Lockable and Enclosed Skips: When They Are Worth Paying For

An open skip is fine for a weekend clear out. Leave one on a street or an unattended site for a couple of weeks and things change. Neighbours add their old mattress. Passers by throw in fast food bags. Rain turns the plasterboard into sludge. A lockable or enclosed skip fixes all of that.

What is the difference?

1. Lockable skip. A standard skip with a hinged steel lid that can be padlocked shut. You lift the lid, load it and lock it again.
2. Enclosed skip. A fully covered skip, often with a drop down door at one end. You can walk bags and bulky items straight in rather than lifting them over the side.

Both keep the waste covered and stop other people using your skip.

Why it matters: you pay for what is in your skip

Whatever ends up in your skip is your problem at collection. If someone dumps a fridge, a tyre or a tin of paint in it, that item may need separate handling. It can add a charge to your hire. Some items, like batteries, are also a fire risk. Fly tipping into skips is common on busy streets. Our look at UK fly tipping hotspots shows how widespread the problem is.

When a lockable or enclosed skip is worth it

For householders

1. The skip is on the road or an open driveway for more than a few days.
2. You live on a busy street, near shops or near a pub.
3. You are clearing a house over several weekends and the skip will sit between visits.
4. You are throwing away plasterboard, insulation or anything that gets heavier when wet. Our skip weight guide explains why that matters.

For businesses and contractors

1. Long refurbishments where the skip sits on site for weeks.
2. Shops, offices and schools where the skip is in a public car park or service yard.
3. Landlords clearing void properties that are empty between visits. See our guide to skip hire for landlords and letting agents.
4. Office clearances where old files or equipment could hold personal data. Paper records should still go for confidential shredding, but a locked skip stops anyone rummaging through what is left.
5. Windy or exposed sites where light waste blows out and ends up across the neighbourhood.

The trade offs

Lockable and enclosed skips are not right for every job:

1. They usually cost more than an open skip of the same size.
2. The lid must close. You cannot heap waste above the top, so allow for a little less usable space.
3. Size options can be narrower. They are most common in the smaller and mid sizes.
4. Very bulky items can be awkward to fit through a lid or door.

Cheaper alternatives

If a lockable skip is more than you need, a heavy tarpaulin tied down over an open skip keeps most rain out. It also makes the skip look less inviting to passers by. It will not stop someone determined to use your skip, but for a short hire it can be enough.

Ask what is available near you

Availability of lockable and enclosed skips varies by area. Tell us your postcode, how long you need the skip and what you are throwing away. We will tell you which options we can deliver.