Everything You Need to Know About Booking a Skip

Written by Nick Towens

Do you have too much clutter lying around? Or maybe you’re planning on renovating your garden, and better utilising your living space or business in the process.

Either way, the chances are that having a skip on your doorstep would no doubt save you precious time and effort.

Instead of constantly relaying your unwanted household or business waste back and forth to your local recycling centre, hiring a skip can be a brilliant alternative for your peace of mind.

There is a lot to consider, and many will be put off by the element of uncertainty that comes with hiring a skip… Do you need to apply to park it? How much does it cost? Do you have to get one the size of a football pitch for a few bits of metal? These are all valid and common concerns, which hopefully this blog will answer.

What materials are permitted in a skip?

Before going ahead and hiring a skip, it’s worth checking that the material you’re looking to dispose of is eligible.

At Towens in Somerset, our permitted skip materials include wood, stone, paper, plastic, general waste, sand, soil, cardboard, and metals.

In contrast, the following items are not permitted; any electrics, asbestos, batteries, gas cylinders, paint tins, fluorescent tubes, plasterboard, fridges/freezers, tyres, pressured containers, food waste, or liquid.

To make things easier, we offer specialist skips for mixed waste, soil and stone, or wood.

How do I know what size/type of skip I will need?

The size of skips we offer are 2 yards, 4 yards, 6 yards, 8 yards, and 12 yards.

We appreciate it may be tough to visualise these numbers, in which case you can see images on our site here, and discover the full dimensions.

Alternatively, our helpful team of trained operatives will be more than happy to talk to you about your specific requirements, before determining the type of skip you need.

How heavy are the skips?

When loaded, the skips and vehicle combined can weigh a maximum of eight tonnes. This is accurate for the 12-foot skips – the smaller ones will likely be lighter.

Can I park a skip on a main road?

Yes! However, if you wish to place a skip on a public highway, it will need a permit.

Though if you hire from Towens, we can sort this process for you, and usually it only takes 3-5 working days to sort.

The permit costs £80 – £120 depending on your area. Private driveways are not affected by this.

How long does it take for a skip to be delivered? 

Usually, our skips are delivered to customers within 24 hours. We often aspire to deliver on the same day, but it normally takes up to 24 hours – the earlier you call, the better.

We operate across Somerset and North Somerset (though if you plan to place the skip on a public highway, please allow 3-5 days for a permit).

The skip will arrive on one of our exceptional hook lift lorries.

How long can you hire a skip for?

The cost of our skip hire covers two weeks. After you’re done with it, give us a call and we’ll come and collect it.

What will happen to my waste in the skip?

Once your skip has been collected, the waste inside will be taken to our Transfer Station. There, it is tipped out, ready for processing.

If it’s soil or plasterboard it will be recycled with the relevant manufacturers, but all other general waste is sorted by machine, and then munched, trampled, handpicked, blown, and then picked up by a magnet to separate the various waste streams.

The non-recyclable material is loaded into an articulated lorry and taken to a local landfill site, and the recyclable materials are segregated, stockpiled, and transported to a suitable recycling centre!

Disposing of the materials in an eco-friendly manner is a priority of ours.

How do you book a skip hire?

You can hire a skip in three simple steps via our booking system. Simply enter your UK postcode here, select your required skip size, and declare whether your skip would be on-road or off-road, and you’ll receive an instant quote and the option to go ahead and book it.

Alternatively, you can book over the phone on 01934 424242.

If you don’t wish to pay online, customers will be asked to provide payment details or pay cash to their driver. Unfortunately, we do not accept cheques unless cleared before delivery.

How much does skip hire in Somerset cost?

At Towens, we offer affordable rates, easy online booking, and efficient delivery and collection, making the process a stress-free one. In truth, the final price varies on skip size, materials being disposed of, your location, and whether or not you’ll need a permit. For an accurate quote, you can fill in our price calculator here.

Whilst there are several variables to take into account, here are a few rough prices, based on a two-week period. Please note that these figures are inclusive of VAT, but do not include a potential skip hire permit if you’re looking to keep it on the road (an additional £75 to £100).

Type of Skip	Weston Super Mare	Bridgwater	Chew Valley
2 Yard – Inert Soil / Stone	£130	/	£150
2 Yard – Mixed Materials	£180	/	£210
4 Yard – Inert Soil / Stone	£216	£216	£216
4 Yard – Mixed Materials	£246	£246	£252
6 Yard – Inert Soil / Stone	£288	£288	£288
6 Yard – Mixed Materials	£306	£306	£318
8 Yard – Mixed Materials	£345	£345	£354
12 Yard – Wood	£364	£364	£392.50
12 Yard – Mixed Materials	£420	£420	£450

If you live anywhere else in Somerset or Bristol, including areas such as Yeovil, Portishead, Clevedon, Glastonbury, or Taunton, the prices will likely be similar to those above, but for an exact figure please get in touch.

Who are we?

At Towens, we are a family-run business and have been serving our local Somerset community for over 30 years.

Sustainability and offering our community support are two of our core values, as we recycle 92% of our waste received and regularly donate to local sports clubs and charities.

As well as renting skips, we also offer waste management services, providing tipper and Grab vehicles, we also have an onsite weighbridge for customers to bring their waste to us. These are just a few examples of our services, with the full range available to view here.

Interested in learning more about our services? We’d love to hear from you on via our contact page.