The Ultimate Guide to Skip Hire

We understand that hiring a skip can be a bit of a minefield. We have put together The ultimate skip hire guide to give you the best insight into what skip your need. Contact our helpful and knowledgeable office on 0800 652 0160 with any questions you have.

Skip Hire Guide

  1. What size skip do I need?
  2. Waste Types, what are the differences?
  3. What you can and can’t put in a skip?
  4. Do I need a plasterboard bag?
  5. What is a wait & load service?
  6. How long can I have the skip for?
  7. Weight Restrictions
  8. Will the skip lorry fit on your drive?
  9. Do I need to be at home to receive my skip?
  10. What is a skip permit?
  11. How high can you fill the skip?
  12. How much is it to hire a skip?
  13. How do I pay for my skip?
  14. What paperwork will I receive?
  15. Are there different skip types?
  16. What is a ro-ro?
  17. What happens to your waste?

 

1. What size skip do I need?

The size of the skip really depends on the amount of waste that you are looking to get rid of. Our skip sizes are as follows and these are all measure in cubic yards. We have the following skip sizes;

  • 4 yards
  • 6 yards
  • 8 yards
  • 12 yards

If you look at our bookings page we have used a skip visualisation tool to help you understand how black bins bags can fit in each size skip.

2. Waste Types, what are the differences?

There are 3 different types of waste that you can choose from to go in the skip. These are;

  • General Waste – See next paragraph for what this constitutes
  • Inert Waste – Stone, concrete, bricks rubble, gravel & soils (that are not contaminated).
  • Plasterboard

3. What you can and can’t put in a skip

The most common items that can go in a skip are listed below;

  • Bricks & blocks
  • Soils & stones
  • Wood
  • Plastics
  • Metals
  • Furniture
  • Toys
  • Clothing
  • Cardboard & paper
  • UPVC windows

Here is a list of the most common items that can’t go in a skip;

  • Asbestos – View our asbestos guide; www.thewastegroup.co.uk/news/how-to-dispose-of-asbestos/
  • Batteries
  • Clinical/ Medical Waste
  • Fridges/ Freezers
  • Food waste
  • Gas cylinders/ Aerosols
  • Hazardous/ Toxic Materials
  • Liquids
  • Oils, petrol & diesel
  • Paint cans
  • Plasterboard – *Please see question 5, below.
  • Solvents/ silicon tubes/ Hilti gun cartridges
  • Tyres
  • WEEE Waste – electrical appliances i.e. kettles, TV’s, monitors, computer, washing machines etc

If you are in doubt about what can or can’t go in a skip, please contact our office for advice on 0800 652 0160.

Skip Hirers are responsible for what goes in the skip. Additional fees or items may be returned if Items above are found inside your skip. Contact our office if you need more information on what can or can’t go in a skip. For advice call: 0800 652 0160. This is one of the most important pieces of information in this Skip Hire Guide.

4. Plasterboard bag, do I need one?

Plasterboard is not permitted in general waste skips. Why? Please read our blog on, “Why Plasterboard Can’t Go In A Skip”, https://www.thewastegroup.co.uk/news/why-cant-you-put-plasterboard-in-skips/

Plasterboard is often found during house renovations. Two options exist, 1) Get a skip solely for plasterboard or 2) A plasterboard bag. If there is usually only a small amount of plasterboard waste, the bag is an ideal option.

5. What is a wait and load service?

Book your normal size & waste type of Skip. On arrival, the driver will stay with you for 45 mins to load the Skip. 45 minutes later the skip is removed. Additional fees may apply if you exceed 45 minutes. The driver does not help to load the skip.

6. How long can I have the skip for?

You can have your skip for up to 2 weeks. If you need to hire the skip for a longer period, then you should contact our office as we can arrange this. Additional charges may apply if retained later.

7. Weight Restrictions

18 tonnes gross is the maximum weight our lorries may carry by law. If the vehicle is heavier it is illegal to transport the load. When we arrive to pick up your skip, our lorry must be able to pick up the skip. If the skip is too heavy, we won’t be able to lift it. As a general guide, we advise that it is unusual that 4 and 6 yard skips being overweight. We have collected 6-yard skips filled with concrete & still underweight. The issues with weight really begin with 8 & 12-yard skips. We advise that 8 & 12-yard skip are not filled with soils,& 12-yard skips are not filled with brick rubble as they will likely become over-weight. A Skip Hire company is not responsible for damage caused to your driveway during; drop off, site placement & removal of a Skip.

