Skip size calculator: what size skip do I need?
The calculator needs JavaScript. The worked example, formula and figures below show exactly how it works, so you can do the sum yourself. A guide, not advice. Check your supplier's or maker's figures before ordering.
Short answer
Worked example
| You enter | Value |
|---|---|
| Waste | Rubble: what it is Rubble or hardcore, volume 2 m³; Timber: what it is Timber, volume 1.5 m³ |
6 yd³ skip (4.59 m³) for 3.50 m³ of waste
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Smallest skip that fits by volume | 6 yd³ (4.59 m³) |
| Total loose volume | 3.5 m³ |
| Skip capacity | 4.587 m³ |
| Skips of that size | 1 |
| By weight | Ask the skip firm for its weight limit |
| Skip | Capacity | Fits by volume |
|---|---|---|
| 6 yd³ | 4.587 m³ | Yes |
| 8 yd³ | 6.116 m³ | Yes |
Show the working
- Rubble: 2 m³
- Timber: 1.5 m³
- Total loose volume: 3.5 m³
- Smallest skip that fits: 6 yd³ × 0.765 = 4.59 m³
How it works
- Loose volume = Σ volume × bulking factor (1 if measured loose)
- Weight (t) = Σ volume × density, where you enter a density
- Skip capacity (m³) = size (yd³) × 0.764555; the smallest skip whose capacity covers the loose volume
- If nothing fits: skips of the largest size = loose volume ÷ capacity, rounded up
Keep plasterboard separate from general waste: ask your skip firm how they take it.
Skip firms limit weight as well as volume, especially for soil and rubble.
Our default (adjustable)
These are typical planning figures and our own allowances, not facts about your product. Change any of them in the calculator to match your bag, pack or tin.
This calculator has no built-in defaults: every figure comes from you or your product's data.
Regulations and standards
These are UK figures.
| Table | Clause | Nations | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skip sizes (nominal capacity) brief v2 §7.1 G6 and G7 (Researcher to cite a skip firm or trade body) | Brief v2 G6/G7: skip sizes are product sizes in cubic yards (yd³ × 0.764555 = m³). Researcher to add the other common sizes and cite a skip firm or trade body. | UK-wide | 2/2 values entered Not yet checked against the source |