SKIP SIZES GUIDE

Skips are sized in a bit of an old-fashioned way and are usually referred to in cubic yards.

These skips also have names which can make it difficult to know exactly what you are getting. For example, some companies call a 6 yard skip a ‘Builders Skip’, whilst others call an 8 yard skip a ‘Builders Skip’.

The smallest skips are usually 2 cubic yards in size and are called a ‘Mini Skip’. There are 4 yard ‘Midi Skips’ as well.

Going up from this is the ‘Builders’ skips which are 6 - 8 cubic yards. After this there are the ‘Maxi’ and ‘Extra-Large’ skips which range from 10 to 16 yards.

We offer almost any skip size that you may need. However, our website lists the most popular everyday skips. These are:

The 'Mini Skip" - 2 cubic yards

It's perfect for small jobs around the house and in the garden

The ‘Midi Skip’ - 4 cubic yards

The ‘Midi Skip’ is perfect for small home, garden or construction jobs. They can be placed on or off the road and it's usually fine to fill these skips with heavy and dense waste such as bricks, rubble and soil. Do not overfill though!

The ‘Builders’ skips - 6 and 8 cubic yards

We have both of these skip sizes separately although both sizes are not always available in all areas. These are usually the largest skips which can easily go on the road and require a permit. The 6 yard skip is the skip you're most likely to see on a driveway and our best seller. An ‘all-rounder’, these skips are suitable for heavy and dense waste as well as bulky waste.

‘Maxi’ and ‘XL’ skips - 10 - 12 - 14 - 16 cubic yards

These skips are perfect for large projects such as a house or office clearance. Due to their size, they cannot usually be placed on the road. They are not suitable for heavy and dense waste as the weight could be too great for the lorry to lift, but are great for bulky waste and light installation waste.

There can be additional costs associated with skip hire, but, with planning, this can be mitigated.

Skip permits / suspensions - if your skip needs to go on a public highway you will need a skip permit and possibly a parking suspension. This will incur additional cost and you may need to contact us or the skip hire company to organise.

Wasted journeys (failed collections and deliveries) - these will usually incur a cost when it is not our fault, as a lorry would have been sent out to drop off the skip. Please ensure the skip can be dropped off and collected (please see guidance on access and delivery).

Overfilling - if you overfill your skip you could very well be charged extra or the collection may fail. It is a legal requirement that the load is safe to transport.

Prohibited items - hazardous waste (fridges, tv, paint, etc) are NOT allowed in skips and if found could incur a substantial extra additional cost. Please see guidance on what can go in a skip.

Skip costs vary significantly depending on the area of the country and the size of the skip.

Skips are generally a flexible waste removal solution. However, there are restrictions on what type of waste can go in a skip and restrictions on the mixing of certain waste types.

Generally, standard household and business bulky waste can be thrown in, as well as standard garden and construction waste.

In most cases, only small non-hazardous electrical items such as a kettle or a toaster may be allowed in a skip. Large electrical items like washing machines and dishwashers will usually need to be authorised in advance as this waste cannot be thrown away with other waste streams. Hazardous waste is not allowed in a skip.

Almost all bulky waste found in the home or business can be put into a skip. Unless you’re breaking everything up, be careful that the skip is 'level loaded', which means that nothing is protruding or overflowing from the skip. Also, white goods such as washing machines and dishwashers need to be moved in line with the WEEE regulations. These are not usually suitable to be thrown into a skip without prior agreement.

Garden waste can be thrown into most sizes of skip. However, if your garden waste is predominantly heavy and dense rubbish like soil or rubble, then you will be limited to an 8 yard skip in most circumstances. Generally, a 4 or 6 yard skip is the more suitable for a typical garden or small redesign project.

Most skips (Mini, Midi and Builders) are perfect for construction waste and usually a much better option than our 'Man and Van' or Skip Bag service. They are designed for heavy and dense waste. There are limits as the skip must be liftable and capable of being transported, so usually an 8 yard skip is the largest standard skip for large amounts of heavy construction waste. There are, however, larger skips, 10 - 12 - 14 & 16 Yard Skips, which can be supplied.

