Skips come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and they are measured in yards. In the UK if you’re looking to hire a skip, you generally have sizes available to you between 4 and 35 yards so there should be something suitable for you if you’re looking for a domestic skip.
With such a wide range of skip sizes, what do you choose? A larger skip will represent more value for money, granted that you use it of course, use it to its capacity and couldn’t have gone with a smaller size, which begs the follow up question – what size skip do I hire?
Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered in this handy guide we’ve put together, it should give you a good idea of what skip sizes you have available, and help you make the right choice when it comes to which one works for you.
How many skip sizes are there?
As mentioned skip sizes vary between 4 and 35 yards, at the start they go up by increments of 2 but as the sizes progress the gaps between each of them get larger. It depends on the skip hire company as to how many skip sizes there are available, but there are a total of 9 different skip sizes available between those. There are some companies that offer even larger skips, but these are typically for commercial purposes.
The most commonly ordered skip hire products in the UK are by far the 6 & 8 yard builder skips, mainly because they offer a good balance between value for money and size.
How do I know what size skip to hire?
Well skips as we’ve discussed are all done in yards, but what that actually stands for is cubic yards which measures 3ft x 3 ft x 3ft or 91cm x 91cm x 91cm if you prefer it that way. A single cubic yard if you were to visualise it would roughly hold 8 to 10 standard size UK black bin bags.
Later in this article we’ll go through each size of skip and tell you roughly how much you can expect to fit in each & give you an idea of space. It’s not a perfect science, as everyone has different types of waste they want to dispose of, and it’s not always as forward as black bin bags but you just need to be aware of the space usage, for instance a kitchen refurb may leave more empty space unless you break all the units down.
Another thing that you need to consider is space on your property, whether you have enough driveway space to go for a larger skip, or if not, whether the council will let you have that size skip on the road – all of this you need to figure out before you go ahead and order.
4-Yard Skips
A 4 yard skip is also referred to as a mini skip, and it’s got a relatively small capacity but can be an excellent choice for smaller household projects like garden work or small bathroom refurbishments.
Dimensions: 1m (H) x 2.51m (L) x 1.62m (W)
Capacity: 36-40 Bin Bags
6-Yard Skips
This will fit slightly more than the previous skip, and might be more suitable for additional household waste like furniture and appliances. It’s one of the most common choices for UK homes as it will fit in a standard kitchen refurbishment or garage clearout.
Dimensions: 1.2m (H) x 2.6m (L) x 1.5m (W)
Capacity: 55-60 Bin Bags
8-Yard Skips
This skip can be used for larger household projects and is ideal for major renovation works or household clearances - it’s often adequate for even commercial use.
Dimensions: 1.22m (H) x 3.66m (L) x 2.44m (W)
Capacity: 74-80 Bin Bags
10-Yard Skips
This is referred to mostly as a maxi skip and it’s quite large for domestic properties, you would usually have this for a project that involves renovating multiple rooms - please note that 10 yard skips aren’t allowed on the road and will need to be on private land.
Dimensions: 1.22m (H) x 4.27m (L) x 2.44m (W)
Capacity: 92-100 Bin Bags
12-Yard Skips
The aptly named jumbo skip is suitable for large amounts of bulky waste and is often used in commercial settings like shop refits or on building and manufacturing sites.
Dimensions: 1.22m (H) x 4.88m (L) x 2.44 (W)
Capacity: 110-120 Bin Bags
14-Yard Skips
Slightly larger than its counterpart large skip, its suitable for larger projects and like aforementioned shop fittings and light construction projects.
Dimensions: 1.22m (H) x 5.49m (L) x 2.44 (W)
Capacity: 120-140 Bin Bags
16-Yard Skips
The largest of the traditional skip family, the largest that are suitable to place at residential properties. These are perfect for large construction or full house renovation projects with it’s significant capacity.
Dimensions: 2.4m (H) x 6.1m (L) x 2.4m (W)
Capacity: 140-160 Bin Bags
20-Yard Skips
These skips are used on larger sites, primarily commercial and can hold up to 15 tonnes of materials.
Dimensions: 2.4m (H) x 7.6m (L) x 2.4m (W)
Capacity: 180-200 Bin Bags
35-Yard Skips
This is the largest skip typically available, and it’s commonly used in a commercial setting for refits, construction jobs and decommission, they accommodate much heavier and bulkier materials.
Dimensions: 2.4m (H) x 12m (L) x 2.4m (W)
Capacity: 310-350 Bin Bags
Please note that sometimes the dimensions do slightly differ depending on who has manufactured the skips, but the capacity is the same. It’s also worth mentioning that large skips may not be suitable for larger quantities of soil or hardcore rubble as it makes them too heavy to lift.
If you’re unsure, go bigger
Easy for us to say right, after all we do run a skip hire business. Generally it’s true though, if you’re worried about the size, it’s much better to go for a larger skip than have to hire multiple skips one after another, as a large part of the charge is factored into the delivery and collection.
The gap between the cost of the skips for gets smaller as the sizes increase, so it may not be too much more to go for 2 extra yards more than you had estimated – it’s worth at least considering.
How do I order a skip?
That’s where we come in! At the Waste Removal Group (WRG) we offer a variety of different size skips at an extremely affordable price across the whole of the UK, so whatever your waste removal needs – we can help.
Getting a quote is simple, we just need to ask a few questions about the type of skip you want and how long for and we’ll get back to you with a fixed quote.
Just answer a few short questions & we’ll provide you with a completely no obligation quote
