How Long Can You Hire a Skip For?
The length of time skips can rest on public highways and other public property depends on the skip permit granted by the local council and the time for which the skip has been hired.
Each local council has its own rules for how long a skip can rest on a public highway, so it’s important to know your time limit and stick to it.
Typically, skip hire companies prefer to keep their skips in rotation about once per week. But if an extended period is necessary, most skip companies will work to accommodate you.
What is the law?
The time limit for skip permits varies from council to council. You’ll need to check with your council to be sure. And no matter where you’re located, it’s vital to understand that where you keep a skip is sometimes as important as how long it stays there. Ask your local council what’s allowed in your area.
Permits from your local council
Any skip placed on public property – like highways, residential streets, or footpaths – will need a skip permit.
The terms of the licence vary from place to place. In the UK, some councils grant skip permits on a rolling basis, while in other places, the hire period is fixed and fairly inflexible. If you need help understanding how skip permits work in your locality, talk to our team or get a quote tailored to your postal code.
Resting a skip on private land
If your skip is resting on your private property, you don’t have to worry about obtaining a skip permit. But that doesn’t mean you can dump your skip just anywhere. Proper skip hire placement is essential so you don’t block access to your building site – for your crew, the skip lorry, or your private vehicle!
Placing a skip on a shared driveway
If you share a driveway with a neighbour and you’d like to park your skip there, you won’t need a permit from the council. But you will need permission from your neighbour. Making prior arrangements with your driveway’s co-owner is the neighbourly thing to do. And who knows? They might offer to share the cost of hiring a skip if they’re allowed to add their own waste.
How long do you have to wait for skip collection?
Skip providers usually collect skips promptly. It makes good business sense to pick up skips on time. The sooner a skip is collected and emptied, the sooner it can be delivered to the next job.
Plus, collecting skips on time is good customer service, and a reputable skip provider will pay close attention to the skip hire period you’ve ordered. Allowing skips to go uncollected for an extended period is usually a sign of poor company management.
If you’ve arranged a collection date with your skip company, they should collect the skip on that day. That way, you’ll avoid fines from the council (though most councils give the skip company a day or two of grace period for the skip lorry to arrive).
Before you hire a skip, talk to your skip provider to double-check that they’re committed to prompt skip collection. Unless you’ve arranged to keep a skip for a prolonged period, your skip provider should collect it within a few weeks.
What can delay skip collection?
Don’t risk the additional cost of an uncollected skip!
The wrong skip size
Skip sizes can be hard to judge, but if you get the wrong size, you risk overfilling it. Skip lorries can’t lift skips that are too full. It’s dangerous during transport, and even more so when they reach the recycling centre. So, to avoid delays in collecting your skip hire, choose the right size skip from the start. You can find a guide to selecting the most suitable skip size here.
Blocked access
Your skip arrived weeks ago, and now, as you near the end of your hire period, you realise that a skip lorry will be unable to access it. This is a frustrating situation for you, your skip hire service, and your construction crew, who’ll be forced to shift materials and equipment to make way for the lorry.
Place your skip in a position that allows clear access and keep the path free of debris and materials while the skip is on site. At the end of your skip hire period, check the coast is clear for a smooth removal.
If you plan on keeping a skip for a prolonged period, it’s recommended that you hire an enclosed skip. Enclosed skips discourage fly-tipping and keep unpleasant odours and dust from wafting over your neighbours’ gardens.
Establish a time limit that works for you
Whether you need skip hire for a quick weekend job or an extended period, The Waste Group is happy to let you keep a skip as long as you need it.
Don’t be afraid to ask our team, “How long can I keep a skip?” We’re here to help, and we offer expert guidance on the waste regulations and skip hire permits in your area.
