Sizes & what fits
How big is it, really?
Every container we arrange, drawn to the same scale from the measurements it was built to — so a size on this page is the size that turns up. Anywhere in the UK.
To scale
All of them, side by side.
One scale across every container, measured from the same renders the cards below use — with a 1.80 m person for reference. Scroll it.
Heavy waste stops at 8 yards
A skip is limited by what the lorry can legally lift and carry, not by how much fits in the box. Dense material reaches that limit while the skip still looks half empty — so for these, the size is capped whatever the volume suggests.
- 2 yd — available for heavy waste
- 3 yd — available for heavy waste
- 4 yd — available for heavy waste
- 6 yd — available for heavy waste
- 8 yd — available for heavy waste
- 10 yd — not available for heavy waste
- 12 yd — not available for heavy waste
- 14 yd — not available for heavy waste
- 16 yd — not available for heavy waste
Capped at 8 yards: Concrete (8 yd), Hardcore / Rubble (8 yd), Plasterboard (12 yd), Soil / Subsoil (8 yd).
Everything else can go in any size we list. If you have more heavy waste than the 8-yard skip takes, that is what a roll-on/roll-off or a grab lorry is for — both are priced by weight, so a heavy load is what they are built to carry.
What goes in
Almost everything. Four things never, and a handful you just have to mention.
Nothing here is a trap — the items that need separate handling are declared when you book, so they are priced on the page rather than found on the invoice.
Goes straight in
- General / Mixed Waste
- Mixed Construction & Demolition
- Wood
- Green / Garden Waste
- Metal
- Cardboard / Paper
Pick the closest match when you book. Mixed loads are normal — the type sets the price, not a rule about tidiness.
Goes in — but tell us
Fridge / freezer (WEEE)
Has to be degassed before it can be crushed.
Gas bottle / pressurised
Pressurised — it cannot go through a tipping floor.
Mattress
Springs foul the sorting line, so it is stripped by hand.
Plasterboard (segregated)
Gypsum cannot be landfilled with biodegradable waste.
POPs upholstered furniture
Upholstered seating holds POPs and must be incinerated.
Tyre
Barred from landfill, so it goes to a separate recovery route.
Each is charged separately because each is handled separately. See what they cost — declared when you book, never found on the invoice afterwards.
Not in a skip
Asbestos
Hazardous waste — a licensed carrier and its own consignment note.
Paint, oils and liquids
Liquid waste cannot go to landfill, and most of it is hazardous.
Batteries and chemicals
Hazardous, and a genuine fire risk in a tipped load.
Loose electricals
WEEE has to be collected separately from general waste.
Most of these we can still arrange, just not in a skip. Tell us what you have and we will say whether it is us or a specialist you need.
Fill it level with the sides, not above them. A skip loaded over the rim cannot be sheeted, so it is not legal to carry and the driver will not take it — you would be waiting for it to be levelled before anything moves. If it is filling faster than you expected, tell us and swap it rather than pressing it down.
Access & siting
Will it fit where you want it?
What stops a delivery on the day is almost never the price — it is the turn into the drive, or a cable over the spot. Worth thirty seconds now.
- Corridor width
- ~2.9 m
- Headroom
- ~5 m
- The skip is lowered off the back on chains, in line with the lorry — it cannot be swung sideways into a gap, so the lorry has to be able to get straight in front of the spot.
- The arms lift above the cab, so overhead cables, branches and carport roofs rule a spot out even when the ground is clear.
- Level, load-bearing ground: a loaded builders' skip on the back is several tonnes on a short wheelbase, and soft verges and block paving are where it goes wrong.
- On the road rather than your own ground, it needs a council permit — we look up the fee for your road and show it while you book.
Typical figures for UK vehicles, not a specification — length and turning vary by lorry, and the supplier checks against your actual site before the day.
Skip hire
Skips
A skip is priced per container and per hire period, so the size you pick is the size you pay for. Bin-bag equivalents are the honest unit for a domestic job; the weight limit is what decides a heavy one.