8. Will the skip lorry fit on your drive?

We run a fleet of 18 tonne HGV lorries. These lorries tend to be 3 metres wide and 4 metres high. As such, we ask you to make sure that your drive has enough room to accept our skip. Please see image below for what a skip lorry looks like when delivering a skip. Also, you should make sure that our lorry can get to your property and there are no restrictions that could stop us from doing this.

waste group employees loading a skip on a lorry

9. Do I need to be at home to receive my skip?

As long as we have access to your property, then you do not need to be present to receive the skip. When you order the skip, please let us know where you would like the skip (i.e in front of garage), we will do the rest. Skip collection is the same.

10. Skip permit, what is it?

If you don’t have room on your property for our skip then you might be able to place our skip in the road (public highway). In order to do this, we can apply to you council for a skip permit/ licence. This can take a few days and is also subject to your local council’s approval. The service will incur an additional cost. These costs will vary dependant on your local council. Additional rules apply to Skips left on public Highways. Councils may require Skips to be visible at night. Our office willl advise you.

11. How much can I fill my skip?

You can fill the skip to the top of the sides. A ‘level load’. Please do not fill higher as drivers could refuse to collect. It may be classed as an unsafe load, & drivers could be prosecuted for this.

12. How much is it to hire a skip?

  • Skip hire cost depends on your location – For example, London is almost twice as expensive as Glasgow to hire a skip. You can enter your postcode to get a quote based on your area on our contact us page.
  • Trust is key – Do your research and make sure who you hire from can be trused. Here at The Waste Group we pride ourselves on delivering the best service possible, ethically and professionally.
  • Learn the rules – If you hire someone else to take away your waste, in the eyes of the law it is still your responsibility. So again, make sure it’s someone you can trust; if they dispose of it incorrectly it is your fault!
  • Know the type you need – Unsure what type and size of skip to go for? Our quote request page includes clear diagrams and measurements of all the skips we provide, so read these carefully beforehand.

13. How do I pay for my skip?

You can either pay for your skip online through our website or we can take card payments over the telephone. I am afraid that we do not accept cash on delivery or cheques. The reason for this is that it avoids any delays or problems when your skip is delivered.

14. What paperwork will I receive?

You will either book your skip online or over the phone will us. We provide all paperwork via email as we see no need to waste paper. We provide you with a waste transfer note. This is the legal document that has all your information, our information and information on your waste.

15. Skip types, what are the differences?

Skip types and variants. The normal skip you see is an open skip. There is also an enclosed skip that has a lid that can be lockable. There are skips that have a door at the front that drops down so you can access the skip easier. These are called  ‘drop-down-door skips’. There are also crane-tested skips. These are used on large construction sites when cranes lift skips up to transport around the site. We have all these Skips. Please contact our office to book.

16. What is a ro-ro?

Ro-Ro  ‘roll on roll off bins’. These are very large bins starting from 16 yards, & go up to 40 yards. Ro Ro‘s are delivered & collected with a different type of lorry that has a hook to drop the bin off and also collect the bin. Pricing is slightly different due to this size of these bins, & is usually assessed on a tonnage basis. To hire one of our Roll on Roll off bins, please contact our office.

17. What happens to waste when it’s put in skip?

After your skip has been collected, it is brought back to a licenced waste transfer station (WTS). At the WTS the waste is broken up onto different waste streams so that each part can be recycled or reused. As not all materials can be recycled some waste will end up at landfills.  At our waste transfer station in Wareham, Dorset, we aim to recycle up to 95% of the waste. Wood, plasterboard, hardcore, soils, trommel fines, cardboard, paper, plastic films, metals, are the typical type of waste. UPVC and materials used as refuse-derived fuels (RDF).

Any questions about our skip hire guide or if you think you can add more to it, please contact us: 0800 652 0160

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