Rubble Removal Across the UK

It often is for small and medium amounts, and it is usually quicker. With a skip you pay for the hire, possibly a council permit if it sits on the road, and you still have to load it yourself. Skips for heavy waste are also limited in size, so a large pile can need more than one. With a collection the price includes loading, and there is nothing left on the drive.

As a rough guide, loose broken brick and concrete weighs about 1.3 to 1.6 tonnes per cubic metre, and wet soil or clay can be heavier still. A standard one-tonne bulk bag filled level with rubble is usually close to its weight limit, which is why bags should not be overfilled.

Skip lorries have a maximum lifting weight, so most hire companies only allow heavy waste such as rubble and soil in skips up to around six or eight cubic yards. A large skip filled with rubble would be too heavy to lift. Overloaded skips can be refused or charged extra.

Often, yes, in small amounts. Household waste recycling centres accept DIY rubble from householders, but there are usually limits on how much you can bring and how often, and some areas charge above a free allowance. Waste from a paid builder counts as trade waste and is not accepted at household sites.

Clean inert waste such as brick, concrete, stone and hardcore is taken to a licensed recycling site where it is crushed and screened into recycled aggregate for sub-bases and backfill. Soil can be screened and reused. Mixed waste is sorted at a transfer station, with as much as possible recovered and the remainder disposed of.

No permit is needed for a collection where the vehicle is loaded and leaves the same day. A skip or a roll-on container placed on a public road does need a permit from the local council, which the skip company normally arranges and adds to the price.

Plasterboard can be collected but must be kept separate, as it produces harmful gas if it is buried with other waste. Asbestos is hazardous waste and needs a specialist with the right permits. If you think material such as old cement sheets, floor tiles or pipe lagging could contain asbestos, tell us and do not break it up.

If the waste was produced by a builder or landscaper doing paid work, it is their trade waste and removing it is usually part of their job, unless your contract says otherwise. Check before work starts who is responsible for waste, and make sure whoever takes it is a registered waste carrier.