Hiring a Skip - What You Need to Know
One of the essentials for any type of building work or home improvements is a skip. There are many reasons why you might need to hire a skip, including domestic reasons such as disposing of waste from moving home, decorating or gardening, or simply just to give your home a good clear out. Skips may also be hired for commercial reasons, including for a business who are moving location or trying to reduce waste in the building. Building work creates a lot of mess, everything from bricks and wood to old tiles, flooring and electricals. If the waste is substantial enough that it won’t fit in your bin, your best option is will be to hire a skip. The default option for taking all of the rubbish away is a builder’s skip. If you need to hire a skip, there are many skip companies who will do the job for you. Often, your builder will organise this for you as part of the service and bill you for it along with all of the other services they provide.
But if you’re organising your own skip and you're not sure where to start, this guide should give you the rundown of everything you need to know and help you hire the right skip company.
Location Factors Affecting Skip Hire
It is much easier to hire a skip company who are within a short distance as they will be able to see to your needs quickly and are likely to me more reliable for turning up on time! Skip companies exist in most areas throughout the UK. These range from private independent companies (many of which are long established family businesses) and large nationwide organisations who deliver skips across the UK at scale.
Some of the tool hire companies, such as HSS are also now providing skips for hire too.
Another option is to use a company like HIPPO skip hire, which provides a 24/7 online booking system (others do too of course), but in addition to skips also provides a service called the HIPPOBag scheme which allows you to buy a bag to dispose of small amounts of waste at a local DIY store and then call the number on the bag to get it collected. Simply open the bag, fill it with waste and then leave it outside for collection.
Prices For Skip Hire
It is never advisable to choose any product or service purely because they cost less, but you do want to ensure you get good value for money.
It definitely pays to look around as the price for skip hire can vary dramatically. A search for local skip companies will provide quotes so you can find the best one to suit your budget.
Free Delivery and Pick Up Of Skips
Many skip companies will offer a free delivery and pick up service, which provides some extra value for money, so this is something to look out for when it comes to choosing the best company to suit your needs.
Skip Sizes & Types
You will need to ensure that the skip company can accommodate your needs and the capacity you desire, after all, there are a wide range of skip sizes available.
Skip sizes range from mini to large and builders, with everything in-between.
A breakdown of the sizes and types of skips is as follows:
- Mini skip - Size: H:0.76m L:1.52m W:1.22m
- Midi skip - Size: H:0.97m L:1.83m W:1.29m
- Builders skip - Size: H:1.22m L:3.66m W:1.68m
- Large skip - Size: H:1.6m L:4.2m W:1.84m
It can often be much more economical to choose a larger size of skip than two or more smaller sizes.
If you are moving home, for instance, you will want to ensure you do a good clear out, which means choosing a large size of skip.
Check Testimonials And Feedback On Skip Companies
Check out the testimonials on the skip company’s website or if they don’t have one, look out for reviews. Don’t be afraid to ask for references, any good quality, professional company will have no problem providing these. Of course, you might not want to go to these lengths if you have suitable reviews and testimonials, but it is always an option.
Again, remember the situation with fake reviews online and use your own judgement by checking multiple sources of information regarding the quality and reliability of the services available.
The more evidence you have to support the hiring of the skip company, the higher the likelihood of being satisfied with the results.
The last thing you want is to fork out your hard earned money, only for the skip company to let you down, so make sure you do your homework.
It is also advisable to ask friends and family if they have ever used a skip company, as this can be the most effective way of ensuring you get a reliable and quality service.
Response Times
After you have compiled a list of the most favourable skip companies in your area and have some good reviews or testimonials, give them a call or drop them an email with your enquiry.
Many companies may look great on paper but if they fail to respond or their customer service skills are seriously lacking, it doesn’t say a lot about how professional they will be when it comes to providing a good service.
What Size of Skip Do I Need?
Skips come in all shapes and sizes. As a starting point, the standard skip used in the UK measures 8 cubic yards in capacity. As a rough guide, you should be able to fit around 80 standard bin bags worth of waste into this size of skip. Another good option for a small renovation project at home or just a good clear out is the 6 cubic yard skip, which will take around 60 bin bags. If you’re doing a very large project you have a couple of options. Either stick with the standard 6 yards or 8 yards skip and get it replaced during the project, or opt for the much larger 12 yard skips. Even larger skips are available, but these are generally reserved for commercial building sites as they need to be taken away on the back of a special lorry. Smaller skips are available too, and a 4 cubic yard skip might be enough for a smaller bathroom renovation project. A mini 2 cubic yard skip has the advantage of not taking up much space, but is really only suitable for small garden projects or DIY work. If you are not sure what sort of skip you need, ask for advice from your local skip hire company – they’ll be able to advise on the best size for your needs.
Skip Hire – What Does It Cost?
