If you’ve got some rubbish to get rid of then you’re probably considering hiring a skip. Skip hire is still one of the most effective ways to get rid of large amounts of waste, however, if you’ve never hired one before, it can be confusing knowing which size to pick.

Skip hire Stoke-on-Trent — *A builders skip in its natural habitat*

If you choose one that’s too small, you won’t be able to get rid of all your rubbish and may have to faff about hiring another skip which will be costly and delay getting everything tidied up. If you hire one that’s too big though, you’ll be wasting money by paying extra for space you’re not going to use. Having said that, the larger skips do work out more cost-effective so long as you’ve got the rubbish to fill them.

Because of this, one of the most common questions customers ask us is “which size skip do I need?” So, we’ve written this guide to help you decide which skip size is right for you, not just in terms of how much waste you’ve got to get rid of but also how much space you need to drop the skip in.

We’ll show you all the different sizes available in the UK, give you the situations each size is best suited for, show you the external measurements, and provide you with a good way to picture how much each one can hold.

Firstly, its important you understand the lingo, most skip sizes are measured in “yards”, which refers to the amount of waste you can fit in them in cubic yards, meaning a 2 yard skip can hold 2 cubic yards of waste. A cubic yard measures 91cm x 91cm x 91cm, or 3 feet if your old school, this is roughly equivalent to ten bin bags of rubbish, or a couple of kitchen appliances.

Sometimes you may hear skips measured in tonnes instead (confusing I know), this is because a cubic yard of soil is roughly 1 tonne in weight, therefore, a 2 yard skip is the same size as a 2 tonne.

Another term you might hear when talking about skip sizes is “roll on roll off” or “RORO”, this refers to the very biggest skip sizes that are rolled on and off a flatbed lorry using a mechanical arm. As the skip is rolled on and off rather than lifted, the skip can be loaded up with much more material than a traditional skip. More on these later.

Now we’ve cleared that up let’s take a look at the different skip sizes.

2 yard skip:

The 2 yard, or mini, skip is the smallest and therefore cheapest skip you can hire in the UK. As you may have already worked out, they can hold around 20 bin bags of waste making them perfect for your smaller domestic jobs such as getting rid of garden waste like hedge cuttings or smaller DIY projects. They measure 1.2 x 0.91 x 0.76m.

4 yard skip:

This skip is commonly referred to as a “midi” skip and is ideal for your bigger DIY projects such as kitchen or bathroom replacements. These skips can be a convenient option as they fit easily on driveways and gardens. They hold about 40 bin bags of waste and measure 1.83 x 1.29 x 0.97m.

6 yard skip:

This and its slightly bigger brother the 8 yard are the most common sized skips you’ll see. Due to its popularity with trade customers, this size skip is commonly called a “small builders” skip. As it’s name suggests, it’s perfect for use on construction sites as it can comfortably hold larger amounts of bulky waste. You could also use this skip for domestic purposes if you had a larger DIY project or were clearing out the garage for example. This skip can comfortably hold 60 bin bags and comes in at 2.6 x 1.52 x 1.22m.

Builders Skip Stoke-on-Trent — *A 6 yard skip used to tidy up an allotment*

8 yard skip:

You can probably guess by now that this skip size is also known as a “large builders” skip (we’re not very original in waste management I’m afraid). As with the 6 yard this size is very popular with trade customers who are after a large container to chuck their junk in. You would also find this size used in industrial and commercial projects such as major renovations, house clearances, and commercial waste management programs. This size is the biggest most councils will let you put on the road. They will easily swallow 80 bin bags; however, they cannot be filled with soil, rubble, or other heavy materials as the lorry’s won’t be able to pick them up! Their dimensions are 3.66 x 1.68 x 1.22m.

10 yard skip:

The 10 yard, or “maxi” (I told you we weren’t original) isn’t generally used for domestic projects and is more often used in commercial waste management or other industrial applications. You would use a skip this big if you were getting rid of a lot of bulky waste, say if you were doing an office or factory clearance for example. You can easily get 100 bin bags of rubbish in these bad boys, but they do take up a lot of space, 3.66 x 1.8 x 1.8m to be exact.

12 yard skip:

You’re unlikely to ever use a 12 yard skip for any domestic jobs, as with the 10 yard, this size is better suited to commercial and industrial purposes. This skip size is also known as a “jumbo” skip (I’m not making this up) and can swallow 120 bin bags of junk. They measure 3.7 x 1.78 x 1.68m.

16 yard skip:

This is the biggest size available of the traditional style skips, you’d use this size for large bulky items such as furniture. They are popular with shop fitters, and you can also find them used on manufacturing sites. As with all the maxi sized skips, you can’t fill them up with heavy materials such as soil or rubble. If you do have that much soil or rubble to get rid of, consider grab hire instead. As you’ve probably worked out by now, these skips can hold 160 bin bags and measure 4.3 x 1.8 x 2.13m.

RoRo Skip Stoke-on-Trent — *A 20 yard RoRo skip*

20 yard skip:

This is the smallest size of the roll on roll off type skip, you would find these on larger construction sites, at factories or in other industrial settings. You can load a lot of waste into one of these, as much as 220 bin bags! However, you do need a lot of space both to store and drop off the skip, these measure 6.1 x 2.43 x 1.37m.

40 yard skip:

These are the biggest skips you can hire in the UK and are commonly referred to as “absolutely humongous” skips (ok, I did make that one up). You’ll likely find these on bigger development sites, larger manufacturing plants, and any other industrial setting where large amounts of waste are generated. These skips also handily fit onto waste processing equipment such as shredders or compactors, allowing you to get even more waste in! If your business is producing large amounts of waste this size is the most cost-effective solution, you can chuck the equivalent of 440 bin bags into this skip, and they measure 6.1 x 2.43 x 2.6m.

UK skip sizes — *Common domestic skip sizes. Credit:* *https://www.reliableskip.com/skip-sizes/*

That covers all the common sizes of skip that you can hire in the UK. There are a few other sizes that fit between some of the ones we’ve discussed such as 3 or 5 yards, but you should be able to work out which size suits your needs best. If you think you are between sizes, I would suggest going with the bigger one, then at least you can be confident you’ll get rid of all your waste.

All good skip hire firms can offer advice if you’re still unsure, and if you do have any questions about skip sizes or anything else to do with waste management, you can contact us here. Our team love talking rubbish!

Thank you for reading this guide, hopefully it has helped you answer the question, “Which size skip do I need?”

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