Skip Size Guide

Skip size: What are the different skip sizes, and what can they hold? We've put together a guide to all the most commonly sized skips available for hire, their dimensions and what they can hold.

Useful background: 

• The Ultimate Guide to Skip Hire 
• Skip Price Guide
• Guide to Skip Weight Limits

Skips come in the following sizes. 2 Yards, 4 Yards, 6 Yards, 8 Yards and 12 Yards. Below is a table of all the skip sizes, and what they can hold.

Table of skip sizes

2 Yard Skip size

A 2 yard skip is also known as a 'mini skip' and can hold small amounts of the household, garden, or builders' waste. Approximately 20-30 bin bags worth of waste, for example, four dishwashers.

2 Yard skip hire prices are the cheapest, so if you want to keep costs down, hiring one might be the perfect solution. However, bear in mind that if you get it wrong, the cost of ordering another skip will outweigh the cost of using a 4-yard skip in the first place.

4 Yard Skip 

A 4 yard is a small skip that is widely used by installers of bathrooms because it is the perfect size to hold an old bathroom and other DIY improvements. It holds the equivalent of 30-40 filled bin bags, approximately 4 fridge freezers.

4 yard skip hire is convenient as it takes up less space and means that parking it in the street or in a driveway will be easier. But it is important to remember that skips arrive on a lorry and, no matter how small the skip is itself, the lorry will always require space to unload it and manoeuvre. 

6 Yard Skip 

The 6 yard skip is called the 'builders skip' is one of the most commonly hired in the UK. Builders skips are suitable for moderate amounts of bulky waste – including kitchens, bathrooms, and home renovations.

Councils generally do not allow skips of any larger size on the road, so that is why hiring builders skip is so popular. A 6-yard skip holds approximately 50-60 filled bin bags or 12 wheelie bins.

8 Yard Skip 

8 yard skips are also referred to as a 'builders skip' but is the larger of the two. Great for clearing an entire house, or if you have waste that needs clearing from significant renovation work. It is also the largest size skip you can fill with bulky, messy waste like builders’ rubble, soil or concrete. An 8-yard skip holds approximately 16 wheelie bins, 60-80 bin bags or 4 sofas (broken up!)

12 Yard Skip 

Maxi skips are a huge 12-yard skip and are usually only used for commercial projects as councils do not allow them to be placed on a road. They can fit large volumes, including metal, wood, plastics, and packaging waste. However, 12-yard skips are unsuitable for heavy loads like soil, rubble or concrete as they would be too heavy for the skip lorry to lift.

A 12-yard skip holds approximately 100-120 bin bags or 24 wheelie bins.

Recent bulky waste collections

Below are recent collections that have been carried out via the LoveJunk marketplace. To find a great value licenced collector today – visit LoveJunk.