Plasterboard & Gypsum are a specialist waste, which means it cannot usually go in a 2 YARD MINI SKIP, it most definitely cannot go in a mixed skip. This is because when it is mixed with other waste or gets wet it can putrefy over time and can generate hydrogen sulphide. In some cases we can organise for you to add a little plasterboard if it is bagged and separated or we can supply a dedicated skip for plasterboard alone.

Food waste IS NOT a suitable waste for a skip and should be avoided. Category 3 ABP (raw meat, food and dairy) should always be avoided.

Hazardous waste is a broad spectrum of waste and includes anything from asbestos to fridges, computer monitors to chemicals. These should NEVER be thrown into a skip, unless a specialist hazardous waste container has been supplied. It is a legal requirement that hazardous waste is declared to ensure it is moved & transported properly.

General skips can be restrictive if you have a specialist waste or a very mixed waste collection.

The following items are prohibited from skips unless a prior agreement (and a specialist skip) has been supplied:

Remember, there is usually weight limits on larger skips (over 8 cubic yards) so if you are planning on filling your skip with very heavy and dense waste, do contact us so we can provide a specialist or more suitable skip.

Before you place your order you should decide where you will place the skip and if it is a suitable location, and understand if there is a cost implication, ie a Skip Permit is required.

Off Road means on private land, usually yours. This is a driveway, private car park, courtyard or similar. It must be land you control or have permission to use for a period of time.

All skips can be placed off road on private land and they can usually be delivered fast, sometimes often as fast as the next day.

Placing your skip on public land requires more consideration and in almost ALL cases will incur an additional charge which is charged by your local council in the form of a ‘skip permit’.

There are several implications beyond cost, which include:

Skip Sizes

Skip sizes larger than 8 cubic yards are not generally able to be placed on the road. There are exceptions, such as building sites but these require planning permission.

Timings

It takes 1 to 5 days to get a skip permit depending on where you live. Councils issue permits for 3 to 14 days, which means, depending on your location, you may need to renew it or have the skip filled and removed quickly.

Lighting

Skips placed on the road will need to be coned off and lit. It is ultimately your responsibility to ensure the skip is visible after it has been placed and is not a risk to other persons or vehicles.

Fly tipping

Skips ‘in the open’ are at extra risk of attracting unwanted third-party rubbish and they can be fly tipped. If someone else throws waste into your skip, unfortunately, you are liable for it. If they throw waste which attracts surcharges, or if the skip can't be collected because of this, you are liable for the additional charges. Because of this, one option would be an enclosed skip, if available, which can be locked, and whilst this may cost a little more, it will prevent fly-tipping of your skip.

If you are placing your skip on a public highway you will need a skip permit. Skip permits are issued by your local council and they can vary in price from area to area.

In most areas, we will provide the skip permit for you and we simply pass on the additional cost.

As skip permits expire, we must ensure your skip has been removed by this date. This means that if you haven't requested a collection, your skip may have to be taken, regardless of whether or not you have finished using it. This is because it is a legal requirement to have a valid up to date skip permit.

If you plan to place your skip on the road, you may need to contact us to get the most up-to-date pricing.

PARKING SUSPENSIONS

If you live in an area which has permit parking or you plan to place the skip in a Pay and Display parking space, you will also need a parking suspension along with the skip permit. These are usually charged by the day and can add to the cost, as the council will need to put up a notice and suspend the space.

If the space is suspended but there is a car or an obstruction in the way when we attempt delivery, there will usually be a wasted journey charge applied. Therefore it is important that this space is free and that there is enough space for the skip to be placed and for the lorry to manoeuvre.

When you book your skip you will be asked to make payment. This can be made using any major credit or debit card. This should be the only payment you need to make as long as the skip can be placed, collected and is filled correctly.

Booking a skip with us is very easy. You can book online 24/7 using our website. 

Most standard skips are available online with real-time pricing. If you have a specialist skip requirement, we may need a couple of hours to provide a bespoke quote, just get in touch, quote@albaskiphire.com

You can cancel your order or update your delivery date as long as the skip is not out for delivery. If it is out for delivery a wasted journey fee will apply. If the skip has been delivered and you decide you need a bigger one, you will need to order another skip once you fill your existing one.

