Jobs
Which skip for a garden clearance
Match the skip to what dominates the pile. Mostly green waste or fencing: a 4-yard or 6-yard is typical. Mostly soil or rubble: stay at 6-yard or smaller – weight, not volume, sets the limit.
Starting size
| What dominates the pile | Usual starting size | When to change it |
|---|---|---|
| Green waste, prunings, turf strips, light tidy | 4-yard | A big hedge or whole-border clear → 6-yard. Some councils prefer green waste at the HWRC if you can transport it. |
| Fencing, shed, decking, mixed garden structures | 6-yard | Timber and felt usually count as light or mixed. Treated timber: say so when you book. |
| Mostly soil, hardcore, brick or concrete | 4- or 6-yard only | Do not book an 8-yard of soil. Read soil, rubble and concrete. |
| A small patio dig-out plus plants | 4-yard or 6-yard | Tell the firm it is mixed heavy and green. They may want soil bagged or a second drop. |
Full chooser: What size skip do I need?. For a driveway-only pile that will not wait for a lorry, compare a skip bag.
Soil vs green waste
They look similar in a wheelbarrow. They are not the same load for the lorry.
- Green waste (clippings, branches, leaves, soft plants) is light. Volume fills the skip before weight does. A larger open skip can make sense if the firm accepts green waste in that size.
- Soil, turf with soil attached, hardcore and broken concrete are dense. Hire firms treat them as heavy or inert waste. The usual ceiling is a 6-yard. Overfilling risks a refused collection or a surcharge.
If more than about half the load is soil or rubble, book a heavy-waste skip and say so. Do not “just get a bigger one”.
Common garden items that cause problems
- Soil and rubble – weight limit; sometimes a separate inert skip. See the soil page linked above.
- Treated timber, painted fencing, roofing felt – usually accepted as mixed waste, but say what it is. Some tips and firms segregate treated wood.
- Asbestos cement sheds or garages – not for a mixed skip. Follow GOV.UK asbestos guidance.
- Gas bottles, paint, chemicals, batteries – banned from the mixed skip. Full list.
- Japanese knotweed and similar controlled plants – not ordinary green waste. Ask the council or a specialist; do not quietly tip it into a hire skip.
Placement
- Soft lawn will sink under a loaded skip. Prefer hardstanding. Gravel drives can rut.
- Headroom for the lorry matters as much as the skip footprint – overhead cables and narrow side returns are the usual surprises.
- Public highway: permit rules apply – Do I need a skip permit?.
- Check the carrier’s CBDU number – how to check a waste carrier licence.
Skip Clerk has no hire partners yet and no prices on this page. When we add a booking link it will be marked as an affiliate link. Until then, use a licensed local operator and confirm the load type with them.
Sources
- Garden starting sizes: consistent UK hire-firm practice and the site job chooser.
- Heavy-waste / soil ceiling at 6-yard: same working rule as the 6-yard and soil and rubble pages. Operators still disagree on exact caps – ask when you book.
- GOV.UK: asbestos in your home – cement-board sheds and garages.
- What you cannot put in a skip, Skip vs skip bag.
- Japanese knotweed: controlled waste in practice for householders – confirm the local council route; this page does not invent a disposal fee.