Going hand-in-hand with almost any household renovation; a skip is probably high on your list of needs when undertaking large works at home.
Depending on the size you need, the duration you’ll need it, and the type of waste you’ll be putting in the skip, your prices can vary from below the hundreds to well over – which can push your budget over your limit if you’re not careful.
In this guide, we’ll be covering:
- How much it costs to hire a skip
- What affects the cost of hiring a skip
- How you can save money on skip hire
- How to find and hire a skip
Keep reading to find out how to save money during your next building project.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Skip?
Before you hire a skip you need to work out the size you need.
Predictably, mini skips are the most affordable but make sure you don’t end up purchasing something too small. If your debris fills it up quickly, you’ll end up paying more than anticipated as you’ll need multiple removals.
Here are the most common sizes of skip, together with their dimensions and the average price of hire:
| SKIP TYPE | DIMENSIONS (LENGTH BY WIDTH BY HEIGHT) | LONDON FEE | REST OF UK FEE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mini Skip | 1.29 x 1.29 x 1 metres | £130+ per week | £90 to £130 per week |
| Medium Skip | 1.68 x 1.22 x 1.22 metres | £275 per week | £200 to £250 per week |
| Large Skip | 3.7 x 1.78 x 1.68 metres | £390 per week | £250 to £340 per week |
A mini-skip is the smallest and holds between 40 and 45 average household rubbish bags. It measures 1.29 metres long by 1.29 metres wide and is usually around one metre in height.
It’s likely to cost between £90 and £130 for a week’s hire, and remember that – as with most things – the price is likely to be more if you live in London.
The eight-yard medium skip is one of the most commonly used skips and can hold between 80 and 90 rubbish bags. It’s 3.66 metres long by 1.68 metres wide, and has a height of usually 1.22 metres.
It will cost between £200 and £250 to hire this type of skip, and you can expect it to cost around £275 in London.
A large skip skip is what you should hire if you’re anticipating a huge job, as it’s 12-yards and can hold between 125 and 135 average-sized rubbish bags. It’s 3.7 metres long by 1.78 metres wide, and is 1.68 metres tall.
Expect the prices for this type of skip to vary across the country. London skip hire costs usually begin at £387.
Outside of London, the cost is likely to be between £250 and £340 for a week’s hire.
Are you ready to hire a skip? HouseholdQuotes can help you find the right skip hire.
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What Affects the Cost Of Hiring a Skip?
As we’ve mentioned, the size of a skip directly affects the cost of hire – but there are a few other factors to be aware of when looking to book a skip if you want to be sure your costs stay as low as possible.
Permits and Location
If you can’t have your skip placed on driveway, it will have to go on the roadside. You’ll need a permit for this and the cost of one will vary depending on your location.
These costs vary wildly. A permit on a residential street in Manchester could cost £15. However, the cost may be £51 in Glasgow and up to £70 in Surrey.
Unlimited Time Skip Hire
If you’re hoping to hire an unlimited time skip to cut down on costs, be aware that the prices for this type of skip could easily be higher as the firm will only have a certain number of skips to hire out.
Opting to go for a firm that has the standard one-to-two week hire means that you may incur additional costs per day if you go over the hire, but will usually still work out cheaper than hiring an unlimited time skip.
How Can I Save Money on a Skip?
Comparing quotes is a great way to potentially reduce the cost of your skip hire. HouseholdQuotes can help you get quotes from multiple skip hire companies near you, so that you can find someone that suits your budget.
Click the button below to get started:
Decide from the beginning whether or not you really do need to hire a skip. House clearance specialists will remove the unwanted items from your house to sell on and may even do this for free.
This could be a good route to go down to save you money on the cost of a skip and still get rid of the possessions you no longer want or need.
Your disposed of items will be looked through, with prohibited items noted. These items may incur additional fines and fees so, despite how tempting it may be to dump all of your unwanted goods in the skip, make sure you’re not throwing away anything that is prohibited.
Examples of these types of items are electrical equipment, computer and television screens, asbestos, paint cans, plasterboard, tyres and batteries, as well as fridges and freezers.
Make sure you speak with the company you’re planning to hire from and find out if they have any restrictions you should be aware of beforehand.
Skips have weight limits to make sure that they can safely lifted and removed from your property. You mustn’t overload a skip as this could mean you will be additionally fined for the extra weight.
Smaller skips are more likely to be able to hold many heavy items whilst the larger skips might have weight limits.
Make sure to speak with hire companies about what you’re planning to throw away so they can give you any necessary guidance on weight restrictions before you decide to hire.
How Do I Know if Skip Hire is Right For Me?
With skip hire being potentially costly, it’s a good idea to understand whether or not you need a skip for your project, or if you can make do with other refuse solutions.
| ADVANTAGES | DISADVANTAGES |
|---|---|
| Convenient and easy | You have to take the waste to a refuse site yourself |
| Number of sizes available to suit your needs | Can look unsightly |
| Environmentally-friendly, ensuring waste goes to the proper location | If you don’t have a driveway or on-road parking, you’ll need to acquire a permit |
| Can be booked in advance to help plan out your project | Some items are restricted and can cost more money to dispose of |
| Can cause damage to your driveway |
The main advantage of hiring a skip is the convenience – you don’t need to spend time going back and forth from waste disposal sites and can have it all sorted for you. It’s also an environmentally-friendly option as all waste is disposed of in the proper way.
