Skip hire for builders, groundworkers and site teams.
From a 4-yard midi on a driveway to 40-yard roll-on/roll-off containers swapped on call. We arrange the permit, the exchange schedule and the duty-of-care paperwork — and where you also need stone coming in, the same booking covers it.
- •4-yard to 40-yard RoRo, plus wait-and-load
- •Council highway permits arranged on your behalf
- •Licensed transfer stations with recovery figures on request
- •Grab-load alternative where tonnage makes it the better call
Book a skip
Choose Skip hire, then give us the size, waste type, delivery date and site postcode.
Skip and container options
Builders' skips (4–8 yard)
The workhorses for soil, rubble, concrete and mixed construction waste. Dropped on a driveway, compound or public highway with a permit where needed.
Maxi skips (10–16 yard)
For bulky but lighter waste — timber, plasterboard packs, fit-out strip-out and packaging. Heavy inert waste is better in a 6 or 8-yard.
Roll-on/roll-off (20–40 yard)
For live sites producing continuous volume. Swapped on call so the site never stops, with hard standing and clear lorry access required.
Wait and load
The lorry waits while you load, so no permit is needed for a short highway stop. Ideal for terraced streets and parking-restricted roads.
Grab loads instead of skips
Where you have 10+ tonnes of muck or hardcore, a grab lorry is usually faster and cheaper per tonne than repeat skip exchanges.
Permits and paperwork
Council highway permits arranged where the skip sits on the road, plus waste transfer notes and recovery figures for every collection.
Skip sizes and what they suit
Capacities are indicative. With heavy inert waste — soil, rubble, concrete — the weight limit is reached long before the skip looks full, so smaller skips are usually the right answer.
| Size | Best for | Indicative capacity | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-yard midi | Bathroom or small renovation strip-out | Roughly 30–40 bin bags | Fits on most driveways |
| 6-yard builder | Soil, rubble and heavy dig arisings | Roughly 50–60 bin bags | The standard for muck and hardcore |
| 8-yard builder | Extensions and larger renovation work | Roughly 70–80 bin bags | Heavy waste limit still applies |
| 12-yard maxi | Bulky light waste — timber, packaging, fit-out | Roughly 110–120 bin bags | Not for soil or rubble |
| 20-yard RoRo | Site-wide mixed waste on live projects | Continuous site use | Needs hard standing and lorry access |
| 40-yard RoRo | High-volume light waste and demolition strip-out | Continuous site use | Light waste only at this volume |
Rules worth knowing before the skip lands
- •No skip on a public highway without a council permit — we arrange it, and lead times vary by council.
- •Heavy inert waste (soil, rubble, concrete) belongs in 4, 6 or 8-yard skips; large skips have weight limits, not just volume limits.
- •Level-load only. Overloaded skips cannot legally be lifted and will be refused.
- •Prohibited items include fridges, tyres, asbestos, gas cylinders, batteries, paint, oils and clinical waste — tell us in advance and we route them separately.
- •Plasterboard must be segregated from general waste under landfill rules.
- •Keep the skip clear for the exchange vehicle — a blocked skip means a wasted journey.
Skip or grab?
Skips win on mixed waste, staged renovation and sites where waste accumulates slowly. Grab lorries win on volume: a single 8-wheel grab clears what several skip exchanges would take, reaches over walls without loading plant, and can return loaded with MOT Type 1, 6F5 capping or topsoil on the same trip.
How skip hire works
From choosing the right container to final collection and paperwork.
1. Choose the size and waste type
Tell us what is going in the skip, where it will stand, how long you need it and whether a council permit is needed.
2. We deliver and permit
We drop the skip on the agreed date and arrange the highway permit where required, so the container is legal from the moment it lands.
3. Exchange or collect
We collect when full or swap on call for live sites. Every collection comes with a duty-of-care waste transfer note.
Skip hire across the UK
Local skip hire and container exchange in and around these cities. Click through for area-specific service details.
