All You Need To Know About Hiring A Skip

Posted on 05/12/2014

Things You Need To Know When Hiring a Skip

If you are organizing a property clearance and have a lot of things that need to be thrown away, the logical way to go, especially if you are not hiring house clearance professionals, is to hire a skip. But before you look on the internet for the best and cheapest skip hire quotes, there are some things that you might want to go over regarding this. One thing you should know when you hire a skip for clearing services is that most companies are likely to charge you not on the quantity of stuff you remove, but on the number of skips you hire and for how long. To make sure that the trouble of having your rubbish transported to the landfill is worth the money you pay for it, there are some essential questions you should ask the clearance company.


1.    What does the quote include?

Normally, most companies include the following services in their skip hire prices – drop-off, pick-up and disposal of waste. The standard period for which one can rent a skip is normally a week, although depending on prior notice and the company’s policy, the period might be extended to as long as required. However, you must note that this is only true for normal waste disposal. If you are disposing heavy waste, especially of the industrial quality, there are chances that you might be charged extra.


2.    How do I know which skip size to choose?

When you are picking the size of the skip, you should keep two things in mind – how much stuff you are going to dispose and where you are going to put the skip in. Most councils may object to you blocking the road with a skip, so make sure you enquire about this previously. For a small domestic clearance, you might need a small 2-yard skip. A medium scale flat clearance will need a 4-6-yard skip whereas larger projects might need to hire 8 and 12-yard skips.


3.    What things can I not put in the skip?

It is very important to know which objects are prohibited to be disposed in skips for health and safety reasons. These include – batteries, tyres, electricals, liquids, oil, gas containers, asbestos, toxic waste, clinical waste etc. When you hire a skip, make sure you clarify about these prohibitions with the company. Not only will you be saving the environment and people from a potential health and safety hazard but you will also avoid any penalty on that account. When you hire a company, you might also want to enquire about their average waste recycle rates to ensure that you are adding as minimum as possible to the landfill.


4.    When should you order a skip delivery?

Different companies will have different policies about when you can call to book a skip; mostly they require at least a day’s notice beforehand to make the delivery. But if they have sufficient skips and drivers to transport them, some companies will also deliver on the day you book the service, within a matter of hours.


5.    What is a skip permit and how do I get it?

A skip permit is something you need only when you are placing the skip on public property such as the road or pavement. Different councils will have different prices to pay for the skip permit. When you book your service, you should clarify with the company if they will help you arrange the skip permit or should you get it done yourself. Even if you are doing it yourself, many clearance companies will be willing to advise you on how to go about it.