What size skip for a bathroom refit?
A 4 yard midi skip suits most full bathroom refits. A 2 yard mini is enough for a small en-suite or a suite swap without new tiling, and a 6 yard builders skip suits a refit where walls come down.
- Full bathroom refit: 4 yard midi, typically around £260
- Small en-suite or suite swap only: 2 yard mini, typically around £155
- Walls coming down or two bathrooms: 6 yard builders, typically around £320
- Plasterboard must go in a separate bag or skip, not mixed in
- A 4 yard usually fits on the drive, so no permit
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
Why a 4 yard skip suits most bathrooms
A typical bathroom refit throws out more than people expect. The suite itself is bulky but hollow: a bath, a toilet, a basin and a pedestal take up about a cubic yard between them once they’re broken down or laid in carefully. The weight and volume come from everything around the suite.
Tiles are the big one. Stripping the walls and floor of an average bathroom produces several hundred kilos of broken tile, adhesive and the plaster or board that comes away behind it. Add the old flooring, the bath panel, boxing-in, the cistern, pipework, a vanity unit and the packaging from the new suite, and you’re at three to four cubic yards.
A 4 yard midi takes all of that with a little room to spare, and because it’s only about 2.1 metres long it fits on most driveways. That means no council permit, which on the road would typically add around £80 for two weeks.
Which size for your bathroom job
Typical prices are the national median for each size. Your local price may differ.
| Job | Skip | Typical price |
|---|---|---|
| Swap the suite, keep the tiles | 2 yard mini | Around £155 |
| Small en-suite or cloakroom, full strip | 2 yard mini | Around £155 |
| Full bathroom refit, walls and floor tiled | 4 yard midi | Around £260 |
| Bathroom refit plus a stud wall or ceiling down | 6 yard builders | Around £320 |
| Two bathrooms, or bathroom and kitchen together | 6 yard builders | Around £320 |
Guide prices, ex VAT. A road permit, if you need one, is extra.
What takes up the space
Volume, not weight, decides the size for most bathrooms. A bath laid flat takes up a lot of a small skip, so lay it in first, upside down, and fill underneath and around it with tiles and rubble. Break the toilet and basin down with a club hammer inside a bag, wearing gloves and goggles, and they shrink to a fraction of their size.
Boxing-in, bath panels and old vanity units are mostly air. Break them flat. Cardboard and polystyrene from the new suite can fill a mini skip on their own, so flatten boxes or take them to the recycling centre separately.
Tiles and adhesive are heavy for their size. A 4 yard skip will take the tiles from a typical bathroom without any trouble, but if you’re also taking up a screed floor or knocking out a wall, the weight adds up and a 6 yard builders skip is the safer choice.
Plasterboard and other things to keep separate
Bathroom refits produce a few kinds of waste that most skip companies won’t take mixed in with everything else.
- Plasterboard: by law it can’t go to landfill with general waste. Bag it separately and tell the skip company, or ask for a separate plasterboard collection.
- Old aerosols, sealants and adhesives: empty tubes are fine, part-full ones count as hazardous.
- Fluorescent tubes and old extractor fans: take them to the recycling centre as electricals.
- Asbestos: some older bath panels, floor tiles and textured ceilings contain it. If you’re unsure, stop and get it tested before you strip it.
- Paint tins: only empty and dry ones can go in a skip.
What to do with a cast iron bath
A cast iron bath can weigh well over 100 kilos, and many skip companies would rather you didn’t put one in. It’s heavy for one item, awkward to load and takes up the bottom of a small skip.
It’s also worth money. Scrap metal dealers buy cast iron by weight, and many will collect a bath for free. Reclamation yards sometimes pay more for a roll-top in good condition. Either way, it’s one less thing in your skip, which may mean you can go down a size.
Steel and acrylic baths are light and go in the skip as normal.
How to load a skip for a bathroom refit
- 1Bath firstLay it upside down at the bottom so you can fill the space under and around it.
- 2Heavy at the bottomTiles, rubble and screed next, spread evenly across the floor of the skip.
- 3Break it downSmash the toilet and basin in a bag, flatten panels, units and boxes.
- 4Fill the gapsPipework, flooring offcuts and small items go into the spaces left.
- 5Keep it levelNothing above the top edge. An overfilled skip won’t be collected.
Do you need a permit?
Not if the skip goes on your drive or other private land. A 2 or 4 yard skip fits on almost any drive, which is one reason the midi is so popular for bathrooms.
If it has to go on the road, the skip company applies to the council for a permit and adds the fee to your price. Councils charge anything from £15 to over £250, with a typical fee of around £80 for two weeks. Check your council’s fee and rules before you book.
Bathroom skip questions
- Will a mini skip be big enough for a bathroom?
- For a small en-suite, or if you’re only swapping the suite and keeping the tiles, usually yes. For a full refit with tiles off the walls and floor, a 4 yard midi is safer.
- Can I put an old toilet in a skip?
- Yes. Toilets, basins and cisterns are fine. Break them down first to save space.
- Can tiles go in a skip?
- Yes. Tiles and adhesive are fine, and they’re best loaded at the bottom because they’re heavy.
- Can I put plasterboard in a skip?
- Only if it’s kept separate. Bag it on its own and tell the skip company, because it can’t be mixed with general waste.
- How long will I need the skip?
- Most bathroom refits are stripped out in a day or two, so a standard hire of one to two weeks is plenty. Book it for the strip-out, not the whole job.
Need a skip for your bathroom?
Call for a price and to book.