What size skip for a kitchen refit?
A 4 yard midi skip suits most kitchen refits, taking the old units, worktops, tiles and packaging. Go for a 6 yard builders skip if walls, ceilings or a solid floor are coming out, or if the kitchen is large.
- Typical kitchen refit: 4 yard midi, typically around £260
- Large kitchen, or walls and floor coming out: 6 yard builders, typically around £320
- Old fridges and freezers can’t go in a skip, and most companies won’t take other appliances either
- Plasterboard goes in a separate bag, never mixed in
- Book the skip for strip-out day, not the whole fitting job
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 kitchens
A kitchen is mostly air once it’s out. Base units and wall units are chipboard boxes, and a typical run of a dozen cabinets takes up a lot of room if you throw them in whole. Take the doors off, knock the carcasses apart and they lie flat, and the same kitchen fills a fraction of the space.
On top of the units you have worktops, the sink and taps, the splashback, wall tiles, plinths, cornice and pelmets, old flooring and the packaging from the new kitchen. Packaging is the part people forget. The cardboard, polystyrene and plastic wrap from twenty new units can fill a cubic yard on its own.
Add it up and an average kitchen, broken down sensibly, comes to three to four cubic yards. A 4 yard midi takes that with a little room to spare. It’s about 2.1 metres long and 1.5 metres wide, so it fits on most driveways and you won’t need a road permit.
Which size for your kitchen job
Typical prices are the national median for each size. Your local price may differ.
| Job | Skip | Typical price |
|---|---|---|
| Replace doors, worktops and tiles only | 2 yard mini | Around £155 |
| Small galley kitchen, full strip-out | 4 yard midi | Around £260 |
| Average kitchen, units, tiles and flooring | 4 yard midi | Around £260 |
| Large kitchen or kitchen diner | 6 yard builders | Around £320 |
| Kitchen plus a wall knocked through | 6 yard builders | Around £320 |
| Kitchen and bathroom at the same time | 6 yard builders | Around £320 |
Guide prices, ex VAT. A road permit, if you need one, is extra.
When a kitchen needs a bigger skip
The size jumps when the job goes beyond the units. Knocking a kitchen into a dining room is the most common reason. A single brick wall produces a lot of rubble for its size, and once it’s broken up it takes noticeably more room than it did standing. That pushes most kitchen diner projects into a 6 yard builders skip.
Floors are the other one. Lifting old vinyl or laminate barely registers, but breaking out a tiled floor with its screed adds real weight. A ceiling coming down adds plaster, laths or plasterboard, and the dust and debris from above the old ceiling.
A 6 yard skip is about three metres long. That can be tight on a small drive, so measure the space before you book, and if it won’t fit, plan for a road permit. If the drive takes a 4 yard but not a 6, two 4 yard swaps can work out better than one big skip on the road once the permit is added.
What can go in a kitchen skip
Yes
- Base and wall units, doors and drawers
- Laminate, wood and solid surface worktops
- Stone worktops, if the company knows they’re coming
- Sinks, taps and waste pipes
- Wall and floor tiles with their adhesive
- Old vinyl, laminate and wood flooring
- Cardboard and packaging from the new kitchen
No
- Fridges, freezers and fridge freezers
- Most other appliances: ovens, hobs, dishwashers, washing machines
- Plasterboard mixed in with general waste
- Part-full tins of paint, sealant or adhesive
- Gas bottles of any kind
- Anything that might contain asbestos, like old floor tiles or textured ceilings
Rules vary a little between skip companies. If something isn’t on the list, ask when you book.
What to do with old appliances
Fridges and freezers contain refrigerant gases and foam insulation that have to be removed under controlled conditions. They can’t go in a skip. Other appliances are electrical waste and need to be recycled separately, so most skip companies will refuse them or charge extra per item.
The easiest route is usually the retailer. Most shops that sell you a new appliance will take back the old one, and many will collect it when they deliver the new one, sometimes for a small fee. Ask when you order the kitchen.
Otherwise, the household recycling centre takes appliances free, and your council’s bulky waste collection will pick up fridges and cookers for a fee. A working cooker or washing machine in decent condition can often be given away locally in a day.
Have a gas hob or cooker disconnected by a Gas Safe registered engineer before it comes out. That’s a legal requirement, and your fitter will normally do it as part of the job.
Worktops, plasterboard and other awkward items
A few things in a kitchen strip-out need a little thought before they go in.
- Stone and quartz worktops: they’re heavy. A run of granite can weigh several hundred kilos, so lay it flat at the bottom and tell the skip company.
- Long laminate worktops: cut them into lengths that lie inside the skip. Nothing can stick out over the sides or ends.
- Plasterboard: by law it can’t be mixed with general waste. Bag it separately and tell the company, or ask for a separate collection.
- Old floor tiles and textured ceilings: some older ones contain asbestos. If you’re unsure, stop and get it tested before you break it up.
- Sinks: stainless steel and composite sinks go in as normal. A heavy ceramic Belfast sink is better broken down or given away.
- Paint and sealant: only empty, dry tins and tubes can go in.
How to load a skip for a kitchen refit
- 1Heavy and flat firstWorktops, tiles and any rubble go in first, spread across the floor of the skip.
- 2Break the units downDoors and drawers off, then knock the carcasses flat. Stack them like boards rather than dropping in boxes.
- 3Flatten the packagingCut cardboard boxes open and fold them. Polystyrene breaks down easily and fills gaps.
- 4Fill the gapsPlinths, cornice, pipework and offcuts go into the spaces left between the boards.
- 5Keep it levelNothing above the top edge and nothing sticking out. An overfilled skip won’t be collected.
When to book the skip
Book the skip for the strip-out, not the whole project. Most kitchens come out in a day or two, and the new one goes in over the following week or two. A standard hire of one to two weeks covers the strip-out and the packaging from the fitting, which tends to arrive in waves as units go in.
If the fitting runs long, ask about extending the hire rather than leaving a full skip waiting. If the skip is on the road, the permit has to be extended too, which is why a skip on the drive is easier for a kitchen job.
Road permits cost anything from £15 to over £250 depending on the council, with a typical fee of around £80 for two weeks. The skip company applies for it and adds it to your price.
Kitchen skip questions
- Will a mini skip be big enough for a kitchen?
- Only if you’re keeping the units and replacing doors, worktops and tiles. For a full strip-out, a 2 yard mini is too small once the carcasses and packaging go in.
- Can I put an old oven in a skip?
- Most skip companies won’t take ovens or other appliances, and fridges and freezers can never go in. Use the retailer’s take-back, the recycling centre or a council collection.
- Can granite worktops go in a skip?
- Yes, but they’re heavy. Tell the company when you book, lay them flat at the bottom and keep the rest of the load light.
- Do I need to remove the units myself?
- You or your fitter do. The skip company drops off and collects the skip, and loading is up to you.
- Is a skip cheaper than a man and van for a kitchen?
- For a full strip-out, usually yes. A half van load is typically around £165 and a full van around £280, and a kitchen with its packaging often fills more than half a van. A 4 yard skip at around £260 also stays on site for the whole strip-out.
Need a skip for your kitchen?
Call for a price and to book.