Skip Size Calculator

About this calculator

Waste rarely fits into a skip at the density it had when it was part of a wall or a garden — demolition rubble, soil and green waste all “bulk up” once broken apart, so an accurate skip order applies a bulking allowance (typically 30–50% depending on material) to the raw waste volume before converting it into cubic yards, the unit skips are measured in. That bulked-up volume is then matched against the smallest standard skip size that can still hold it — common UK sizes run from a 2-yard mini skip through 4-yard midi, 6-yard builder’s and 8-yard maxi skips, up to large roll-on-roll-off containers for major clearances.

Homeowners and contractors run this calculation before booking a skip because guessing wrong in either direction costs money: an undersized skip means paying for a second one or an over-the-top surcharge, while an oversized skip means paying for capacity that goes unused. Bulking is the step most people skip when estimating by eye, which is exactly why so many DIY skip orders come up short.

This calculator takes your waste volume and a bulking allowance and returns the equivalent volume in cubic yards along with the smallest standard skip size that will hold it.