2 Yard Skip
- Holds
- ~20 bin bags
- Size
- 5ft 5in × 5ft × 3ft 1in
- 1.65 × 1.52 × 0.95 m
~20 bin bags
3 Yard Skip
- Holds
- ~30 bin bags
- Size
- 7ft 3in × 5ft 6in × 3ft 1in
- 2.2 × 1.68 × 0.95 m
~30 bin bags
4 Yard Skip
Perfect for a small clear-out
- Holds
- ~40 bin bags
- Size
- 8ft 6in × 5ft 10in × 3ft 3in
- 2.6 × 1.77 × 1.0 m
~40 bin bags
6 Yard Skip
Perfect for a small home job
- Holds
- ~60 bin bags
- Size
- 11ft 1in × 6ft 2in × 3ft 3in
- 3.39 × 1.87 × 1.0 m
~60 bin bags
8 Yard Skip
Perfect for a 1-bed flat clearance
- Holds
- ~80 bin bags
- Size
- 12ft 3in × 6ft 1in × 4ft 1in
- 3.73 × 1.86 × 1.25 m
~80 bin bags
10 Yard Skip
Perfect for a 2-bed flat clearance
- Holds
- ~100 bin bags
- Size
- 13ft 1in × 5ft 6in × 4ft 11in
- 3.98 × 1.68 × 1.5 m
~100 bin bags
12 Yard Skip
Perfect for a whole-room renovation
- Holds
- ~120 bin bags
- Size
- 13ft 1in × 5ft 6in × 6ft
- 4.0 × 1.68 × 1.83 m
~120 bin bags
14 Yard Skip
Perfect for a 3-bed full clearance
- Holds
- ~140 bin bags
- Size
- 13ft 9in × 5ft 6in × 6ft 7in
- 4.2 × 1.68 × 2.0 m
~140 bin bags
16 Yard Skip
Perfect for a builder's job
- Holds
- ~160 bin bags
- Size
- 14ft 8in × 5ft 11in × 6ft 7in
- 4.47 × 1.8 × 2.0 m
~160 bin bags
Roll-on/roll-off
Roll-on/roll-off containers
Every RoRo is the same footprint — one hooklift lorry bed, 20 ft by 7 ft 6 in — and only the height changes. So the choice is not about floor space; it is about how much you can get in before the weight stops you.
20 Yard RoRo
Commercial roll-on roll-off
- Size
- 20ft × 7ft 6in × 4ft
- 6.1 × 2.29 × 1.22 m
- Includes
- 3 tonnes
Priced on weight, not size — see the per-tonne rates.
40 Yard RoRo
Commercial roll-on roll-off
- Size
- 20ft × 7ft 6in × 8ft
- 6.1 × 2.29 × 2.44 m
- Includes
- 4 tonnes
Priced on weight, not size — see the per-tonne rates.
Grab & tipper
Grab lorries
A grab has no container to fill: the lorry reaches over a wall and loads muck straight off the ground. Sizes are wheelbases, and what matters is the payload and the reach.
4-Wheeler Grab Lorry
Loaded by grab lorry — no container left on site
- Holds
- ~12 cubic yards
- Capacity
- 9 m³ · 7–9 tonnes
~12 cubic yards
6-Wheeler Grab Lorry
Loaded by grab lorry — no container left on site
- Holds
- ~16 cubic yards
- Capacity
- 12 m³ · 12.5–14 tonnes
~16 cubic yards
8-Wheeler Grab Lorry
Loaded by grab lorry — no container left on site
- Holds
- ~20 cubic yards
- Capacity
- 15 m³ · 16–18 tonnes
~20 cubic yards
Prices shown are starting prices and exclude optional extras. Quoted for a private-property (driveway) delivery with general mixed waste. The hire rate is the same wherever the site is — what changes by area is the council's permit fee, shown in the calculator. Your exact price depends on your waste type and where the container goes — price your own postcode.
Dimensions are the build measurements of a real container range, and yardages are nominal — an individual supplier's body can differ slightly. See our Terms of Hire for full details.