Kitchen Refit Skip Size: Stripping Out Units, Tiles and Appliances

Planning a new kitchen? Before the shiny new units arrive, there's a few days of demolition to deal with. A typical UK kitchen strip produces far more waste than most people expect - here's how to size the skip and what to do with the items that can't go in.

How much waste does a kitchen refit produce?

Based on real bookings across our network:

• Small galley kitchen (single row, 3-4 base units, no island): 2-3 cubic yards
• Standard L-shaped kitchen (6-8 base units, island, separate utility): 4-5 cubic yards
• Large modern kitchen-diner (10+ units, peninsula, bifold door work): 6-8 cubic yards

The midi (4yd) covers the middle-ground most refits. Bigger jobs jump to a maxi (8yd) or use an exchange cycle with a midi swapped out mid-strip.

What goes in the kitchen skip

• Old base units and wall units (carcases and doors)
• Worktops (laminate, solid wood, stone-effect)
• Splashback tiles and grout
• Old flooring (vinyl, laminate, tiles)
• Ceramic sinks (surprisingly heavy)
• Cooker hoods, extractor ducting
• Plinth kickboards and trim
• Small appliances (microwaves, kettles - these are WEEE but small items are tolerated)
• Packaging from the new kitchen (cardboard, polystyrene)

What doesn't go in

The fridge-freezer

Contains refrigerant gas which is hazardous waste under the WEEE directive. Must be degassed and recycled at a specialist facility. Either:

• Ask the new-kitchen installer if they'll take it away (many do, for a fee)
• Book a council bulky-waste collection
• Take it to a Household Waste Recycling Centre yourself

The oven and hob

Large domestic electricals are technically WEEE, but most transfer stations will handle them with a £15-25 surcharge per item. Tell us when booking if you're including the cooker.

The washing machine or dishwasher

Same as the oven - WEEE-rated, surchargeable. Our drivers will take them if they're declared at booking.

Paint tins

Any liquid paint from touching up old walls is hazardous waste. Dried-out tins are fine; wet paint goes to the council.

Kitchen tile disposal: the weight trap

Stripped tiles are dense. A 3m × 2m tiled splashback weighs around 120kg. If you add the floor tiles from a 4m × 3m kitchen (another 400kg), you're already near the mini's 1-tonne limit from tiles alone.

If your refit includes significant tile removal, jump up a size even if volume suggests otherwise. A midi's 2-3 tonne limit handles most domestic tile jobs; a maxi is needed if you're stripping a whole kitchen including floor and full-height splashbacks.

Logistics tips for a smooth refit

1. Book the skip for day one of demolition, not day three. You'll fill it faster than you expect.
2. Strip in the right order: units off the walls first, then worktops, then flooring, then tiles. This sequence avoids the fragile tiles getting crushed by heavier items.
3. Keep the new kitchen packaging separate - cardboard and polystyrene are light and pack loose. Bag it tightly before it goes in the skip.
4. Don't start breaking down until the skip arrives - waste piled on your driveway can't sit for a week without causing access problems.

Where the skip should go

If your driveway has space: drop it on the drive, no permit needed, ready immediately on delivery.

If it has to go on the road (dense Manchester terraces, inner Leeds city streets, Warrington apartment blocks): we'll arrange the council permit, usually 2-5 working days. Book early.

Enter your postcode on the homepage for your local depot's price and permit cost.