Large vs Midi vs Mini Skips

What Are the Skip Hire Size Differences?

Skips are measured in cubic yards, and go from 2 yards all the way up to 16. Larger skips are available, but they aren’t the traditional shape. Mini, midi and large skips are the following sizes:

• Mini skip: 2 yards

• Midi skip: 3-4 yards

• Large skip: 8 yards

The benefit of smaller skip hire is that anything up to 6 yards will fit on most driveways. If you have a larger amount of space, you are less constricted in what you can order. Mini skips are so small that you don’t have to worry about whether you will have space for them, whereas a large skip may require some forward planning. The bigger the skip, the more expensive the cost.

In terms of dimensions, these three skips are normally the below:

• Mini skip: 4 x 3 x 3 feet

• Midi skip: 6 x 4 x 3 feet

• Large skip: 12 x 6 x 4 feet

It helps to pay attention to how long and wide a skip is before you agree to have it delivered onto your drive. Likewise, you should be aware of your drive surface and how heavy objects might damage it.

Will a Skip Damage My Drive?

Softer surfaces, such as tarmac and block paving, can be easily damaged by heavy objects. You might find that a skip can mark the surface, but a trusted skip hire company can be considerate and place boards underneath to spread the load more evenly. Bigger and heavier skips can require some stabilisation, but this may also scratch your drive.

If in doubt, even if it’s a mini skip, you can avoid any damage by placing down wooden planks, such as the ones used in scaffolding. By being prepared, you can prevent having to apply for a skip hire permit, which can save you money and a potential rejection from the council.

Best Uses for Mini Skip Hire

A 2 yard skip is ideal for some of the smaller home clearouts. Mini skip hire is available for kitchen and bathroom refurbishments, loft clearance and garden waste disposal. In most instances, as a mini skip takes up so little room on the drive, you should still be able to park your car on the drive as well.

A mini skip can hold around 25 black bin bags. If you think you’ll have more waste, you may want to consider a larger skip. Mini skips are perfect for clearing out one room, but anything more than this will not fit.

You can see rough capacities in the interactive graph below.

Best Midi Skip Uses

With the potential to fit around 45 black bin bags’ worth of waste, midi skips can do about double the work of a mini skip. Bigger gardens or a couple of room renovations at the same time can be catered for with this sized skip.

If you know you have more waste than will fit in a mini skip, you might be tempted to simply run everything to the household waste recycling centre yourself. As an advisory, this can end up being more costly for you. In terms of fuelling and refuelling, there could be additional charges for certain types of waste at the landfill site. Skip hire removes this hassle as it processes and recycles the waste for you.

When a Large Skip is Useful

A large builders’ skip holds 8 yards. They are the most popular size of skip because they are so versatile. With the potential to hold over three times as much as a mini skip, you can fit around 80 black bins bags inside them. This makes large skips useful for household clearances.

In terms of dimensions, an 8 yard skip is the largest permitted on a public highway. A skip hire permit will be needed if you wish to do this, but this can be easily applied for through the council.

Weight limits apply to large builders’ skips, as you can only put so much inside them. Concrete, soil and rubble can be put in smaller skips, but this is the largest you can use for these types of waste. Anything heavier can become a problem, causing a potential hazard.

Top Tips for Skip Hire

Here are some useful skip hire tips.

Be Mindful of Restricted Waste

Some items can never be put inside skips, such as liquids, animal waste and tyres. It’s important that you check restricted items before you put them in your skip as you will either be charged for them or the waste will be returned. Some waste can be collected if paid for in advance, such as televisions, but this needs to be expressly discussed with the company at the time of ordering.

Maximum Fill Line

All skips feature a maximum fill line, from mini skips to large skips and beyond. Waste should be packed considerately and in a way that won’t overspill or obstruct the surrounding area. If skips are filled above the maximum fill line, they may be rejected. It poses a hazard as items may fall off or it might not fit onto the skip hire lorry.

No Fires

Skips should never have fires started in them. While you may be tempted to reduce some of the waste you’ve put in it to make room, this should never be done. Not only are skip fires against fire regulations, but you could damage it as well, incurring extra costs. The skip hire company could charge you for repairs or replacement.