How long can I keep a skip?
Most skip hire includes one to two weeks, and you can usually extend for a daily or weekly charge. If the skip is on the road, the permit sets the limit, and extending means renewing the permit too.
- Standard hire is usually 7 to 14 days, depending on the company
- Extensions are normally available, charged by the day or week
- A road permit typically covers two weeks, around £80, and has to be renewed to stay longer
- Full before the end of the job? Book a swap rather than a second skip
- For a one-day clear-out, wait and load can beat a full hire
Need a skip? Call for a price and to book.
- Prices up frontGuide prices for every size
- Permit rulesWhat your council charges
- LicensedRegistered waste carriers
- LocalCompanies near you deliver
What a standard hire includes
Skip prices include a set hire period, the delivery, the collection and the disposal of the waste. The hire period is usually one or two weeks. Some companies quote 7 days as standard, others 14, and a few offer shorter or longer periods at a different price. Check what your quote includes before you book, because two quotes that look similar can cover different lengths of time.
The hire period runs from the day of delivery. You can ask for an early collection as soon as the skip is full, and most companies are happy to come back sooner. You won’t normally get money back for unused days, but it frees up your drive or the road.
Typical prices, for the standard period, are around £135 for a 2 yard mini, £225 for a 4 yard midi, £290 for a 6 yard builders and £395 for a 12 yard maxi, ex VAT.
How long common jobs need a skip
A rough guide to how long the waste-producing part of each job takes.
| Job | Skip usually needed for | Standard hire enough? |
|---|---|---|
| Garage, loft or shed clear-out | 1 to 2 days | Yes, or wait and load |
| Bathroom strip-out | 1 to 3 days | Yes |
| Kitchen strip-out | 2 to 4 days | Yes |
| Garden clearance or landscaping | A weekend to a week | Yes |
| House clearance | 2 days to a week | Usually |
| Extension or major renovation | Several weeks | No, plan swaps |
Times vary with the size of the job and how many people are loading.
Extending your hire
If the job runs over, ask the skip company to extend before the hire period ends. Most will, as long as the skip isn’t booked out elsewhere. The extra time is usually charged per day or per week, and the rate varies between companies, so ask when you book what an extension costs.
If you don’t ask and the skip is still there at the end of the period, the company may charge for the extra days anyway, or book it in for collection whether it’s full or not. Agreeing an extension in advance avoids both.
On private land, that’s all there is to it. On the road, the permit has to be extended too.
Road permits set the limit
A skip on the road can only stay as long as its council permit allows. Permits commonly cover about two weeks, with a typical fee of around £80, and half of councils charge between £54 and £105. To keep the skip longer, the skip company renews or extends the permit, which usually means another fee and sometimes a few working days’ notice.
How permit periods work
Each council sets its own rules, but these are common.
- The permit has fixed start and end dates, and the skip must be off the road by the end date.
- Some councils issue permits for a week, some for two weeks, some for a month. The fee usually rises with the period.
- Renewals have to be applied for before the permit runs out. Ask the skip company in good time.
- A parking bay suspension is often booked separately and may need its own extension.
- Leaving a skip on the road after the permit ends is an offence, and the council can have it removed.
- Some councils cap how long one skip can stay on the same spot, even with renewals.
Swap, second skip or bigger skip
If the skip fills up before the job is done, you have three options. A swap, sometimes called an exchange, is usually the best. The lorry brings an empty skip, lifts the full one and puts the empty one down in the same place, in one visit. It costs roughly the same as a new hire of that size, but the permit, if there is one, usually carries on.
A second skip alongside the first makes sense when you need to keep two kinds of waste apart, like plasterboard and general waste, or rubble and green waste. It takes twice the space and, on the road, may need a second permit.
Going up a size at the start is often cheaper than either. The price gap between a 4 yard midi and a 6 yard builders skip is usually around £60, far less than a second hire. If you’re unsure, size up.
Options for very short jobs
If you only need a skip for a day, a full hire may be more than you need.
- Wait and loadThe lorry waits while you load, then takes the waste straight away. No permit, because the skip never stays on the road.
- Man and vanFor a few items or a small clear-out, a crew loads for you. Single items from around £45, a full van around £280.
- Grab hireFor soil and rubble on a drive or front garden. The grab lifts it in one visit, often over a wall or hedge.
How to plan the hire around your job
- 1Work out the waste daysList which days you’ll be stripping out or clearing. That’s when the skip needs to be there.
- 2Check where it can goDrive or road. If it’s the road, allow time for the permit.
- 3Book delivery the day beforeHave the skip waiting when work starts, not arriving halfway through the first morning.
- 4Agree the length up frontAsk what the standard hire covers and what an extension costs.
- 5Book collection when it’s fullCall as soon as it’s level. An early collection means no risk of overrunning the permit.
Skip hire period questions
- How long is a normal skip hire?
- Usually one or two weeks, depending on the company. Check your quote for the exact period.
- Can I keep a skip for a month?
- On private land, usually yes, with an extension charge. On the road it depends on the council and needs the permit extended or renewed.
- What happens if I don’t fill it in time?
- Ask for an extension before the end date. Otherwise the skip may be collected as it is, or you may be charged for the extra days.
- Can I get the skip collected early?
- Yes. Most companies collect as soon as you call, usually within a day or two.
- Is a swap cheaper than a new skip?
- It’s usually about the same as a new hire, but it saves a second delivery slot and keeps the same permit going.
Ready to book your skip?
Call for a price and to book.