Skip hire has its own vocabulary, and a lot of it is taken for granted on quote calls. This glossary explains the UK terms that come up when you hire a skip: the sizes and skip types, the waste categories that change what you can throw away, the permit and legal terms, and the delivery jargon. Each entry is short enough to scan and links out to a full guide where there's more to say.
TL;DR
- Skip sizes run from a 2-yard mini to a 12-yard maxi, plus 20 to 40-yard RoRo containers; "yards" means cubic yards of volume, not weight.
- Heavy waste (soil, rubble, concrete) is capped by a weight limit long before the skip looks full, so dense loads need a smaller skip.
- A skip on a public road needs a council permit; a skip on your own driveway does not.
- Some waste is banned from a standard skip entirely: plasterboard, hazardous waste, fridges, tyres, batteries, and upholstered seating containing POPs.
| Section | Covers |
|---|---|
| Skip sizes and types | mini, midi, builders, maxi, RoRo, drop-door, lockable, skip bags, wait-and-load, grab hire |
| Waste types | inert, hardcore, plasterboard, hazardous, POPs, WEEE, green waste, general waste |
| Permits and the law | skip permit, waste carrier licence, waste transfer note, duty of care, fly-tipping, the regulators |
| Logistics and delivery | transfer station, gate fee, weight limit, level load, hire period |
Skip sizes and types
Mini skip (2-yard)
The smallest standard skip, holding about 2 cubic yards (roughly 25 to 30 bin bags). A mini skip suits small garden clearances, single-room tidy-ups and DIY offcuts. It is the usual choice when space is tight or the load is heavy but small, such as a modest amount of soil or rubble. See mini skip vs midi skip for the next size up.
Midi skip (4-yard)
A 4-yard skip holding about 3 to 4 cubic yards (roughly 35 to 40 bin bags). The midi is the workhorse for bathroom rip-outs, garden tidies and small renovation jobs, and is the largest size still suited to a two-thirds fill of soil. Most domestic driveways take one comfortably.
Builders skip (6 and 8-yard)
The "builders skip" is the size most people picture: a 6-yard (about 50 to 60 bin bags) or 8-yard (60 to 80 bags) open skip. The 6-yard is the UK standard for kitchen renovations and small building jobs; the 8-yard is the workhorse for full home renovations and heavier construction waste. The trade guide covers commercial use in detail.
Maxi skip (10 and 12-yard)
A large skip holding 10 to 12 cubic yards, designed for bulky but light waste, house clearances, shop fit-outs and loft conversions. A maxi skip is the wrong choice for soil or rubble: its big volume means a heavy load would breach the weight limit long before it filled. How to pick the right skip size explains the volume-versus-weight trade-off.
RoRo (roll-on roll-off) skip
A RoRo is a large open container, usually 20, 30 or 40 cubic yards, delivered and collected by a hook-loader lorry that rolls it on and off the truck bed. RoRos are for construction sites and commercial clearances, not household use, and need clear hardstanding for the lorry. Builders skips vs RoRo explains when to step up.
Drop-door skip
A skip with a hinged door at one end that drops down to form a ramp, so heavy items can be wheelbarrowed straight in rather than lifted over the side. Drop-door skips are common in the 6-yard-and-up builders range and make loading rubble or soil far easier.
Enclosed (lockable) skip
A skip with a closed, lockable lid or roof, used where waste needs to be secured against fly-tipping (people adding their own rubbish) or theft. Lockable skips are popular on public roads and unattended sites; they usually cost a little more to hire.
Skip bag
A heavy-duty woven bag (the best-known brand is the Hippobag) that you fill yourself and a separate operator collects by crane lorry. A skip bag has no delivery vehicle and no permit while it sits on private land, so it suits small, slow-filling jobs. For the cost and capacity comparison, see skip hire vs skip bags.
Wait-and-load
A service where the skip lorry waits while you load, then takes the skip away the same visit, typically within an hour. Because the skip never sits on the road unattended, wait-and-load usually avoids the need for a permit. It suits quick, pre-staged clearances.
Grab hire
Not a skip at all, but a common alternative: a tipper lorry with a hydraulic grab arm that scoops a waste pile and drives away in one lift. Grab hire suits heavy waste already piled in one place. Skip hire vs grab hire covers when each wins.
Waste types
Inert waste
Non-reactive, non-hazardous waste that does not decompose or leach, such as soil, concrete, brick, stone and ceramics. Inert waste is dense, so it is charged and weight-limited differently from general waste, and it often goes to a different disposal route.
