Skip Hire Secrets Avoiding Costly Mistakes on Your Next Project

Written by Nick Towens

Key findings

• Choosing the wrong skip size can cost you hundreds of pounds in additional charges
• Forgetting to obtain a skip permit for public road placement can result in hefty fines from your local council and delays to your project
• Disposing of prohibited materials like electrical items, plasterboard or hazardous waste can lead to extra charges and environmental penalties
• Poor planning around collection dates and roadside access can cause significant disruption to your home renovations or clearance project
• Understanding weight limits and waste types before booking prevents unexpected costs and ensures proper waste disposal

You’ve finally decided to tackle that long-overdue loft clearance, and you’re feeling quite pleased about booking your first skip hire. A week later, you’re staring at a skip that’s either overflowing or sitting there half-empty. Meanwhile, you’ve just received a parking fine because you forgot about needing skip hire permits for the public road.

After 25+ years in the waste disposal business, we’ve seen every skip hire mistake going. The most common ones? Getting the wrong size of skip, forgetting about permits, and not knowing which waste materials are banned. These costly slip-ups are entirely avoidable once you know what to watch out for.

What are the most common mistakes people make when booking skip hire?

Skip hire might seem straightforward, but several pitfalls can turn your waste disposal project into an expensive headache.

Selecting the wrong skip size

This is the biggest mistake we see with our skip hire service. A 2 yard skip only holds 10-15 bin bags, which is fine for small garden waste clearance but inadequate for full-scale bathroom renovations for example. Conversely, ordering a 12-yard skip for simple domestic clearances means paying for space you’ll never use.

Weight limits catch people out too. Heavy waste materials like soil hit weight limits even when skips look half-empty. Light waste like cardboard takes up loads of space but weighs very little, while construction materials max out quickly.

How Towens prevents this

Our friendly team discusses your type of project during booking, whether it’s domestic clearances, home renovations or DIY projects. We’ll guide you through our range of skip sizes and explain weight limits, ensuring you get the right type of skip for your amount of waste.

Skip permit oversights

Put your skip on a public road without a skip permit, and you’ll face fines that make skip hire costs seem insignificant. Skip hire permits cost £70-£100 from your local council and take 3-5 working days to obtain. You can’t place skips near double yellow lines or on public footpaths without permissions.

Traffic wardens are surprisingly good at spotting unpermitted skips, creating problems for road users and unnecessary additional charges for you.

How Towens prevents this

We’ll arrange skip hire permits on your behalf, removing the hassle of council paperwork. During booking, we’ll check whether you’re placing the skip on private property, private land, or if it needs roadside drop-off permissions, preventing any unwelcome surprises later down the line.

Prohibited materials confusion

This creates serious additional cost issues. Put electrical items, plasterboard, hazardous waste or gas cylinders in your skip, and you’ll likely face extra charges for specialist disposal. The most common items causing problems include fridges, batteries, paint tins, mattresses, and even asbestos.

Green waste and garden waste are generally acceptable, but many everyday bulky items require special handling that most people don’t expect.

How Towens prevents this

We provide comprehensive lists of acceptable waste materials and explain what constitutes hazardous waste. Our team highlights the most common prohibited items that catch people out during construction projects. If you’re unsure about specific bulky items, just call us.

Access and timing problems

Skip lorries are large vehicles requiring ample space to manoeuvre safely. Narrow driveways or cars blocking access can turn skip hire delivery into a nightmare. Some customers book next day delivery without checking adequate access to their private property.

Collection dates cause issues too. Our standard hire is two weeks, perfect for most home renovations but not extended construction projects.

How Towens prevents this

We discuss access requirements during booking and can arrange site visits for difficult deliveries. Our drivers know the local area well and can suggest optimal placement. We’ll remind you about your collection date to avoid any delays.

Skip hire from Towens

Ready to avoid these mistakes? Our online booking system makes skip hire straightforward. Enter your UK postcode for local pricing, select the right skip size, and confirm if you need permits. You’ll be in the right place for professional waste disposal.

We serve Somerset and the South West from depots in Weston-super-Mare, Middlezoy and Clutton. Our range of sizes includes 2-yard skips for small jobs up to 12-yard skips for major projects. We offer larger skip sizes for commercial customers and large builders.

Our waste management services recycle 92% of all waste, well above industry standards. With over 40 vehicles, we usually arrange next day delivery, providing fast skips when you need them. That’s what best customer service looks like from a professional skip hire company.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a skip permit? Only if placing your skip on public roads or public footpaths. Private land with ample space requires no permit.

What’s the pricing difference for waste types? Inert materials cost less than mixed waste, which requires more processing. We’ll give you a better idea of costs when you call.

Can you deliver same-day? While we typically offer next day delivery, same-day is sometimes possible. Call our friendly team on 01934 424242 to check availability.

Who are Towens?

We’re a family-owned waste management business serving Somerset and the South West for over 25 years. Based in Weston-super-Mare, we handle over a million tonnes of waste annually. Our 92% recycling rate means only 8% of skip waste reaches landfill.

Whether you’re managing DIY projects or commercial customers handling large construction projects, you receive professional service and environmental standards.

Beyond skip hire, we offer comprehensive waste management services, tipper hire, and aggregates and soils, helping reduce environmental impact while keeping costs reasonable.

Ready to book hassle-free? Call 01934 424242, email skips@towens.co.uk, or check the top of this page for our online booking system. We’ll ensure you get exactly the right skip with permits sorted and no surprises.