What size skip for patio or decking removal?
Most patios, with their slabs and sub-base, need a 6 yard builders skip filled level, or a 4 yard midi for a small one. Timber decking is light and bulky, so a 6 or 8 yard skip suits most decks.
- Small patio, slabs only: 4 yard midi, typically around £260
- Average patio with hardcore sub-base: 6 yard builders, typically around £320
- Heavy waste is capped at a 6 yard with most companies, filled level
- Timber decking: 6 yard builders or 8 yard large, cut to length
- A big patio and its base is often cheaper by grab lorry
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
A patio is about weight, not space
Paving slabs, mortar, concrete and hardcore are some of the heaviest things you can put in a skip. A patio that looks like it would fit in a small skip can easily weigh several tonnes once you count what’s under the slabs.
That’s why size is limited by weight. Most skip companies cap heavy waste at a 6 yard builders skip, filled level with the top edge and no higher. Many won’t take rubble in an 8 yard skip, and none will in a 12 yard maxi. Overfill a small skip with slabs and it can be too heavy to lift safely, and the driver may refuse to take it.
So for a patio you don’t pick the biggest skip and fill it. You pick a skip that can take the weight, and if the patio is bigger than one skip, you plan for two, or a grab lorry.
Which size for your patio or deck
Typical prices are the national median for each size. Your local price may differ.
| Job | Skip | Typical price |
|---|---|---|
| A few slabs or a small path | 2 yard mini | Around £155 |
| Small patio, slabs and bedding only | 4 yard midi | Around £260 |
| Average patio with hardcore sub-base | 6 yard builders | Around £320 |
| Large patio or concrete base | Two 6 yard skips, or a grab | From around £270 by grab |
| Small timber deck | 6 yard builders | Around £320 |
| Large deck with frame and joists | 8 yard large | Ask for a price |
Guide prices, ex VAT. A road permit, if you need one, is extra.
How to work out the size of a patio
- 1Measure the areaLength times width in metres. A patio of 5 by 3 metres is 15 square metres.
- 2Measure the depthLift one slab and measure down to undisturbed ground: slab, mortar bed and hardcore. Around 150mm is common for a patio laid on a sub-base.
- 3MultiplyArea times depth gives cubic metres. 15 square metres at 0.15m deep is 2.25 cubic metres.
- 4Add for bulkingBroken rubble takes more room than it did in the ground. Add about a third: 2.25 becomes about 3 cubic metres.
- 5Convert to yardsOne cubic metre is about 1.3 cubic yards, so 3 cubic metres is about 4 yards. That patio fits a 4 yard midi filled level, or a 6 yard with room to spare.
The sub-base is the part people forget
The slabs are only the top layer. Under a properly laid patio there’s a mortar bed and then a layer of compacted hardcore, often 100mm or more deep. On older patios you may find a full concrete base instead. The sub-base often weighs more than the slabs.
Decide early whether it’s coming out. If you’re relaying a new patio at the same level, you may be able to keep the existing hardcore, top it up and save most of the weight. If you’re turning the area into lawn or beds, it all has to go, and you’ll also be bringing topsoil in.
Concrete bases need breaking with a breaker or a heavy hammer into pieces you can lift. Smaller pieces pack tighter in the skip and load more evenly. Keep the load level and spread it across the floor of the skip, not piled at one end.
Clean hardcore with no soil or timber mixed in is worth keeping separate. Some companies price an inert-only load lower because it can be crushed and reused. Ask when you book.
Timber decking is about space
Decking is the opposite of a patio. The boards, joists and posts are light for their size but long and awkward, and they don’t pack down unless you cut them. A deck thrown in as it comes up will fill a skip with air.
Cut boards and joists into lengths that lie flat inside the skip, and stack them tightly. Pull or bend over the nails and screws as you go, for your own safety and for whoever handles the load. Posts set in concrete come out with a lump on the end. That counts as rubble, so put it at the bottom.
Modern pressure-treated timber is fine in a general skip. Composite decking is usually accepted too. Old timber treated with creosote is classed as hazardous, and many companies won’t take it, so mention it if your deck is old.
Weight isn’t the limit with decking, so an 8 yard large skip is fine for a big deck. Check what’s underneath though. Many decks sit on a layer of gravel and membrane, and if that’s coming up too it adds real weight.
What can go in a patio or decking skip
Yes
- Paving slabs, setts and block paving
- Mortar, concrete and hardcore
- Gravel and sand from the bedding layer
- Decking boards, joists and posts
- Pressure-treated and composite decking
- Weed membrane and edging
No
- Creosote-treated timber, with most companies
- Rubble in an 8 yard large or 12 yard maxi, with most companies
- Asbestos cement, sometimes found in old edging or sheds nearby
- Gas bottles from patio heaters
- Part-full tins of decking oil, stain or sealer
- Anything above the top edge of the skip
When a grab lorry is cheaper
If your patio and its base fill more than one 6 yard skip, a grab lorry is worth pricing. You break the patio up and pile it on the drive, and the lorry’s arm lifts the pile straight into the tipper body. An 8 tonne grab load typically costs around £270 and a 16 tonne load around £360.
Two 6 yard skips at around £320 each come to more than a 16 tonne grab, and a grab is usually loaded and gone within the hour. The arm reaches about six metres, so the pile needs to be close to where the lorry can park. A grab doesn’t stay on the road, so you won’t need a skip permit.
Will you need a permit?
Only if the skip goes on the road. A 4 yard midi fits most drives, but a 6 yard builders skip is about three metres long and an 8 yard nearly always goes on the road. Councils charge anything from £15 to over £250, typically around £80 for two weeks, and the skip company applies for you.
Patio and decking skip questions
- How many paving slabs fit in a skip?
- It depends on their size and thickness, and weight is the limit, not space. Work out the volume from the area and depth, add a third, and keep the skip filled level.
- Can I put a whole patio in an 8 yard skip?
- Usually not. Most companies won’t take rubble or slabs in an 8 yard skip because it would be too heavy to lift. Use a 6 yard filled level, two skips, or a grab.
- Can patio and decking go in the same skip?
- Yes. Put the slabs and hardcore in first, spread level, and stack the cut timber on top. Keep the whole load below the top edge.
- Will the skip damage my drive?
- A skip full of rubble is heavy. Ask for boards under the skip feet, or lay scaffold boards yourself, especially on block paving or tarmac.
- How long will I need the skip?
- Lifting a patio usually takes a weekend or two. A standard hire of one to two weeks is normally enough.
Need a skip for your patio?
Call for a price and to book.