The cost you are quoted for hiring a skip covers delivering it to your home, dropping it off, returning to pick it up at the end of the hire and disposing of whatever you’ve put into it. Because a lot of the cost involved is in the transportation and collection, there’s not as much of a difference between the cost of hiring a mini skip and a large one as you might think. For example, the cost of having a smaller 4 cubic yard skip for a week is around £150, including VAT. If you go up to the next size and hire a 6 cubic yard skip, which is 50% bigger, the price is around £180 including VAT. An eight cubic yard skip will set you back around £230. Skip hire companies won’t allow you to pile your skip high. Waste should be up to the level of the top of the skip, not appearing in a mountain over the top. It’s usually better to get a bigger size if you’re unsure.
As with everything building related, it’s worth getting a few quotes from different skip hire companies in your local area to see who can offer the most competitive deal. Remember that price isn’t the only factor though, as you might think it’s worth paying a bit more for a company which will deliver at a time convenient for you.
Skip Hire – Where Do I Put It?
If you have a front garden or a driveway, then that’s the most convenient place to put your skip. It’s handy for whoever is doing the work, and you won’t need permission from anyone else. It’s usually good manners to notify your neighbours if you are doing external work which might be noisy and disruptive, but in most cases you won’t need to ask their permission to get the builders in.
If you don’t have a garden or drive to place the skip on, then it will have to go onto the road. In many cases, it’s the job of the skip hire company to sort the required permits out, but they might prefer to delegate the responsibility to you instead. Skips can’t go on the pavement either, however wide it may be. Look on your local Council’s website for “skip permits” to see how the process works locally. Usually, Councils will only consider applications for skips up to 8 cubic yards in capacity, so if you want something larger, you’ll have to contact them to see if they’ll agree. The cost of a skip permit varies across the UK but is generally around £30. There are also requirements for putting reflective markings on the skip to make it visible at night, so if you are planning on keeping your skip on the public road, make sure the skip hire company are aware of this when you make the booking. Most permits are for a set period of time, usually a fortnight. If you need your skip for more time as your building work is taking longer than expected, you will have to contact the Council and ask to extend the permit too.
What Can I Put in My Skip?
Most often, skips are used for general domestic rubbish, house clearances or building work. It’s common to walk down a street and see old furniture, ripped out kitchens, bathrooms or garden rubble in a skip. That’s all fine. It’s the job of the skip company to dispose of anything which you put into their skip, and do so safely. That means that certain items which are classed as hazardous can’t be thrown in the skip and must be disposed of separately. If you’re using a builder, they should know what can be put in the skip, and more importantly, what can’t. If you’re hiring your own skip for DIY renovations, then there should be a lot of information on the local Council’s website.
Some of the main things you need to bear in mind are:
• Electricals – some councils won’t accept computers or TVs in general skip waste. The good news is that most local recycling centres will have somewhere to leave this type of waste for repair or recycling.
• Fridges – fridges have to be disposed of carefully because of the gases which are used in the refrigeration unit. Again, you might be able to drop off your old fridge at the local recycling centre, or ask the company supplying your new fridge whether they offer an uplift service.
• Fluorescent Bulbs – these are the long “tube” style bulbs which used to be very popular in kitchen lighting. They also contain mercury, which can be very dangerous.
• Solvents and paints – Paint, glues and other solvents can contain dangerous chemicals which have to be recycled separately from other building waste.
• Gas Cylinders – there is a risk that any gas cylinder still contains traces of gas, which might catch fire or explode. Take your gas cylinder back to the original retailer, or drop it off at the local Council recycling centre.
• Plasterboard – it’s more than likely that building work will create plasterboard waste, and it has been found that plasterboard can in some situations give off dangerous hydrogen sulphide gas. If you’ve nothing but plasterboard in the skip that’s fine, but the skip company might in other situations ask that plasterboard is bagged separately.
• Asbestos – Although asbestos has been banned in the UK for decades, it’s still present in thousands of UK houses. There are different grades of asbestos and if you think you may have some in the house, get a professional survey done. Asbestos has to be disposed of very carefully, with the exact requirements depending on the type of asbestos, and what building product it is contained in.
Finding a Reputable Skip Hire Company
There are lots of skip companies out there, and it would be fair to say that they’re not all great. A good starting point is the Environment Agency website, which lists all of the approved waste disposal companies by area. If the skip hire company isn’t on the list, then it’s probably not operating within the law.
Often, it’s best to get recommendations from people who have had building work done recently. Even if you don’t know any friends or neighbours who have had the builders in, keep your eyes open as you’re driving around your local area and try to spot business names on skips. A reputable company will have a range of contact methods, not just one with a mobile number. Good skip hire companies will also have insurance cover to cover any accidental damage to your property when dropping off skips, or picking them up. Contact at least three companies and ask for their prices, preferably in writing. It’s fairly common in the skip hire business to ask for money up front before the skip is delivered so don’t be suspicious if you are asked to pay before the lorry turns up. You should however get a receipt for any money you pay out.
