The skip hire alternative
No permit, no waiting, no loading it yourself and nobody else filling it overnight. Here is an honest comparison, including the jobs where a skip genuinely is the better option.
The straight comparison
| Builders skip | Our half load | |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | Around 8 cubic yards | Around 8 cubic yards |
| Typical cost | Around £250 | from£200 |
| Council permit | Needed if it goes on the road, plus possible bay suspension | Never |
| Who loads it | You do, every single item | We do |
| Time on site | Days, sometimes a week | An hour or two |
| If you half fill it | You pay for the whole skip | You pay for a quarter load |
| Neighbours adding to it | Very likely overnight | Impossible |
| Getting it out of the house | Your problem | Included |
The part nobody mentions until the skip arrives
Hiring a skip does not get rid of your rubbish. It parks an empty metal box outside your house and makes getting rid of your rubbish your job, over several evenings, in the rain, up and down the stairs.
For most domestic clearances the carrying is the entire difficulty. That is what people are actually paying us for, and it is the bit a skip does not touch.
When a skip genuinely is better
We would rather tell you than have you find out. If you are running a renovation over two or three weeks and want somewhere to throw things as you go, hire a skip. Put it on your own driveway so you do not need a permit.
Also consider a skip if you are producing large volumes of clean hardcore or soil, where weight is the main factor rather than convenience.
For a one off clearance, anything urgent, anything that has to come out of the property, or anything where you do not fancy the lifting, we are quicker and usually cheaper.
The permit thing, properly explained
If a skip goes on your own driveway or land, no permit. If it goes on the public road, Birmingham City Council requires a permit and sometimes a parking bay suspension too. The skip company normally applies for you and passes the cost on, and it adds days as well as pounds.
A van needs none of that. We park where a car would park, load, and drive off.
What our loads cost
- Quarter load, about a midi skip, from £120
- Half load, about a builders skip, from £200
- Full Luton load, about three builders skips, from £360
All including labour, loading, disposal and the transfer note. Full price list.
Skip versus van questions
Is a man and van always cheaper than a skip?
Not always, and we are not going to pretend it is. If you are running a long renovation and need somewhere to throw things over three weeks, a skip on your own driveway is the better tool. Where we win is on one off clearances, on anything that needs carrying out of the property, and on anything urgent.
Do I need a permit for a skip in Birmingham?
Only if it goes on the road rather than on your own driveway or land. If it does, you need a council permit and sometimes a parking bay suspension as well, and the skip company usually applies on your behalf and passes the cost on. There is no permit of any kind for a van.
How much rubbish fits in a van compared to a skip?
A Luton van holds roughly 20 cubic yards, which is near enough three builders skips. A builders skip is around 8 cubic yards, which is about the same as our half load.
What if I only half fill the skip?
You pay for the whole skip. That is the bit that stings. With a van you pay for the space you actually use, which is why a quarter load exists as a price.
Can you come the same day?
Often, yes. A skip has to be delivered, then filled by you over some number of days, then collected. That is rarely under three days end to end and often a week. We are usually in and out inside an hour or two.
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Feed the monster.
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