Skip Sizes UK: Dimensions and Capacity Guide
Skip sizes
Skip sizes vary from a 2 yard to 12 yard skip that are available to hire with Business Waste, wherever your company is located across the UK. Find everything from a 2 yard skip that’s great for small scale commercial clearances, to a bigger 12 yard skip ideal for shop fittings and removing large construction materials.
See the full dimensions of all the skips available, to work out which one is best for your business. For more detailed information about how to select the right size skip, obtain permits, and answers to other important questions – read our skip hire UK guide.
One-off, daily, weekly, fortnightly, or ad hoc collection
Up to 110 bags of waste
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Cardboard Waste
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Confidential Waste
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Dry Mixed Recycling (DMR)
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Garden Waste
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General Waste
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Glass Waste
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Oil Waste
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Plastic Waste
Skip sizes
explained
2 yard skip dimensions
- Also known as a ‘mini skip’, these are the smallest skip sizes in the UK.
- 2 yard skip dimensions are: 1.52m x 1.22m x 0.91m (LxWxH) or 5ft x 4ft x 3ft.
- Capacity: 20 to 25 bags of waste.
- Suitable for small commercial jobs such as office clear-outs and toilet refits.
4 yard skip dimensions
- Sometimes referred to as a midi skip.
- The dimensions of a 4 yard skip are: 2.13m x 1.52m x 0.91m (LxWxH) or 7ft x 5ft x 3ft.
- Capacity: between 25 and 35 bags of waste.
- A good choice for jobs such as kitchen or bathroom rip-outs, or small site maintenance.
6 yard skip dimensions
- For small builders’ skips.
- 6 yard skip sizes are: 2.29m x 1.52m x 1.07m (LxWxH) or 10ft x 5ft x 4ft.
- Capacity: anywhere from 40 to 55 bags of waste.
- You can often find 6 yard skips on building sites and construction projects.
8 yard skip dimensions
- With large builders’ skips
- The 8 yard skip dimensions are: 3.66m x 1.83m x 1.37m (LxWxH) or 12ft x 6ft x 4.5ft.
- Capacity: can hold between 60 and 75 bags of waste.
- Medium-size projects such as shop refits and warehouse clear-outs often use 8 yard skips.
12 yard skip dimensions
- Maxi skips are the largest skip sizes we offer, before moving up to roll-on roll-offs.
- 12 yard skip dimensions are: 3.96m x 1.83m x 1.98m (LxWxH) or 13ft x 6ft x 6.ft.
- Capacity: 90 to 110 bags of waste.
- Useful for any job that requires removal of light, yet bulky waste.
- Note: a 12 yard skip cannot be filled with heavy materials such as soil, concrete or brick. This is because it would become too heavy for a skip lorry to remove it.
Roll-on roll-off skip dimensions
- We offer 15 yard, 20 yard, 25 yard, 30 yard, and 40 yard RORO skips.
- Each one is 20 foot long and 8 foot wide, but they are different heights.
- Capacity: 200 to 440 bags of waste.
- Learn more about roll-on roll-off skips on our dedicated guide.
Why use
a skip?
Skips are a great solution for a wide range of waste types, commonly used for construction waste, bulky items, and metals. They’re a great solution when you need to get rid of more, larger, or heavier rubbish than even the biggest wheelie bins can accommodate. It also means you normally need fewer, less frequent collections.
If outdoor space is limited or you’re only dealing with a small project, then you could consider an alternative such as skip bags or HIPPOBAGs.
Make sure you have space to store a skip outside, close to the area where any waste you want to throw in it is being removed. While skips can store a variety of waste types, they’re not suitable for some kinds of hazardous waste. There’s more information about using a skip in our hire guide.
Arrange skip
delivery
Found the skip size that suits your commercial waste needs? Get a free quote to see how much collection will cost. This will vary depending on the size and number of skips you need, what type of waste you’re filling it with and where your business is located within the UK.
Complete the form below, contact us online or call 0800 211 8390 for a free quote today. You can arrange delivery of one or more of the same or different skip sizes in the UK to suit your needs. One of our expert team members can answer any questions you may have Our friendly team can answer any questions you may have to ensure your skip delivery and collection runs smoothly.
Get a fast and free quote
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Find the right bin
for your business waste
- All waste types
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Cardboard Waste
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Clinical Waste
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Confidential Waste
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Dry Mixed Recycling (DMR)
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Food Waste
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Garden Waste
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General Waste
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Glass Waste
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Hazardous Waste
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Industrial Waste
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Liquid Waste
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Oil Waste
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Paper Waste
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Plastic Waste
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Sanitary Waste
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WEEE Waste
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1100 litre wheelie bins
The 1100 litre bin is the largest wheelie bin available to store up to 18 bags of waste.
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240 litre wheelie bins
The standard size wheelie bin you have at home that holds three to four bags of waste.
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360 litre wheelie bins
This is the largest two-wheel bin available to store five or six waste bags.
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660 litre wheelie bins
A four-wheel bin suitable for larger volumes of general waste and dry mixed recycling.
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Anatomical waste bags
Red clinical waste bags for organs, body parts, materials contaminated with bodily fluids.