A skip is delivered using an HGV (heavy goods vehicle). This is because the skip itself is very heavy and the waste you throw into it will add considerably to the total weight.

Because an HGV will be delivering the skip, you need to ensure there is enough access for the vehicle to manoeuvre around safely.

You are responsible for telling us where to place the skip and ensuring the space for it is suitable. A skip lorry and a full skip can be very heavy so there is a risk of damage, particularly on paved driveways. We are not able to accept responsibility for any damage caused as a result of your instruction.

The more information you can give us the better. As a minimum we need to know where the skip will be placed, what access there is and who we should contact if we encounter any problems. Just fill in the form totally, that should do it.

If the delivery is going to be very straightforward, you don’t necessarily need to be in. However, if a delivery fails, a wasted journey charge could be applied. If you are not going to be in, you must ensure that detailed delivery instructions have been supplied, we have contact details and please remain contactable.

There must be clear and spacious access to the delivery location - we cannot lift over large obstructions like a wall or a car.

The drop off area must be completely clear for when the Skip arrives. This means clear of cars and any other obstructions.

It is your responsibility to ensure the area is clear. If we arrive and are unable to place the skip a wasted journey charge is very likely to apply.

If you have special access requirements like low arches or narrow entrances, please contact us before booking. 

Skips are delivered between the hours of 8am and 6pm. We are able to take requests for a time but these cannot be guaranteed. 

If you do need an arrival time or have special access requirements please contact us as we may be able to accommodate through a bespoke quote. 

Filling a skip is an easy task for most people - the challenge is filling it properly and efficiently.

We recommend breaking items down to minimise the volume and placing the waste in the skip in an efficient manner. If you just ‘chuck’ items into the skip there's likely going to be a lot of gaps which you won't be able to utilise.

LEVEL LOAD: The skip must only be filled to a 'level load' and there should be nothing protruding above this line, or, overflowing. Do not build up the sides to stack more waste, as this will incur a wasted journey charge upon collection until the excess waste is removed. A load must be safely removable in order to be carried on the public highway and transported, so it is very important the skip is not overloaded.

Once you have finished loading your skip it will be time to organise the pick up. Pick up is generally very straightforward as long as the skip has been filled correctly and is accessible.

When your skip is ready for collection you can call, email or request a pick up from your order.

We can often pick up the next business day as long as we know in the morning, but this is not guaranteed and you should not rely on this, as it may be several days later. Depending on where you live and how busy the vehicles are it can take 3 to 5 days to have your skip collected, but it is usually much faster.

If a skip must be removed by a certain date we suggest giving us as much notice as possible or better to select the collection date when you make the booking.

We remove skips between 8am and 6pm and are not usually able to offer a precise time. If there are access times that we should be made aware of, please let us know at the time of booking so we can be sure to accommodate your request.

Skips are uplifted between 8 am and 6 pm

You do not need to be in as long as the skip is clearly accessible and has been filled correctly. However, you must be contactable should we need any help or guidance to remove or access the skip.

This means that there must be enough room for a lorry to safely manoeuvre in order to collect the skip, with no obstructions such as parked cars.

The skip must not be overfilled or overflowing and there should be no prohibited waste inside the skip.

If the skip pick-up fails due to it being filled incorrectly, overloaded or if there is a lack of access, a wasted journey fee will apply.

If the uplift fails, we will contact you to organise a new date. A wasted journey fee may apply if it has failed due to the skip being overloaded, overflowing or filled with the wrong waste or if we cannot gain access to the skip.

Skips are hired for a maximum of between 7 / 14 days unless agreed otherwise.

If the skip is placed on the public highway and the permit is due to expire, we will remove the skip, even if this is less than 14 days.

If a skip has been removed but not fully utilised we will not be able to issue a refund so please do ensure you keep us up to date if you are running behind or need to extend the hire. Wherever possible we will contact you first but this is not guaranteed.