Skip Hire Guide: What Size Skip Do I Need?

At a glance

Bloomfield’s skip sizes

Not sure if a skip will fit on your driveway? Call us on 0121 568 8687 and we’ll help you work it out.

Skip sizes are measured in cubic yards. One cubic yard is roughly the size of a standard washing machine, so a 4 yard skip holds about four washing machines’ worth of waste.

4 yard skip (40+ bin bags)

The 4 yard is our smallest skip and the right choice for contained, manageable jobs. This could be a single room, a bathroom strip out, or a garden tidy.

What fits: Around 40 bin bags of general waste. Old flooring, broken furniture, garden cuttings, and a few bags of soil will sit comfortably in a 4 yard.

What it’s not suited for: Heavy materials like rubble, bricks or concrete fill a skip very quickly by weight before you’ve used the volume, all skips have weight limits, so bear that in mind if your waste is predominantly heavy.

Best for:

• Bathroom refits (tiles, fixtures, fittings)
• Single room decorating waste
• Small garden clear outs
• Flat clearances

A 4 yard skip fits on most driveways without needing a road permit, which makes it the simplest option for smaller domestic jobs.

Filling tip

8 yard skip (80+ bin bags)

The 8 yard is our most popular skip for domestic customers. It’s a solid all-rounder and big enough for a proper renovation, compact enough to fit on most standard driveways.

What fits: Around 80 bin bags of waste – enough for a full kitchen or bathroom refit, a thorough garage or loft clearance, or a solid garden clearance with soil and green waste.

Best for:

• Kitchen and bathroom renovations
• Garage or loft clearances
• Garden clearances with heavier waste (turf, paving slabs, soil)
• Partial house clearances

If you’re torn between the 4 yard and the 8 yard, go with the 8. It costs a little more, but not nearly as much as booking a second skip mid-project.

Also available as an 8 yard enclosed – the same capacity, with a lockable lid. See the open vs enclosed section below.

10 yard skip (100+ bin bags)

The 10 yard is a useful step up when you know an 8 yard won’t quite cut it but you don’t need the full capacity of a 12. It’s a good fit for larger renovation projects spanning multiple rooms, or for jobs generating waste over several days.

Weight limit From the 10 yard upwards, skips are designed for lighter, bulky waste – not heavy inert materials. A full load of soil, rubble or concrete will exceed the weight limit before you’ve used the volume. If your job is predominantly heavy material, a smaller skip or a grab lorry is the right call.

Best for:

• Multi-room home renovations
• Larger garden overhauls
• End-of-tenancy clearances (larger properties)
• New build ground works (lighter waste)

12 yard skip (120+ bin bags)

The 12 yard is the go-to choice for full house clearances and sizeable construction projects. At 120+ bin bags of capacity, it’s built for jobs where waste will accumulate over days or weeks.

Best for:

• Full house clearances
• Loft conversions and extensions
• Major landscaping projects
• Light commercial clearances

Bear in mind that skips placed on the road require a council permit. We handle the permit application on your behalf – it’s built into the service, so you don’t have to deal with the council directly.

Also available as a 12 yard enclosed has the same capacity, with a lockable lid. See the open vs enclosed section below.

14 yard skip (140+ bin bags)

At 140+ bin bags of capacity, the 14 yard sits between the 12 and the largest 16 yard option. It works well for larger domestic projects that have outgrown a 12 yard, or lighter commercial clearances where a full 16 isn’t necessary.

Best for:

• Large-scale home renovations
• Significant landscaping contracts
• Smaller commercial fit-outs
• Landlord or letting agent clearances across multiple rooms or units

16 yard skip (160+ bin bags)

The 16 yard is our largest skip and built for serious volume. At 160+ bin bags of capacity, it’s suited to major construction projects, commercial site clearances, and any job generating a high volume of waste over an extended period.

Best for:

• Construction and demolition waste
• Commercial refits and fit-outs
• Large development site clearances
• High-volume industrial jobs

For ongoing commercial projects that need regular skip exchanges as work progresses, ask us about our builders skip exchange service, it keeps sites moving without waiting on collections.

Open vs enclosed: which should you choose?

We offer enclosed versions of both the 8 yard and 12 yard skips. Here’s when each makes sense:

Open skip

• Easier to load with no lid to work around
• Better for bulky, awkward items
• The standard choice for most domestic jobs
• Slightly easier for the driver to assess load level

Enclosed skip

• Lockable lid deters others adding their waste
• Contents kept out of sight
• Protects waste from rain on longer hires
• Worth considering for skips placed on public roads

For most straightforward domestic jobs, the open skip is the right call. The enclosed option is worth the extra consideration if your skip will be on the road for a prolonged period.

Do I need a road permit?

If your skip needs to sit on a public road, pavement, or council owned land, you’ll need a permit from your local council. In the West Midlands, permit costs typically range from £20 to £75 depending on the council area and duration.

Permit tip As a general rule, councils are more likely to approve permits for skips up to 8 yards. Larger skips may be refused depending on street width and local authority policy, so if you’re planning a bigger skip on a road, it’s worth checking with us before booking.

We manage the permit application for you and incorporate it into your quote. If you can place the skip on a private driveway, no permit is needed and it’s usually the simpler option for domestic jobs.

One rule that applies to every skip: the level load

Regardless of which size you hire, your waste must not be loaded higher than the top of the skip’s sides. This is a legal requirement, an overloaded skip can’t be safely transported and our driver won’t be able to collect it, resulting in a wasted journey charge.

If you’re worried about running out of space before your job is done, call us on 0121 568 8687 and we’ll arrange a skip exchange.

What type of waste are you putting in?

The type of waste matters as much as the volume. Some materials are prohibited in standard skips:

• Asbestos – Must be handled by a licensed specialist
• Tyres – Not accepted in general skips
• Plasterboard – Must be kept separate – contact us and we can arrange disposal
• Batteries & electricals – Check before loading
• Paint & chemicals – Speak to us about our hazardous waste service

Heavy inert materials like concrete, bricks and soil fill a skip by weight very quickly. If your job is predominantly rubble or soil, a grab lorry may be more cost-effective and it removes large volumes in a single load without size constraints. Get in touch and we’ll advise which service makes more sense for your job.

Still not sure? Here’s a simple rule

When in doubt, go one size up. An unfilled skip costs nothing extra. A second skip collection costs you delivery, collection and disposal fees all over again.

Ready to book?

Book online in minutes or give us a call and we’ll help you choose the right skip for your job.

Book a Skip Online → 0121 568 8687

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