6 reasons why you should hire a builders skip during a construction project

Many homeowners in Croydon and across London decide that they like where they live and would prefer to invest and expand their existing home over upping sticks and moving house, which can be expensive and a stressful experience. If you’re planning a home renovation or building project, you will need a suitable waste management solution in Croydon to get rid of your construction waste.

If construction waste isn’t disposed of properly it can lead to pollution that is bad for the environment, so it is important that you choose the right skip hire company who have the proper licenses and will fulfil their waste management duties professionally and responsibly.

Whether your project is as small as digging up soil and rubble for a garden landscaping project or as large as a full double-story extension, you will need to find a way of disposing of your construction waste that is safe, cost-effective and legal. A builder’s skip usually presents the best solution for most homeowners embarking on a project.

If you’re unsure, we’ve come up with six reasons why you should always hire a skip during a construction or home renovation project:

1. Speed

Construction projects by their very nature can be incredibly messy and nobody wants a pile of rubble and rubbish on their front-drive or filling up the back garden. Not only is it an eye saw but it can also hinder your ability to get on with the building or renovation work by being in the way.

If you’re like most people, you’ll want all of your household waste cleared away as fast as possible so that your property is clear and clean to be able to get on with all of the essential tasks in order to complete the project on time and to budget.

2. Site tidiness and safety

Builder’s skips don’t tear and spill their load when you put sharp objects in them the way that bin or builder’s bags do, therefore, keeping everything organised and the site safe. The skip you choose will act as a central tidy place for all your waste to be disposed of until it is full and ready to be efficiently collected in one go by the skip hire company you have chosen.

Having everything in one place is always going to look better than spreading it around your property which can present a health and safety hazard and be especially dangerous for any children living at the property.

3. All-round efficiency

Whether you are disposing of high volumes of home renovation waste or just several large rubble bags, disposing of it requires a great deal of time and effort, especially if you need to transport it yourself. While the costs of construction waste skips do vary depending on the size, hiring one is an efficient choice because it saves you time, money and effort.

One of the other reasons that builder’s skips are efficient is because they come in a wide variety of sizes. From a 3 cubic-yard skip up to 12 cubic-yard and beyond, each suited to the particular job in hand and by choosing the correct size you can ensure that you don’t need to pay for more space than you need.

Each size can also handle a large variety of different items from household waste to soil and rubble, however, it is important to understand what you should and shouldn’t put in a skip as some items are classed as hazardous.

4. For your annual clean-up

With the increasing availability of ever-cheaper items and clothes, it is easy to build up a lot of unused rubbish and redundant items in your home. The house can become cluttered, and you may even run out of space completely.

It is always a good idea to have a periodic spring clean or nowadays it’s more likely termed decluttering. Sometimes, what starts as decluttering can escalate into larger decorating or home-makeover projects, generating more waste than you can reasonably fit in your council rubbish bin.

A mini skip (3 cubic-yard skip) can be the perfect solution in these circumstances, or maybe even a larger one – think about the size of skip that would work for your project before you begin.

5. For putting the garden right

If you are planning on landscaping your garden or just pruning and clearing it because it has become overgrown, it can be a lot of work. It is very easy to generate far more garden waste than will fit in your council’s green waste bin or even your car, to take to the tip. You may need to demolish an old shed too which in itself is a large amount of waste that you need to dispose of.

Hiring a construction skip could be just the thing you need for your garden makeover project. You can safely and efficiently dispose of everything and improve your garden and overall property value.

6. For an expert service

When you researching skip hire companies you must do your due diligence and seek out a company that is professional and experienced. Our skip hire experts have years of waste management and disposal knowledge. We’ll advise you on all the legal and regulatory aspects of skip hire, from what can and can’t be put in a skip to sorting out licences and on-road permits.

Our commitment to proper skip waste management and recycling wherever possible means that your waste will be sorted at our depot, minimising the amount that goes to landfills which is good news for the environment.

Our understanding of construction sites allows us to advise you on the correct skip size to hire and our fair pricing policy means that we won’t charge more than we have to, therefore, saving you any unnecessary expense.

For all of your construction skip hire needs in London, please get in contact with us today.

What can I put in a builder’s skip?

You can put most building and domestic waste in a skip. That means bags of builders’ waste including wood, metal, rubble, plastic, polystyrene, bricks, cardboard and non-electrical fittings. You can also put soil and garden waste in your skip, as well as furniture and plastic.

However, there are also items that you can’t put in a skip including chemicals, phones, computers and a range of other hazardous materials.

Can builder’s waste go in hippo skip?

Hipposkips or Hippo bags are an alternative to using a skip. You can put builders’ waste in them, but they aren’t suitable for large loads and significant home projects with the biggest at around 4.5 cubic-yards, taking approximately 1.5 tonnes.

Differences Across London Borough Councils

When hiring a builder’s skip for your construction project it is important to understand the differences across London borough councils. Whilst each local council does not stipulate what you can or can’t put into a skip, it is important to remember that you can never put hazardous or dangerous items in that can also impact the road itself.

Each skip hire company will detail what they will accept, which is based on the licence that is held for the disposal facility where the waste is taken.

However, if you need a permit for your skip to place it on a public highway, then each local London council has their own specific fees. Depending on the council, a permit typically lasts from 2-4 weeks.

If you do require a permit for your skip then all councils require the skip to be lit at night and some councils require the skip to be covered with a sheet.

Here we look at a couple of examples:

Croydon Borough Council

To obtain a permit in Croydon, there is a minimum notice period of 5 working days and it will cost you £66. There are restrictions on the placement of skips on a number of roads so it is important to first check the council website here.

Kingston Borough Council 

To obtain a permit in Kingston Upon Thames, there is a minimum notice period of 5 working days and it will cost you £113.

Brent Borough Council

To obtain a permit in Lambeth, you must apply at least 3 working days in advance and it will cost you £58 per fortnight.

If the skip needs to be located in a controlled parking zone (CPZ), then parking must be notified to suspend the bays. To do this an application must be made 21 days prior.