The drawbacks are that it can be expensive for extended periods of time, and some waste comes at an extra cost to remove. It can also damage your driveway if particularly heavy waste is left in it for a long time, which is something to consider.
What’s Involved in Hiring a Skip?
It’s a fairly simple process when you hire a skip – you can just contact the company and request your chosen size for your chosen day. Subject to availability, you will likely receive your skip for when you need it.
Make sure you ask about any restricted items, and if these carry any additional fees. This is especially important if your project work involves these materials, as you can end up spending more than expected if you’re charged extra fees for their disposal.
Similarly, you’ll want to check with the provider about how full you can leave the skip. Over-filling the skip can lead to delays in its removal, as well as extra fees, so it’s good to check this before you start filling.
You’ll also want to make sure the skip hire company are made aware of any access issues at your property that may hinder their delivery. You’ll need to make sure your skip permit is ready and in place for the day of your delivery to prevent any other problems with the drop-off.
It’s good to note that it’s important to hire a local company when dealing with your skip hire, as anyone having to travel a substantial distance will only make for a higher project fee. It’s more economical – and environmentally-friendly – to hire a local company, instead.
How Do I Find and Hire a Skip?
Finding the right skip hire company can be challenging. At HouseholdQuotes, we can connect you to skip hires in your area.
Click the button below to tell us more about your project, and we’ll help you find someone quickly and easily:
Scouting your local neighbourhood to see if anyone nearby has had a skip hire or is currently hiring one can be a great place to start in your search. By doing this, you will hopefully sidestep any potential cowboy dealers as your neighbours will have done the hard work of vetting them for you.
Similarly, if any of your friends or family have had jobs done recently that involved skip hire, it’s worth finding out if the company they used will be able to service you – although it’s good to keep in mind that the price they paid might be different than yours depending on where you live in the country, or the size you require.
Ensuring the Professional Is the Right Fit
Finding out if a company has specific restricted items is a great place to start. If you’re overhauling your bathroom, finding out if that type of wastage will be permitted before you book someone can save you the headache of extra fees further down the line.
It’s good practice to find out what their additional hire fees are if you need to keep the skip a little longer than originally agreed. In most cases, this will be a small add-on, but it’s good to know if a company has their own policy which could inadvertently skyrocket your project fee.
Understanding weight limits is vital, as we’ve mentioned above, to make sure you don’t overfill the skip with heavy items. Find out if the skip hire company want a ratio of heavy to light items, and make sure your contractors stick to this when they’re filling it up throughout your project.
When it comes to settling on a project fee, getting a written quote is important to make sure everything you agree upon is set in stone, and easy to refer back to if any trouble arises during the job.
Finally, if you’re not using a company from a recommendation, asking for references from their previous jobs can help you to find out if a company is a good fit for you before you get in too deep.
Final Checklist
Ensuring you have a skip ready for all your debris is an essential part of most home renovation projects. Here’s our final checklist to make sure everything is in hand for when it comes to booking something in:
- Firstly, do you need a skip? Could any of your waste be re-purposed or sold on, or is it small enough to be taken by car to your local tip?
- Find out what size of skip you’re likely to need, and figure out the kind of waste that’ll be going into it
- Contact local skip hire companies to get quotes, making sure to ask about any restricted items and the cost for late return of the skip if you think your project might overrun from the predicted schedule
- Check with your local council to find out if you need a permit if your skip needs to be placed on the roadside for the duration of the hire
- If placed on your driveway, make sure there are protective materials beneath the skip to avoid any cracking of tiles or paving slabs
- Let your contractors know what can and can’t be put into the skip, making sure to adhere to any light to heavy ratios set by the skip hire company
- Make sure everything is in the skip for the collection date to avoid any late fees or extra hires!
Use HouseholdQuotes to find local skip hire companies and potentially save money on your skip hire.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Know If I Need a Skip Permit?
If you’re hiring a skip and planning to place it on private land (such as your driveway or other areas of your property), you don’t need a skip permit.
If you haven’t got the space for a skip on your land, and need to use the roadside, then you’ll need to apply for a permit.
You can’t place skips on pavements, and in some areas, you’ll be required to add reflective strips to the skip or night-time safety lamps. Your local council will explain everything to you.
What Happens to My Waste?
Once collected, your waste will be processed at a treatment facility to be sorted into the right categories for recycling or repurposing where possible.
Where Can I Put My Skip?
On your driveway is the best spot if it’s possible, but on the side of the road is also permissible if you have a permit in place. It’s important to note that you can’t move a skip once it has been placed, so be sure to get it right the first time.
How Much Can I Fill My Skip?
It’s important not to over-fill your skip, but for the permissable limits it’s best to ask your skip hire company before you start filling up your skip.
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