Getting the skip size right matters more than most people realise. Under-order and you'll be paying for a second skip; over-order and you've wasted £100+ on unused capacity. Here's our field-tested guide to matching the right skip to the job, drawing on data from thousands of orders across our UK network.
The three standard UK skip sizes
2-yard mini (from £165)
- Dimensions: roughly 6ft × 4ft × 3ft
- Capacity: 20-30 bin bags, or 30-40 shovel loads of soil
- Weight limit: about 1 tonne
- Best for: small garden tidies, shed clear-outs, garage declutters, single-room strip-outs
4-yard midi (from £225)
- Dimensions: 6ft × 4ft × 4ft (taller than the mini)
- Capacity: 30-40 bin bags
- Weight limit: about 2-3 tonnes
- Best for: kitchen or bathroom refits, mid-sized garden clearances, loft clear-outs, small extension projects
8-yard maxi (from £325) - our most popular
- Dimensions: 12ft × 6ft × 4ft
- Capacity: 60-80 bin bags
- Weight limit: 6-8 tonnes
- Best for: full house clearances, builder's rubble, major renovations, multi-room strip-outs
Our pricing above is from our Bradford depot; prices vary modestly by region depending on local transfer-station gate fees. Enter your postcode for exact pricing.
Quick-reference job-to-size matcher
| Job | Recommended size | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Back garden tidy | Mini (2yd) | Light garden waste packs down quickly |
| Shed or garage declutter | Mini (2yd) | Bulky but low-volume |
| Bathroom strip-out | Midi (4yd) | Tiles, ceramics, pipework - denser than you'd think |
| Kitchen refit | Midi or Maxi | See our kitchen refit sizing guide |
| Loft clearance | Midi (4yd) | Years of boxes + insulation stripped out |
| Full house clearance | Maxi (8yd) | Usually two if it's a 3-bed with garden |
| Builder's rubble | Maxi (8yd) | Weight-limited: don't over-fill with concrete |
| End-of-tenancy clear | Maxi (8yd) | Faster than skip-by-skip for landlords - see our landlord's guide |
Two rules of thumb
1. If you're unsure between two sizes, pick the bigger. The price gap between a midi and a maxi is usually £100-120. A second skip, including its own delivery and collection, typically costs more than that.
2. Think in bin bags, not cubic yards. Most householders can't visualise a cubic yard but can accurately guess "about 25 bin bags". Use that.
Weight matters as much as volume
All three skip sizes have a weight limit. A mini can hold 1 tonne; if you fill it entirely with rubble or soil, you'll hit that limit before the skip is full. Rubble is dense - a cubic yard weighs around 1.6 tonnes. That means heavy materials need a bigger skip for weight reasons, not volume reasons.
The practical implication: if you're clearing a lot of rubble, concrete or soil, book a maxi even if the volume looks like it'd fit in a midi.
Get a size-specific quote
Our postcode-based price matcher on the homepage shows all three sizes at your local depot's actual rate. You can also use the skip size calculator on each location page for a four-question guided recommendation.
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