Guide
Garden clearance or skip hire: which is better for garden waste?
By ClearUp · Updated
In short: A garden clearance service includes the labour to cut back, load and remove waste in one visit, with no skip on the drive and no permit. A skip is cheaper only if you are willing to do all the cutting and loading yourself and have somewhere to put it. For most overgrown gardens a clearance service is quicker and less work.
Side by side
| Garden clearance service | Skip hire | |
|---|---|---|
| Who does the cutting and loading | The clearance team | You |
| Where the waste sits | Straight onto the van | In the skip on your drive or the road for days |
| Permit | None needed | Council permit needed if the skip goes on a public road |
| Time | Usually one visit | Delivery, your labour over days, then collection |
| Overloading | Not your problem | Level loads only; heavy soil fills a skip fast |
| How cost is worked out | Volume, weight, access and labour | Skip size, hire period and permit |
When a skip makes sense
A skip suits a project where waste builds up over a week or more, such as a landscaping job, and you have the time and fitness to fill it yourself. It also suits mixed building and garden waste from the same project.
When a clearance service makes sense
- The garden is overgrown and the cutting back is the hard part
- You want it done in one visit rather than over several days
- There is no room for a skip, or you would need a road permit
- Access is through the house or down a narrow side path
- The waste is mostly green waste, which is bulky but light
What about soil and turf?
Soil and turf are heavy. They fill a skip quickly and skip companies limit how much can go in. A clearance service quotes for the weight involved instead, so tell us if soil or turf is part of the job.