Hardcore
A trade term for broken brick, concrete, stone and other rubble, usually from demolition or groundwork. Hardcore is inert and very heavy, so it is loaded into smaller skips filled part-way to stay within the weight limit.
Plasterboard (gypsum)
Plasterboard contains gypsum, which releases hydrogen sulphide gas if landfilled with biodegradable waste, so since 2009 it must be kept separate from general waste. It needs its own dedicated plasterboard skip, arranged before the booking. Mixing it into a general skip usually means a rejected load or a surcharge. See what you can't put in a skip.
Hazardous waste
Waste that is harmful to people or the environment and is banned from a standard skip: asbestos, paint and solvents, oils, batteries, gas bottles, fluorescent tubes and clinical waste. Hazardous items need specialist disposal. Hazardous waste and skips lists the rules and the alternatives.
POPs (persistent organic pollutants)
Chemicals found in the foam and fabric of upholstered domestic seating, sofas, armchairs, dining chairs with padded seats. Since 2023 the Environment Agency has required these items to be kept separate and incinerated rather than landfilled or recycled, so most operators will not take soft furniture in a general skip without arrangement.
WEEE (electrical waste)
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment: anything with a plug or battery, from kettles to fridges. WEEE is banned from skips under the UK WEEE Regulations and must be recycled separately. Fridges and freezers also contain regulated gases and always need dedicated disposal.
Green (garden) waste
Soil-free organic garden waste, grass, hedge trimmings, leaves and branches. Green waste is light and bulky, so it sizes up by volume, and it is often composted rather than landfilled. Many councils also collect it cheaply through a garden-waste service.
General (mixed) waste
The everyday mix of non-hazardous, non-inert material that most skips are filled with: timber, packaging, furniture, plasterboard-free building waste and household clutter. Where it ends up after collection is covered in where does skip waste go.
Permits and the law
Skip permit (skip licence)
A council permit required for any skip placed on a public road, pavement or verge. The fee is set by each local council and typically runs from about £25 to £60, lasting a fixed period (often 7 to 28 days). No permit is needed for a skip wholly on private land. The skip hire company usually arranges it. Do I need a skip permit explains the process.
Waste carrier licence
A registration every business that transports waste must hold with the national regulator (the Environment Agency in England, SEPA in Scotland, Natural Resources Wales in Wales). Hiring a skip from an unregistered carrier risks the waste being fly-tipped in your name, so a legitimate operator can always quote its registration.
Waste transfer note (WTN)
The legal record handed over when waste changes hands, describing the waste and both parties. Businesses must keep waste transfer notes for two years. For household skip hire the operator handles the paperwork, but it is the proof your waste was disposed of properly.
Duty of care
The legal obligation, under Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, to ensure your waste is handled only by a registered carrier and disposed of correctly. Duty of care is why using a licensed skip operator matters: if waste is dumped, the producer can be held responsible.
Fly-tipping
The illegal dumping of waste on land without a permit. Fly-tipping carries fines and, in serious cases, prosecution, and householders can be penalised if their waste is dumped by an unregistered carrier they hired. The scale of the problem is set out in the true cost of fly-tipping.
The regulators
Waste carriers and disposal are overseen by a national regulator in each country: the Environment Agency (England), SEPA, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Scotland), and Natural Resources Wales (Wales). They run the public waste-carrier registers and set the rules operators must follow.
Logistics and delivery
Transfer station
A licensed site where collected skip waste is tipped, sorted and bulked up before going on to recycling, energy recovery or landfill. The distance to the nearest transfer station is one reason skip prices vary by area.
Gate fee (tipping fee)
What a transfer station or landfill charges an operator to accept waste, usually per tonne and higher for landfill than for recycling. Gate fees, plus Landfill Tax, are a large part of what you pay for a skip, which is why heavy or mixed loads cost more.
Weight (tonnage) limit
The maximum weight a skip can hold for safe, legal road transport, separate from its volume. Dense waste like soil and rubble hits the weight limit well before the skip looks full, which is why heavy loads go in smaller skips. The skip size calculator factors weight into its recommendation.
Level load
The rule that a skip must be filled level with its top rim, not heaped or domed, so it can be sheeted and transported safely on the road. An overfilled skip will usually be refused on collection until the excess is removed.
Hire period
The number of days a skip can stay before collection, commonly 7 to 14 days. On a public road the council permit sets the window; on private land you can usually keep it longer. How long can you keep a skip covers extensions.
Still not sure which skip you need?
The fastest way to turn a job into a size is the skip size calculator, which weighs volume against weight for you, or browse the full skip sizes guide for capacities and prices. When you are ready, a short call with your postcode and what you are clearing gets you a price for the right size.
