Where Can You Put a Skip?

The simplest place for a skip is on your own property. A skip on your driveway or front garden does not need a council permit, and you can keep it for as long as your hire allows. If it has to go on the road, you will need a permit. Our guide to skip permit rules covers that.

Before you book, spend five minutes checking the spot. It saves a wasted journey and protects your drive.

Can the lorry get to it?

Skips are delivered by a skip loader lorry. It needs to reverse up close and lower the skip using hydraulic arms. Check these things before delivery day:

1. Width. A skip lorry is about 2.5 metres wide. Gateposts, parked cars and narrow lanes can all block it. Allow at least 3 metres of clear width.
2. Height. Look up. Telephone wires, power cables and overhanging branches can stop the arms lifting. Tell us about anything low when you book.
3. Length. The lorry needs space in front of the skip position to reverse in and set the skip down.
4. Parked cars. Ask neighbours to keep the road clear on delivery and collection days.

If access looks tight, send us a photo. We can tell you straight away if it will work.

Protecting your driveway

A full builders skip can weigh several tonnes, and it sits on four small contact points. On block paving, resin or soft tarmac that weight can leave marks or push blocks out of line.

The simple fix is to spread the load. Lay scaffold boards or thick timber planks where the skip will sit, so it rests on the boards and not the surface. Ask when you book whether the driver carries boards, or put your own down before delivery.

Avoid these spots:

1. Lawns and soft ground. In wet weather the lorry and skip can sink and leave ruts.
2. Drain covers and manholes. They are not built to take the weight and you may need access to them.
3. Steep slopes. A skip on a slope can shift as it fills, and loading it is awkward.
4. Right against the house. Leave room to walk round the skip and for the lorry arms to work.

Shared drives and neighbours

If the driveway is shared, get your neighbour’s agreement before the skip arrives. Make sure it does not block their access or parking. A quick word beforehand avoids a lot of bad feeling, especially on a job that lasts a few weeks.

How long can a skip stay on your drive?

On private land there is no council time limit. The only limit is your hire period. Our guide on how long you can keep a skip explains how hire periods and extensions work.

On a long job, think about security. An open skip on a front drive can attract other people’s rubbish, and you pay to dispose of it. A lockable skip or a tarpaulin cover helps.

No room at all?

If there is no space on your property and a road permit is not practical, a wait and load skip is worth a look. The lorry waits while you load, then takes the skip away. There is no skip left on the road and no permit needed.

Book with the details

When you book, tell us where the skip is going, what the surface is and anything that could get in the way. The more we know, the smoother delivery day will be.