Commercial skip hire: how to choose the best skip hire firm for the job

Not all commercial skip hire firms are created equal. For clients who have high-volume or complex waste management needs, you’ll want to make sure the commercial skip hire firm you choose can provide the level of service you need – and at the best possible price.

SunSkips approaches our commercial skip hire clients on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the amount of waste that needs managing, how frequently they’ll need skips delivered and collected, and how much waste will need to be sorted for recycling. By doing this, we’re able to offer unbeatable prices and a great service tailored specifically to our clients’ needs.

Let’s take a look at what you need to know before hiring a commercial skip hire firm so you can make the right choice for your business…

What’s the difference between commercial skips and domestic skips?

Domestic skips are used for your average home clear-out and range from two yards (mini skips) to eight yards (or what is commonly known as a builders’ skip). You probably don’t need a skip much bigger than this for domestic use, but for lighter, bulky loads, you could go up to 10, 12, or even 14 yards.

Commercial skips are much bigger. SunSkips offers 20- and 40-yard skips (industrial skips), which can be rolled on or off a truck, making disposing of large quantities of waste a far less daunting challenge.

Typical commercial skip hire include:

• Construction jobs.
• Demolitions.
• Office and retail premises renovations.
• Businesses that regularly produce high-volumes of waste.
• Moving offices, warehouses, or other business premises.
• Large events like festivals and conventions.
• Recycling of paperwork after digitising documents.

It’s important to know that due to its density, rubble and soil can only be loaded into mini and midi skips of up to eight-yards, unless you hire a 20-yard industrial skip.

Does commercial skip hire come with recycling?

SunSkips is committed to being a green waste management service, so we will recycle as much of our clients’ waste as possible. We even look at what can be sent to use as alternative fuels.

This is all done at our sites, and it’s a time-consuming process. With this in mind, there are ways our commercial skip hire clients can make the process simpler for us, and save themselves money while they’re at it.

If you’re able to fill your skips with a single waste stream (you commit to only filling your skip with cardboard, for example) then it’ll save a lot of contamination and money when we sort it. In fact, two skips each with a single waste stream (one metal, and one garden waste, let’s say) would work out cheaper than hiring one large skip and mixing the two waste types together.

In kind, the disposal or landfill fees will be lower and we’ll be able to pass these savings onto our clients in the form of discounts on their skip hire. SunSkips keeps a close eye on the market prices for processing recyclables and, again, these savings are reflected in our quotes and are clearly itemised, including the weighbridge receipt.

Get in touch about becoming a SunSkips trade account customer so we can offer you the best rates and turnaround times on your commercial skip delivery and collection.

I need to dispose of confidential material. Are secure skips available?

If you’re concerned about theft of confidential material (classified documents that are too numerous to shred, for example), our 14-yard skips are available with lockable doors so you can be sure you’re the only one with access. This is also a good idea to prevent fires when flammable waste is stored for long periods of time.

Upon collection, you can be sure that SunSkips will recycle any confidential waste with the utmost discretion.

If I hire a skip for commercial purposes, can I put anything I want in it?

As standard, SunSkips only manages general garden and building waste – even with our commercial skip hire services. However, we understand that some projects involve specialised items that need to be disposed of and we may be able to help.

Do not not fill your skip with, or mix in with your general waste, any of the following items: fridges/freezers, tyres, paint cans, TVs/ monitors, asbestos, clinical/medical waste, fluorescent tubes, solvents, liquids, oil, batteries, plastic board, hazardous/toxic material, or gas cylinders.

If you do have any of these items that you need to get rid of, get in touch with us on 01449 360 037 so we can handle it for you by special arrangement.

Failure to properly notify a SunSkips representative about any of these prohibited items before putting them in your skip will incur additional charges, and they won’t be cheaper than what we’d charge to handle it properly with a pre-arranged disposal. Furthermore, it’s against the law.

Do I need a permit for commercial skip hire?

It entirely depends on where you plan on putting your skip. If you’re able to accommodate your skip on the site where you’ll be filling it, and it’s a private premises, then a permit won’t be necessary.

However, whenever a skip needs to be placed on public land, on the road outside the site, for example, then you’ll need to involve the local authorities.

For a small admin fee, plus the fee the local government charges to process the permit, SunSkips can take the paperwork off your hands for you, so when your skip arrives, everything will be in order and you don’t have to worry about inspectors passing by.

SunSkips can manage large waste management projects in and around Stowmarket, Bury St. Edmunds, Needham Market, Ipswich, Claydon, Diss, Sudbury, Woodbridge, Felixstowe, Cambridge, Haverhill, and Newmarket.

We have long-standing relationships with the councils that serve all of these areas, so we’re able to handle the paperwork efficiently. Be advised: if you need to place a large skip on public land, the council may impose more restrictions on where it can be placed compared with a domestic skip. Again, SunSkips can advise you on this to avoid any unnecessary headaches.

What if we have more waste than expected?

If you suspect that the commercial skip you’ve hired isn’t going to accommodate the amount of waste you’re producing, and you’ve compacted it down as much as possible, give us a call so we can work out a solution together.

Under no circumstances should you attempt to pile waste up in your skip. It’s actually illegal to fill a skip up over the fill line indicated on the side of the container and our drivers won’t be able to collect it until a suitable amount of waste has been removed.

A far better solution would be for us to send a supplementary skip to handle the excess waste in order to keep the flow of waste from the project steady and above board. If you think this might happen, it’s best to talk with one of our experts ahead of time so we can advise on the best size skip for your project, saving you money and hassle.

What’s the largest skip size for commercial use?

The biggest skip we offer commercial clients at SunSkips is the 40-yard industrial skip (pictured).

This industrial container rolls on and off a truck and measures 6.3m x 2.4m x 2.75m. It’s capable of holding approximately 400 black bags worth of waste, or 52 standard trailers’ worth.

These lorries are large, so it’s important to ensure there is sufficient access to your premises before booking your skip. We will not be able to place a skip anywhere that blocks public walkways or access to neighbouring premises.

Similarly, trucks carrying 40-yard skips are very heavy, especially when they are full to the brim. It’s important to ensure the ground that the skip will be driven across and placed on is sturdy enough to support it (concrete ground and not mud, for example).

Can I hire a domestic skip for commercial use?

As a skip hire firm that prides itself on efficiency, both in terms of cost and energy, we wouldn’t like to hire out a skip for commercial use that’s bigger than it needs to be.

If all you need for your commercial waste management is an eight-yard builders’ skip, then that’s what we would recommend. This may be the only option if you need to remove a lot of rubble or soil, which cannot be placed in larger commercial skips. However, we can arrange for scheduled deliveries and collections of domestic size skips to ensure a steady flow of waste to meet demand.

If you’re not sure what skip size you need, you can consult our skip size guide, or give us a call on 01449 360 036 and we’ll give you some advice.

In need of commercial skip hire but still don’t quite know where to start? Give us a call at the SunSkips office on 01449 360 036 anytime from Monday to Friday (7am until 6pm) and we can address any concerns you have about a service that’ll best suit your business.