What can go in each skip
The right container depends on both waste type and weight. Heavy inert waste fills the weight limit first; bulky light waste fills the volume first.
| Waste type | Best skip | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Soil, clay, rubble, concrete | 4, 6 or 8-yard builder | Heavy — weight limit reached before skip is full. |
| Timber, packaging, fit-out strip-out | 10–16 yard maxi | Bulky but light; do not overload with soil. |
| Plasterboard | Segregated skip or bags | Must be kept separate from general waste. |
| Continuous site mixed waste | 20–40 yard RoRo | Swapped on call for live projects. |
| Asbestos, tyres, liquids, batteries | Excluded | Requires a specialist licensed route — tell us in advance. |
Skip hire FAQs
- What size skip do I need for soil and rubble?
- For soil, rubble and concrete, a 6-yard builders' skip is the usual choice because heavy waste hits the weight limit long before the volume limit. For bulky light waste like timber, packaging or fit-out strip-out, a 12-yard maxi holds far more. If you are producing continuous volume on a live site, a 20 or 40-yard roll-on/roll-off is more efficient than repeat exchanges.
- Do I need a permit for a skip on the road?
- Only if the skip stands on a public road, verge or footway. Skips wholly on private land — a driveway, compound or car park — need no permit. Where a permit is needed we apply to the council on your behalf; lead times vary from same-day to several working days depending on the authority.
- How long can I keep a hired skip?
- A standard hire period runs one to two weeks and can be extended on request. On live sites we usually work to an exchange-on-call arrangement instead, so a full skip is swapped rather than sitting on the programme.
- What can't go in a builders' skip?
- Asbestos, fridges and freezers, tyres, gas cylinders, batteries, paint, solvents, oils, clinical waste and electrical goods are all excluded from general skips. Plasterboard must be segregated. Tell us what is in the waste stream up front and we arrange a compliant route for the excluded items.
- Is skip hire or grab hire better for muckaway?
- If you have more than about 10 tonnes of soil, clay or hardcore, a grab lorry is normally the better answer — one load clears what several skip exchanges would take, and the grab arm reaches over walls without loading plant. Skips make more sense for mixed waste, smaller volumes and staged renovation work.
- Do I get waste transfer documentation with skip hire?
- Yes. Every collection is issued with a duty-of-care waste transfer note, and material goes to licensed transfer stations and recovery facilities. Recycling and recovery figures are available on request for site reporting and BREEAM evidence.
- Can plasterboard go in a skip?
- Plasterboard must be segregated from general waste under landfill rules. We can arrange a separate plasterboard container or bag collection so the rest of your skip stays compliant.
- What is wait-and-load skip hire?
- Wait-and-load means the lorry stays on site while you load, so no highway permit is needed for a short stop. It suits terraced streets, parking-restricted roads and jobs where the waste is ready to go.
- How much weight can a 6-yard skip hold?
- A 6-yard builders' skip is typically weight-limited to around 6–8 tonnes of inert material. Soil and rubble fill it to the weight limit well before the rim, which is why heavy waste belongs in smaller skips.
- Can I hire a skip for the same day?
- Same-day skip hire is sometimes possible depending on local stock and permit status. Booked-in deliveries and exchanges are more reliable, especially where a council highway permit is required.
What we need to quote
Send these five things and a price comes back within one working day — no site visit needed in most cases.
- 1Site postcode, and the delivery or collection window you're working to
- 2Material and tonnage — or the area and depth, and we'll work the tonnage back
- 3Access: whether an 8-wheeler can get in and tip, whether a grab has to reach over a boundary, or whether it has to be bulk bags
- 4Anything overhead or restrictive — cables, low gates, weight limits, permit or bay suspension
- 5Whether material is going out as well as coming in, so we can price it as one two-way movement
Related pages
Everything you need to spec, price and move material — tools, services and the exact material pages they relate to.
- Grab lorry hireSelf-loading 6- and 8-wheel grabs for stockpiles, verges and trench spoil.
- Muckaway & soil removalSurplus dig, clay, hardcore and made ground removed to licensed facilities.
- WAC testing & soil classification hubHow inert, non-hazardous and hazardous classifications decide the disposal route.
- Compliance & paperworkWaste-carrier licensing, duty-of-care notes and WM3 documentation.
- Aggregate calculatorWork out tonnes and tipper loads from area and depth before you order.
- Areas we coverCity-by-city delivery and haulage coverage across England, Scotland and Wales.
Waste off, aggregate on.
Tell us the waste type, where the skip stands and how long you need it, and we'll come back with the right container and schedule.