From start to finish, how much will hiring a skip cost you?
So we’ve got a big project coming up or have finally decided to get the garden shears out to cut back our home jungles.
But now we have to think about where and how we will get rid of our mess, and this is where we will need the help of a skip.
These hefty metal waste containers, come in a bunch of different sizes. With a bunch of different restrictions and other contributing factors that will determine the overall price of your skip.
Well, let’s start from the beginning, with the first thing you will do being a quick Google search.
Firstly is it a skip you need, or something else?
Take a minute to see what type of waste you have got, how much you have and whereabouts you live – do have a driveway?
If you have a smaller amount of general or garden waste or perhaps only want your skip for a day, you may be better off choosing a wait and load service or man and van.
This would potentially save you the cost of a permit, CPZ suspension and excess skip space.
However, if you have bigger quantities of waste or need a long-term waste solution, then a skip will be your best friend.
So, which skip are you hiring?
You’ve got your 2 and 3 yards (mini skips) for small domestic or trade jobs, through to your colossal 40 – 60 yard skips (RORO)
The skip size you need will be determined by the waste stream you have, the weight and amount as well as how big and easy the space is where it’s being delivered.
Also, how long will your project take? If you’re knocking down a bunch of houses, then you’re probably going to need to hire a heavy duty skip. But if you’re simply clearing out your garage, then you may only need a mini skip hire.
How much for which skip?
It will depend on whereabouts you are in the UK and the availability at your local skip company, however the most common skip sizes include:
These are small compact skips that are suited for smaller garden and household waste projects. They hold around 15-20 bin bags of waste
These skips are still considered small but are bigger than your 2 and 3 yards (obviously). They can hold around 40 bin bags and are ideal skips for your regular household, garden and trade jobs.
This midi builder skips are a suitable hire choice for most domestic and trade waste requirements. They can hold over 60 bin bags and are used for larger waste streams or amounts.
Then you need to consider what type of skip you need.
From here a skip sizes up by 2 each time, reaching up to 60 yard maxi skips (Roll on Roll offs) which are typically seen in construction and demolition sites.
But with sizes, you will also meet different ‘species’ of skips available for hire, this includes:
These skips all have different features and serve different waste streams. For instance if you’re going to be getting rid of hazardous waste like medical waste or asbestos, you may need to consider hiring a closed skip to stop people getting into the container.
These skips occur more costs due to the scarce availability and you could be looking anywhere between £200-£300.
You want to make sure you’re hiring a skip that is big or even small enough to accommodate the amount of waste you have as you don’t want to be paying double for an extra skip or for wasted space.
If you are unsure what skip size you need usually you can ask your local skip company and they will be able to advise you on the best suitable skip.
But these things will all contribute to the overall cost of skip hire.
Will you be putting the skip on private land or a driveway?
Now this is an important metric to look at, if you are putting your skip on your front garden, driveway or any other private land, then you will be saving yourself some money.
However, if you haven’t room for a skip or have no private land to use, then you will need to put your skip on a public highway or road. As this is owned by the council, you will need a permit to be able to put your skip on one.
Now permits cost anywhere between £10-£100, depending on where you are and how long you need the permit for.
Also, if you plan on keeping your skip longer, you will need to apply for another permit too, and this will add more costs.
There’s also the fee of a CPZ suspension which will be required if you are planning on putting a parking bay or in a car park.
Both a permit and CPZ suspension can typically be arranged by your skip provider, however you can always purchase these yourself by visiting your local council’s website.
Once you have these sorted, do you have any restricted items?
Bulky items such as mattresses and tyres are not allowed to go in skips and therefore they will have extra costs attached to them if you want them removed with your skip.
You also need to consider that items like asbestos or plasterboard will require specialized skips and you will need to check with your local company if they can be put in the skips they provide.
Typically, these items are charged per item or by the ton, so be wary to consider these costs when it comes to skip hire.
You will also need to consider whereabouts you live.
The next factor is just luck of the draw, and if you happen to be living up North, skip hire will be notably cheaper than if you live down south.
These prices are determined by demand, availability, and difficulty of transportation, with places that are in the middle of nowhere having fewer local depots, they will meet higher price tags.
However, busy places like London will also see higher rates due to the demand and general costs of the area.
So ensure that you’re considerate of whereabouts you are on the UK map as this will collate to the end price of your skip hire quote.
These are the things that will add or subtract from the price do your skip hire
These are the biggest factors to consider when you are planning on hiring a skip as each step will either add or deduct from the overall quote you get.
You will also need to be wary of overloading the skip, ensure that you fill the skip up to the ‘level loaded’ line as anything over this will incur additional fees.
Overloaded skips pose a hazard to both the driver and other road users and for this reason all skip companies will refuse to collect an overfilled skip. Therefore please make sure that you stick to line when you use one.
Usually most quotations are free (well our quotes certainly are) and you can always discuss options with your skip company to see what they or you can do to reduce the costs.
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