£200
- 4-yard midi skip – £180-£300
- 5-yard maxi skip – £200-£300
- 6-yard skip – £250-£400
- 8-yard skip – £350-£500
- 10-yard skip – £400-£600
Pellow’s, a waste disposal service, recommends that you shop around for a good price, and get at least two or three quotes from some local companies to you. You don’t have to choose the cheapest quote, but you can use the prices to compare and then even attempt to negotiate a deal.
Do you need a permit for a skip?
Let’s talk permits. If the skip is placed on your own land, like on your driveway, then you don’t need a permit. This really is the best place for the skip if it’s easily accessible, as it’s a flat and even surface that’s located near your home.
If, however, your skip is in a publicly accessible area, like a public road, you’ll need to get a permit from your local council and prices often vary between £15 and £60. In most cases, your skip provider will arrange the permit on your behalf.
Additionally, some councils require extra lighting and cones around skips, alongside hazard lights to alert pedestrians or traffic.
What types of waste can skips take?
Clearly there are lots of types of waste that you can put in a skip, including general household and garden waste. This might be rubble, organic waste, wood (other than logs), furniture, domestic waste, plastic, soil, and construction waste. You can also include plasterboard, bricks or concrete products like blocks or slabs.
However, there are a few restrictions to be aware of. You can’t put anything hazardous in, and you can’t put fluorescent bulbs, gas cylinders, tyres, electrical items, asbestos, paint, solvents or chemicals in.
Don’t be tempted to hide these kinds of items in the middle, either. When the skip is emptied, it’ll be found and then you might be fined, so it’s not worth it!
What extra things do you need to be mindful of when hiring a skip?
I’ve been through all the main considerations, but there are a few little extras to consider before you go ahead.
1. Load your skip responsibly
I know, it’s tempting to just shove everything in with no direction. But some logic should be applied here.
Put the bulkier and heavier items at the bottom, which makes it safer and easier for the collection driver to transport it. It also means that you can fit more into the skip. Smaller items can be slipped between the gaps in the bigger items.
2. Don’t overfill your skip
It’s tempting to stuff your skip as high as you can, but I’d advise against it as the driver might refuse to take it. The skip should be filled as high as its sides, instead of piling everything in a mound, because there are certain legal limits about how a skip can be transported. If anything were to fall off during transport, the driver could be prosecuted.
What if you don’t want to hire a skip?
In some instances, a skip is a necessity, but there could actually be some cheaper alternatives if you didn’t want to go down that route.
Skip bags and rubbish removal teams are both excellent options. Skip bags are very similar to skips, but they’re like a giant plastic bag that can be purchased from DIY stores, like B&Q. This means you can buy one and fill it immediately and then book your collection slot to have it picked up when it’s full. They’re picked up by grab lorries, so they can be put in places that aren’t accessible to full-size skip trucks. The only thing to consider is they’re smaller than a skip, in sizes one to 4 yards.
Alternatively, rubbish removal teams do all the heavy lifting and load the rubbish straight into a van for you. These teams are great when all of your waste has already been gathered and simply needs to be taken away quickly. You also won’t have to estimate the volume beforehand, as you only pay for the exact amount of waste they remove.
