A home renovation, garden clean-up, or just a general tidy-up can produce a lot of waste that simply won’t fit in or be allowed in your general household waste bin. You could make numerous trips to the local recycling centre, but that’s inconvenient and time-consuming, and you may well be charged.
A large skip is the answer when you want to get rid of waste from your latest home renovation project. However, skips don't come in one size; you can use them for smaller projects, meaning a smaller skip.
Here we help you decide what size skip you’ll need, how much the skip will cost and what you can’t put in it.
Tom Reynolds is the Business Development Director at Travis Perkins Hire, with more than 20 years' experience in the industry. TP Hire provides a variety of solutions to meet tradespeople’s waste disposal needs.
Lucas Hargreaves has almost 8 years of experience in the recycling industry, with a focus on turning strategy into delivery. Lucas aligns sales, marketing, operations, and sustainability, improving systems and reporting, strengthening supplier and customer relationships, and ensuring performance is measured properly.
Shop these to help fill a skip
These heavy-duty bin bags can carry up to 100kg of waste and are highly durable. Made from plastic that is 100% recycled from greenhouses, they are available in packs of 10 or 30.
These general-purpose plastic tubs have a generous 42-litre capacity with strong integrated handles. They are a great choice for filling with rubbish and waste and transporting to a skip.
These heavy duty gloves are puncture, high temperature and cut resistant with a reinforced palm to provide extra protection. Ideal for moving rubble and renovation rubbish.
Average cost of a skip
The cost of a skip can vary greatly depending on a number of factors, explains Lucas Hargreaves, Project Director at Skip Hire Network, “Skip hire cost varies depending on location, size of the skip, the service you receive, whether you need a permit, and how long you are hiring the skip for.”
Tom Reynolds, Business Development Director at Travis Perkins Hire, offers a quick look at the price for popular-sized skips. “The price of skips varies depending on a multitude of things, including location, but a rough estimate of the cost of a small, medium and large version, I would say are as follows:
- 4 yarder £150-£250 Ex VAT
- 8 yarder £250-£350 Ex VAT
- 12 yarder £350-£500 Ex VAT
Hargreaves goes into more detail for various-sized skips: “A small, 2-yard skip can be anything from £75 up to £175, but it’s important to consider that these smaller skips have a much smaller capacity. For a 4-yard midi skip, you can expect to pay anything from £130 to £320, and large 8-yard skips from £240 up to £450.
He adds, “At Skip Hire Network, a 4 yard midi skip for minor home renovations and garden clearances prices start at £160, a 6 yard midi skip for larger renovations and small building jobs from £220, and an 8 yard maxi skip, which you may use for building sites, from £240.”
These prices are typically for two weeks, but check when hiring and ask how much for additional weeks.
Types of skip you can hire
Skips come in different shapes and sizes, some more common than others, as Reynolds from Travis Perkins shares, “The ‘normal’ open top skips come in a variety of different sizes, with the eight-yard version the most common request that we come across.”
But there are other options, “You can get roll-on roll-off skips, which are containers that are bigger and more expensive. There are wait-and-load skips, where tradespeople will load the rubbish onto them while they are still at work, with the driver waiting until it is full before departing.”
He continues, “There are drop-door skips with a hinged door at one end allowing easy access, there is also an enclosed lockable option with lids that prevent unauthorised access.”
Beyond the solid skip options, there are skip bags. Hargreaves says, “While skip bags can be more affordable and convenient for smaller projects, there are hidden costs and risks associated with them.”
He points out some of the drawbacks: “ Skip bags usually have weight restrictions as they have limited volume, while traditional skips can hold up to 8 tonnes of material depending on the size.”
He adds, “With skip bags, while many are sturdy, they tend to have heavy material restrictions, and run the risk of ripping.”
Shop clearance bags
The Sackmaker FIBC Bulk Bag is a heavy-duty builders and garden waste bag designed to handle large-scale domestic and light industrial material handling. It’s ideal for construction debris, garden waste, aggregates (like sand and stones), and general bulky rubbish collection.
The Heavy Duty Rubble Sacks are tough, tear-resistant waste bags designed for handling heavy debris from construction, renovation, gardening, and household clean-up tasks. Built for durability and everyday use, these rubble bags combine robust materials with a practical size to make waste management easier on jobsites and at home.
The EcoBag Blue Rubble Bags offer a strong, reliable waste-handling solution for home, garden, and light construction tasks. With a pack of 20 bags, they’re tailored toward consumers and businesses needing a versatile, everyday bag that stands up to heavy and awkward loads.
Choosing the right size skip
Size is key; you don’t want to hire a skip and find you don’t have room for all your waste. By the same token, you don’t want a skip that is only half full. Hargreaves outlines what size should suit your project. “Smaller, 4-yard skips are suitable for small domestic projects like minor home renovations, garden clearances, and garage tidy-ups, still making room for bulky waste, but with capacity limitations of around 20-40 bin bags.”
For large household clearances, Hargreaves suggests, “You should opt for a 12-yard skip depending on how much waste is expected. This has an approximate capacity for 100 – 120 bin bags, with significant capacity for bulkier, lighter materials like furniture and packaging waste.”
If you need something larger, Hargreaves says, “If you’re clearing an industrial or construction site, a 16-yard skip is generally the recommended size. This size capacity is around 140-160 bin bags, designed for projects with a significant amount of light, compactable waste.”
Alongside size, you need to consider type. Reynolds suggests a few options: “If it is for a full house build, then a roll-on roll-off skip would be preferable. If it is a standard renovation or a garden DIY project, then a small open one may do.” He adds, “It also depends on the space available for the skip on a driveaway or building site.”
Factors that can affect price
Hidden costs are something you need to look out for when hiring a skip shares Reynolds, “When hiring a skip, you must be careful not to go over the tonnage limit set when it is delivered to avoid any hidden charges."
He adds, “If there is no space for a skip on a driveway, then sometimes parking permits can be paid for, but that increases the price. As do things like the distance of travel for the supplier and the type of waste product you dispose of.”
What you can't put in a skip
You might think that you can put whatever you like in a skip, but there are restrictions, shares Reynolds, “Every skip supplier is different, but mattresses are a no-go – they need to be disposed of differently. As do goods like batteries, asbestos, paint and gas cylinders.”
He adds, “If you are disposing of something like plasterboard, you need to make sure that you can, as it is not always possible, depending on the type of skip you have.”
Talk to your skip supplier before hiring to make sure you are getting a skip that meets your needs.
A skip is essential when renovating a home. To make sure you get your renovation right (and make good use of your skip), take a look at our brilliant home renovation ideas. To help avoid any issues, take a look at traps to avoid while renovating, and what makes a renovation look cheap.
