Waste dimensions
Bulking allowance (broken material takes up more space than the solid volume you measured)
| Volume | Amount |
|---|
UK skip size reference
| Skip size | Typical use |
|---|---|
| 2 yard (mini) | Small garden or bathroom clearance |
| 4 yard (midi) | Single room strip-out, small garden waste |
| 6 yard (builder's) | Kitchen or bathroom refit, medium garden clearance |
| 8 yard (large builder's) | House clearance, larger renovation |
| 12 yard (maxi/RoRo) | Large renovation or commercial clearance |
How this calculator works
Length × width × height gives the raw volume of the space your waste currently fills, or the footprint and depth you expect it to reach once piled up. Broken or loose waste rarely packs as tightly as a neat solid volume would suggest, rubble, soil clods and broken timber all leave air gaps between pieces, so a bulking allowance is added on top; 15% is a reasonable middle-ground default, but loose, irregular material like broken brick or root balls can bulk by 30% or more. The total is then converted to cubic yards, the unit skips are sized in, using the exact conversion 1 m3 = 1.30795 cubic yards, and matched to the smallest standard skip size that's equal to or bigger than that figure.
Choosing a size with headroom
Skips legally cannot be filled above their sides for road transport, so if your estimate lands close to a size boundary, sizing up rather than down avoids a second skip or a load that has to be levelled off and left behind. It's also worth checking your council or skip hire company's weight limit for the size you choose, separate from the volume limit covered here.
What this calculator does not check
This tool estimates volume only. It doesn't check weight limits (heavy waste like soil, rubble, or tiles can hit a skip's maximum weight long before it's visually full, and most hire companies charge extra or refuse an overweight skip), whether your waste type needs a separate licensed disposal route (plasterboard, asbestos and certain chemicals typically can't go in a mixed general waste skip), or whether you need a council permit to place a skip on a public road rather than on your own driveway or land.