Hiring a skip for your project
A big clear-out or building work soon fills more bags than the bin can take.
A skip lets you clear it all in one go. A little planning before it arrives makes the whole project easier.
These notes follow the rules for England and Wales.
Choosing where it goes
The simplest place for a skip is your own drive or garden. You do not need a skip licence if the skip sits entirely on private land.
A skip can go on a public road with a licence from the council, sometimes called a skip permit. It cannot go on the pavement.
Before the lorry comes, check there is room for it to reach the spot. Think too about where you will walk while you fill it.
Getting the licence
In most areas the skip hire company gets the licence. In some areas you need to apply yourself, so it is worth asking when you book.
The council can set conditions in the licence. These can cover where the skip stands, its size, how it is painted so traffic can see it, how it is lit or guarded, and when it must be taken away.
Lights and markings on the road
A skip on the road must be lit during the hours of darkness. It must also show the owner's name and a phone number or address, and be removed as soon as practical once it is full.
Your council may ask for reflective markings, traffic cones or night-time safety lamps. If the required lights and markings are missing, the fine can be up to £1,000.
Skip bags
For a smaller clear-out, a skip bag can be enough. If a skip bag goes on a public road, it needs a licence too.
What can go in
A skip company can take household waste your council will not collect. GOV.UK counts old furniture, garden waste and DIY waste such as rubble, timber and bricks as household waste.
Hazardous waste follows its own rules. GOV.UK gives asbestos, batteries, solvents, oils and fridges as examples. Ask the company what it will not take before you start filling.
A quick check on the company
The law expects you to check that whoever takes your waste is allowed to. For a skip company in England, search the register of waste carriers and select upper tier. Wales has its own register.
If waste you handed over is later dumped, and you did not check the company, the council can give you a fixed penalty.