Grab hire near you
A grab lorry lifts soil, rubble and bulk waste straight from your drive or garden with its crane arm, in one visit. No skip on the road, no permit and no wheelbarrow runs.
Call for a price and to book.
Grab hire
- 8 and 16 tonne loads
- No permit needed
- Loaded from the roadNo wheelbarrow runs
- Heavy wasteSoil, rubble and hardcore
- LicensedRegistered waste carriers
- LocalCompanies near you deliver
Choose your load
Guide prices, cheapest UK areas, ex VAT- 8 tonne grab
8 tonne grab
About 8 cubic yards of soil or rubble
Call for a price
Call to book - 16 tonne grab
16 tonne grab
About 16 cubic yards
Call for a price
Call to book - Aggregates delivery
Aggregates delivery
Type 1 sub-base, sand, gravel
Call for a price
Call to book
How grab hire works
You pile the waste up, the lorry parks alongside, and the operator uses the hydraulic arm and bucket to lift it into the lorry’s body. A typical load takes 20 to 30 minutes, and the lorry leaves with it.
The arm reaches over walls, hedges and front gardens, usually up to about 6 metres from where the lorry parks, so the waste doesn’t have to be at the kerb.
Grab lorries carry far more weight than a skip lorry can lift, which is why they’re the go-to for heavy waste: excavated soil, rubble from a demolition, old patios and driveways.
Grab lorry sizes
| Lorry | Takes about | Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 8 tonne grab | 8 cubic yards | One 8 yard skip |
| 16 tonne grab | 16 cubic yards | Two 8 yard skips |
Call for a price. It depends on the area and the type of waste.
What a grab lorry takes
Yes
- Soil and clay
- Rubble, bricks and concrete
- Hardcore and old patio slabs
- Turf and green waste
- Mixed building waste (ask first)
No
- Asbestos
- Plasterboard mixed in with other waste
- Hazardous or liquid waste
- Japanese knotweed
- Household rubbish in bags (a man and van suits this better)
Before the lorry arrives
- Pile the waste within about 6 metres of where the lorry can park
- Check for overhead cables, phone lines and low branches
- Make sure the lorry can park on firm ground next to the pile
- Keep soil and rubble separate from other waste if you can
- Tell us if the pile is behind a wall, fence or hedge
- Move cars that would block the lorry
Grab lorry or skip?
| Grab lorry | Skip | |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy waste | Made for it | Only in small skips, filled level |
| Loading | The lorry loads it | You load it |
| Permit | None, it leaves the same visit | Needed if on the road |
| Big piles | Cheaper than two or three skips | Several skips or swaps |
| Ongoing waste | Not suited | Best choice |
Aggregates delivery
Many grab lorry operators also deliver aggregates: Type 1 sub-base, gravel, sand, ballast and topsoil. The lorry can drop it exactly where you need it, often over a wall, which saves bagged deliveries and barrowing.
It’s common to book both: take away the old soil or patio, and deliver the sub-base for the new one in the same week.
Grab hire questions
- How much does grab hire cost?
- It depends on the size of the load, the type of waste and the area. Clean soil or hardcore can be cheaper than mixed waste. Call us with what needs moving and we’ll give you a price.
- How far can a grab lorry reach?
- Usually up to about 6 metres from where it parks. The waste can be behind a wall or on a front garden.
- Do I need a permit for a grab lorry?
- No. The lorry loads and leaves in the same visit, so nothing stays on the road.
- Is grab hire cheaper than a skip?
- For large amounts of heavy waste, usually. One 16 tonne grab can replace two or three skips, and you don’t have to load it.
- Can a grab lorry damage my drive?
- The lorry parks on the road or firm ground, and the arm does the lifting. Tell us if the pile is on block paving or a lawn you want protected.
- What is an 8 tonne grab lorry?
- A grab lorry that carries about 8 tonnes, or roughly 8 cubic yards of waste. It’s the most common size for home and garden jobs.