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Balers
Static balers compress recyclable waste into solid bales to save space.
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Battery Bins
A battery bin helps improve recycling rates of used batteries and is a legal requirement for many businesses that sell or supply them.
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Cardboard Balers
If you produce large amounts of cardboard waste then consider a baler
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Clinical infectious waste bags
Orange clinical waste bags are for materials contaminated with infectious waste.
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Clinical waste bags
Clinical waste bags to store medical waste safely before collection and disposal.
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Clinical Waste Bins
Clinical waste bins are suitable containers to store all sorts of medical waste safely.
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Commercial Bin Sizes
Read our helpful guide to commercial bin sizes, dimensions, and measurements
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Commercial waste bags
Commercial waste bags are ideal for various waste types when you can’t use a bin.
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Compactors
Choose from mobile and static compactors for general waste or recyclable rubbish.
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Confidential Waste Bags and Bins
Confidential waste bags provide a secure and flexible way to store sensitive documents before disposal.
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Cytotoxic and cytostatic waste bags
Purple waste bags for waste contaminated with cytotoxic and cytostatic medicines.
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Dental (amalgam) waste bins
White clinical waste bins for dental waste including unwanted and excess amalgam.
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Front end loaders
Large static containers ideal for businesses generating high volumes of waste.
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Highly infectious clinical waste bags
Yellow clinical waste bags for waste contaminated with infectious bodily fluids.
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IBC containers
Store high volumes of liquid waste including chemicals, solvents, and hazardous waste.
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Industrial Waste Bins
Store industrial waste safely on your site before collection and disposal with secure bins and containers.
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Large Commercial Waste Bins
A large bin offers a cost-effective way to store and dispose of commercial waste.
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Metal Balers
Using a metal baler in your business condenses the volume of waste, saving space for efficient storage before it’s sent for recycling
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Non-infectious clinical waste bags
Yellow and black waste bags for non-infectious and non-hazardous waste.
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Office Bins
Different types of general waste and recycling bins for offices in various sizes.
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Paper Balers
Compact paper waste into bales to save space and make regular paper recycling collections easier.
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Plastic Balers
Compact plastic film, packaging, and other suitable plastics into bales for easier storage and recycling collections.
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Rear end loaders
A big commercial waste skip in sizes that can hold up to 160 bags of waste.
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Roll on roll offs
One of the largest containers for business waste that can store up to 440 bags of waste.
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Sanitary Waste Bins
Safely store feminine hygiene products and other sanitary waste with various bin sizes.
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Sharps bins
Use sharps bins with different coloured lids for needles, syringes, scalpels, and knives.
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Skip Hire
Hire a skip for small-scale commercial waste clearance, between 2-12 yard sizes available.
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Skip sizes
Sizes vary from 2 to 12-yard skips that can easily store various waste types and amounts.
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Small wheelie bins
Small two-wheel bins for businesses producing low volumes of waste or with limited space.
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Waste drums
Drums and barrels are ideal to safely store liquid, oil, and hazardous waste for collection.
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Wheelie Bins
Explore a range of two and four-wheel bins for many waste types.
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Wood Bins
A wood bin or skip helps your business segregate and store any type and amount of scrap wood safely.
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Skip size FAQs
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What skip sizes are available in the UK?
UK skip sizes usually range from small 2-yard and 3-yard skips through to larger 14-yard skips. For bigger commercial, construction, and industrial jobs, businesses may need a 20-yard, 30-yard, or 40-yard RoRo container instead of a standard skip.
Skips are measured in cubic yards, which shows the internal volume they can hold.
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What are standard UK skip dimensions?
Skip dimensions vary slightly by supplier, but most UK skip sizes follow a similar range.
A 6-yard builder’s skip is usually around 10 ft long, 5 ft wide, and 4 ft high, while an 8-yard skip is typically around 12 ft long, 6 ft wide, and 4 ft high.
Larger skips are longer and higher, making them more suitable for bulky commercial waste rather than very heavy materials.
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How many bin bags fit in each skip size?
Bag capacity will vary depending on how waste is packed, but as a rough guide:
- 2-yard skip: around 20 to 25 bin bags
- 4-yard skip: around 25 to 35 bin bags
- 6-yard skip: around 40 to 55 bin bags
- 8-yard skip: around 60 to 75 bin bags
- 12-yard skip: around 90 to 110 bin bags
Note: this should only be used as a guide, as loose bulky items can fill a skip faster than bagged waste.
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When should a business use a RoRo instead of a skip?
A business may need a RoRo container when a standard skip is too small, or collections would need to happen too often. RoRo containers are usually better for large construction projects, factory clearances, warehouse waste, bulky packaging, demolition waste, and high-volume light materials. They need more space and suitable vehicle access, so it’s important to consider the access and layout of your site before hiring one.
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Can I put heavy waste in a large skip?
Not always. Heavy waste such as soil, bricks, rubble, concrete, tiles, and hardcore can exceed safe weight limits in larger skips.
A 6-yard or 8-yard skip is often more suitable for heavy building waste, while larger skips are better for bulky but lighter materials. Skips should be filled level with the sides, as this can make transport unsafe.
Published 16th June 2022 by Mitch Thorne. Last modified 15th July 2026