Whether you’re gutting your garden or just doing up a small interior space, a skip hire streamlines the waste management portion of your project.
But, there are strict rules about disposing of waste materials, and hiring the wrong-sized skip can add unnecessary costs and stress to your project. So, it’s worth taking a few minutes to understand how to gauge the right skip size, get the required permits, and manage your waste responsibly.
If you’re new to skip hire, we recommend familiarising yourself with these critical concepts before you book. That way, you can avoid additional costs and enjoy a more straightforward construction project.
Understanding Skip Sizes
One of the most common questions we get from our new customers is, “What size skip do I need?” It can be hard to guess how much waste your project will generate, but here’s how we guide our customers:
| 4-Yard Mini Skip | Perfect for garden waste or small home projects like a garage clear-out. | Volume: 3.0 cubic metres | about 40 bin bags |
| 6-Yard Builders Skip | Ideal for medium-sized construction or renovation tasks or small amounts of heavy waste. | Volume: 4.6 cubic metres | about 60 bin bags |
| 8-Yard Builders Skip | A popular choice for builders and larger home projects. | Volume: 6.0 cubic metres | about 80 bin bags |
| 12-Yard Large Skip | Suitable for bulky items and substantial waste volumes. | Volume: 9.2 cubic metres | about 120 bin bags |
| 16-, 20-, 30-, and 40-yard Skips, or Ro-Ro Skips (Roll-on, Roll-off) | Specialist skip sizes designed for commercial skip hire needs, such as industrial projects. |
Permit Requirements
If you’re placing your skip in a public place like a street or footpath, you’ll need a skip hire permit. We arrange skip-hire permits for our customers, but anyone can apply for a skip permit. Generally, it takes a few days for the local council to approve a permit.
You’ll also need to apply for a parking suspension if you live in a controlled parking zone.
There are fees associated with skip permits (which vary depending on where you live). Permits are granted for a week or two, and if you need to extend the permit time, there are generally additional fees.
Skip Placement
You must place your skip on a flat, solid surface. You won’t need a permit if the skip will rest on private property, but if you’re renting, you should ask your landlord for permission before you park it. If you share your driveway with neighbours, you should get their permission, too.
Skips arrive on large lorries, so you’ll need to ensure room for the lorry to deliver the skip. Ideally, the skip would also be placed in a private location to reduce unauthorised access and discourage fly-tipping.
What Can and Can’t Go in a Skip
While a skip hire solves many waste removal problems, it’s not a magic solution. There are plenty of items that can’t go in a skip because their disposal is heavily regulated. These items should never go in a skip:
- Hazardous materials like asbestos
- Gas canisters and gas bottles
- Batteries
- Medicinal waste, including syringes and biohazard products
- Oil, petrol, and diesel
- Plasterboard
- Paint cans/paint
- Fluorescent tubes
If you’ve unearthed asbestos or other hazardous materials during your project, you must use special services to remove them safely. (But don’t worry – we do that, too!)
You can safely add these items to your skip:
- Light waste and household items, like toys, clothes, plastics, mattresses, washing machines, fridges, and other white goods
- Heavy, inert waste like timber, sand and soil, roof tiles, crushed rock, concrete and bricks, and plasterboard
- Green waste, such as garden waste
Skip Hire Prices
Skip costs vary depending on the size and type. You can cut your costs by sharing a skip with a neighbour. Ask your neighbours whether they’d be interested in sharing the cost with you for equal use of the skip.
With good planning, you can avoid extra costs like renting the skip hire for longer than necessary or paying to extend your skip permit.
After-Skip Care
Waste doesn’t disappear when it leaves your home. If you’ve worked with a reputable skip-hire company, you’ll know that your waste isn’t simply dumped in the nearest landfill. The best skip hire services are committed to keeping as much waste as possible from landfills.
The Waste Group is proud to embrace sustainable waste management practices. We’re meticulous about recycling and composting as much waste as possible. When you work with us, you’ll have peace of mind knowing your unwanted clutter has truly gone to a better place.
Booking and Scheduling Your Skip Hire
When you’re ready to book your skip hire, make sure you’re booking for the proper length of time so you don’t incur higher rental or skip permit fees. You should also work with a skip hire service that offers flexible collection times and versatile skip options.
When it comes to streamlining your waste management, there’s no substitute for quality, experience, and professionalism. Talk to The Waste Group’s team of local skip hire pros or chat on WhatsApp at 0800 652 0160. Or, book your skip today!
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