Can I fill a big skip with soil?

Usually not. Most companies cap soil at a 6 yard builders skip filled level, and won’t take it in an 8 yard or 12 yard maxi. Overloaded skips can’t be lifted safely.

Can I put tree stumps in a skip?

Yes, as long as the company knows. Knock off as much soil as you can, because the root ball is heavy.

Is a skip or a grab better for soil?

For up to one 6 yard skip’s worth, a skip is simpler. For more, a grab load at around £270 to £360 is often cheaper and quicker, provided the pile is within about six metres of where the lorry can park.

Can I burn garden waste instead?

You can burn dry garden waste on your own land, but smoke that causes a nuisance to neighbours can lead to action against you. Many areas also have local rules. A skip avoids the problem.

Can grass cuttings go in a skip?

Yes. Mix them with branches so they don’t compact into a wet, heavy mass at the bottom.

What size skip for garden landscaping?

For soil, turf and stone, use a 4 or 6 yard skip filled no higher than the top edge, because weight is the limit. For bulky green waste, old fencing and a shed, a 6 or 8 yard skip gives you the space you need.

Soil and turf: 4 yard midi or 6 yard builders, filled level
Green waste, fencing and a shed: 6 yard builders or 8 yard large
Most companies won’t take soil or rubble in anything bigger than a 6 yard
More soil than one 6 yard skip: a grab lorry is often cheaper
Japanese knotweed and some treated timber can’t go in a skip

Need a skip? Call for a price and to book.

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Weight or volume: work out which you have

Garden waste comes in two kinds, and they need different skips. Soil, turf, stone and old paving are heavy. Hedge cuttings, branches, fencing and sheds are light and bulky. The right skip depends on which kind makes up most of your load.

Heavy waste hits the lorry’s weight limit long before the skip is full of air. A cubic metre of soil weighs well over a tonne, more when it’s wet. That’s why most skip companies cap soil and rubble at a 6 yard builders skip, filled level with the top edge, and many won’t take it in an 8 yard or a 12 yard maxi at all.

Light waste is the opposite. Branches and hedge cuttings are springy and full of gaps, so they fill a skip fast without weighing much. For a big clearance of green waste you want space, and an 8 yard large skip is often better value than a 6 yard you can’t fill properly.

Which size for your garden job

Typical prices are the national median for each size. Your local price may differ.

Job	Skip	Typical price
Dig out a new border or small pond	2 yard mini	Around £155
Lift a small lawn, turf and topsoil	4 yard midi	Around £260
Level a garden, a few tonnes of soil	6 yard builders	Around £320
Hedge removal, branches and shrubs	6 yard builders	Around £320
Old shed, fencing and green waste together	8 yard large	Ask for a price
Very large green waste clearance, no soil	12 yard maxi	Around £400

Guide prices, ex VAT. A road permit, if you need one, is extra.

Soil and turf

Soil bulks up when you dig it. Compacted ground breaks into loose clods with air between them, so the pile next to the hole is bigger than the hole. Allow for that when you size the skip. A useful rule: measure the area and depth you’re digging out, then add about a quarter to a third for bulking.

Turf is mostly soil by weight. Lift it in strips, roll or fold it grass side down and stack it flat in the skip. Rolled turf thrown in loose leaves big gaps. A small lawn lifted with a few centimetres of root and soil fills a 4 yard midi quicker than most people expect.

Clean soil and clean stone are worth keeping separate if you can. Some companies charge less for a load that’s only soil or only hardcore, because it can be screened and reused rather than sorted. Ask when you book.

Dry soil is lighter than wet. If you can, dig in a dry spell, and cover the skip if rain is forecast. A waterlogged load can tip a skip over the weight limit, and some companies charge for the excess.

When a grab lorry beats a skip for soil

If you have more soil than a single 6 yard skip can take, look at a grab lorry. A grab is a tipper lorry with a hydraulic arm. You pile the soil on your drive or front garden, and the arm lifts it straight into the lorry. There’s no skip to fill by wheelbarrow and nothing left on site for days.

An 8 tonne grab load typically costs around £270 and a 16 tonne load around £360. Compare that with two 6 yard skips at around £320 each and the grab often wins on the bigger jobs. It’s also quicker: the lorry is usually loaded and gone in under an hour.

The arm reaches about six metres from the lorry, which is enough to clear a pile on most driveways from the road. The pile must be within reach and on ground the lorry can stand next to. If your soil is at the back of the house, you’ll still need to barrow it to the front.

A grab parked on the road while it loads doesn’t usually need a skip permit, because nothing is left on the highway. That alone can save around £80 compared with a skip on the road.

Sheds, fencing and decking

Most garden timber goes in a skip without trouble. A few things are worth checking first.

Sheds: take the roof and panels off and lay them flat. A dismantled 6 by 8 foot shed takes up a surprising amount of a 6 yard skip.
Roofing felt: fine in a skip. Corrugated cement sheets on older sheds and garages can contain asbestos, so don’t break them or put them in.
Fence panels and posts: break panels flat and stack them. Knock the concrete off post bases if you can, or count it as rubble.
Old railway sleepers: ones treated with creosote count as hazardous, and many skip companies won’t take them.
Glass from greenhouses and cold frames: wrap it, and tell the company. Some want it kept separate.
Garden furniture, plant pots and hoses: all fine.

What can go in a garden skip

Yes

Soil, turf and clay, filled level
Stones, gravel and broken paving
Branches, hedge cuttings and shrubs
Tree stumps, if you warn the company
Fence panels, posts and sheds, broken down
Untreated and modern treated timber

Japanese knotweed or soil it has grown in
Creosote-treated sleepers and timber, with most companies
Asbestos cement sheets from old sheds and garages
Garden chemicals, weedkiller and pesticides
Gas bottles and patio heater cylinders
Petrol or oil from mowers and strimmers

Japanese knotweed is controlled waste and has to go to a licensed site through a specialist.

Will you need a permit?

Only if the skip goes on the road. A 2 or 4 yard skip fits on most drives. A 6 yard is about three metres long and often goes on the road, and an 8 yard nearly always does. Councils charge anything from £15 to over £250, typically around £80 for two weeks, and the skip company applies for you.

£15 cheapestMedian £80£263.50 dearest

Half of councils charge between £54 and £104.80 (shaded). 14-day permit fees across 197 councils, October 2026.

Other ways to clear garden waste

Garden skip questions

Can I fill a big skip with soil?: Usually not. Most companies cap soil at a 6 yard builders skip filled level, and won’t take it in an 8 yard or 12 yard maxi. Overloaded skips can’t be lifted safely.
Can I put tree stumps in a skip?: Yes, as long as the company knows. Knock off as much soil as you can, because the root ball is heavy.
Is a skip or a grab better for soil?: For up to one 6 yard skip’s worth, a skip is simpler. For more, a grab load at around £270 to £360 is often cheaper and quicker, provided the pile is within about six metres of where the lorry can park.
Can I burn garden waste instead?: You can burn dry garden waste on your own land, but smoke that causes a nuisance to neighbours can lead to action against you. Many areas also have local rules. A skip avoids the problem.
Can grass cuttings go in a skip?: Yes. Mix them with branches so they don’t compact into a wet, heavy mass at the bottom.

Need a skip for your garden?

Call for a price and to book.