Skip hire with your own skip lorry

Small builders, landscapers, house clearance firms and homeowners doing renovations or clear-outs.

A hire price per skip, usually covering a set hire period and disposal up to a weight limit, with extra charges for overweight loads, extended hire or restricted waste.

• Holding the right HGV licence (or hiring a driver who does)
• Safe, careful driving on tight streets
• Knowing what waste can and cannot go in a skip
• Good scheduling and customer service

• Waste carrier registration with the Environment Agency, SEPA, Natural Resources Wales or NIEA, depending on where you work
• The correct HGV licence category for your lorry, plus any operator licence or Driver CPC rules that may apply, so check with DVSA
• Council permits for skips placed on the road, and rules on lighting, marking and cones
• Waste transfer notes and where you can take and store waste, as some sites need permits or exemptions
• Hazardous or restricted waste such as asbestos, which should not go in ordinary skips
• Commercial vehicle, goods in transit and public liability insurance, plus employer's liability once you hire

Startup costs are typically around £25,000 to £80,000, depending on the lorry you buy and how many skips you start with. Most small firms begin with one lorry and a handful of skips, so these figures are estimates.

Monthly revenue is typically around £6,000 to £25,000, depending on how many skips you hire out, your pricing and the area you cover. The estimate assumes about 40 hours a week or more, and it is revenue, not profit.

Check waste carrier registration with the right regulator for where you work, the HGV licence category and any operator licence or Driver CPC rules with DVSA, and council permits for road skips. Also check waste transfer notes, hazardous waste such as asbestos, and your insurance.