How the skip calculator works
UK skips are sold by the cubic yard (1 cubic yard ≈ 0.76m³). The calculator works out your waste volume, adds 10% because bulky items never pack perfectly, and picks the smallest skip that fits. For heavy waste it only uses skips up to 8 yards, which is the limit most hire companies set, and splits larger amounts across several skips.
UK skip sizes
| Skip | Capacity | Approx. bin bags | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-yard mini | 1.5 m³ | 20–25 | Small DIY jobs, garden tidy |
| 4-yard midi | 3.1 m³ | 35–45 | Bathroom refit, small clear-out |
| 6-yard builder's | 4.6 m³ | 50–60 | Kitchen refit, soil and rubble |
| 8-yard builder's | 6.1 m³ | 60–70 | Renovations: the most popular size |
| 12-yard maxi | 9.2 m³ | 100–120 | Bulky, light waste only |
| 20-yard RoRo | 15.3 m³ | ~200 | House clearances, strip-outs |
| 40-yard RoRo | 30.6 m³ | ~400 | Large commercial jobs |
Roll-on roll-off (RoRo) skips need a lot of access space and usually aren't allowed on residential roads.
Worked example: a kitchen refit
A typical kitchen strip-out (old units, worktops, tiles, some plaster and packaging) comes to about 4.5m³ of mixed waste. Adding 10% because cabinets and boards never pack flat gives 4.95m³. A 6-yard skip holds 4.6m³, which is just too small, so the calculator picks an 8-yard builder's skip (6.1m³). That leaves room for the odd extra job, which there always is. The waste weighs about 2.7 tonnes, well within a normal skip's limit.
Now compare digging out for a patio: 20m² at 200mm deep is 4m³ of soil in the ground. Soil bulks up by about a quarter once it's dug, so allow roughly 5m³ and choose heavy waste. The calculator then won't suggest anything bigger than 8 yards, and at around 7 tonnes you should check the hire company's weight limit. The excavation calculator works out the bulked volume and weight for you.
Ways to save on skip hire
- Break things down. Flat-pack old units, cut up timber and fill voids in furniture. A well-packed skip can hold a third more.
- Load heavy and flat first. Rubble and boards go in the bottom, bulky light items on top. Nothing may stick up above the rim, as the lorry can't legally lift an overfilled skip.
- Separate clean hardcore and soil. Some firms charge less for a skip of only clean soil or rubble, and broken concrete can often be reused as sub-base.
- Consider alternatives. For a few bags, a skip bag or council tip run is cheaper. For a lot of soil, a grab lorry takes 12–16 tonnes in one load with no permit.
- Book the right length of hire. Most hires include 1–2 weeks. Ask before you order, because extensions cost extra.
Permits, safety and the law
A skip on a public road or pavement needs a council permit, usually arranged by the hire firm. Councils set their own fees and may require lights and cones at night. On your own drive, no permit is needed, but check the lorry can reach it and that the drive will take the weight.
You have a legal duty of care for your waste: use a licensed waste carrier. In England you can check a firm on the Environment Agency's public register. If fly-tipped waste is traced back to you, you can be fined even if someone else dumped it.
Planning a bigger job? The project planners include a skip step, so the waste is sized from the same measurements as the materials.