Cost guide
Rubbish removal prices in the UK
Rubbish removal costs £60 to £150 for a small van load and £250 to £400 or more for a full van load outside London in 2026, including VAT (Fantastic Services cost guide, October 2026).
Typical prices
Ranges, not quotes. Ask each firm.
| Job | Typical UK price |
|---|---|
| Small load, outside London | £60 to £150 |
| Quarter load | £90 to £150 |
| Half load | £150 to £250 |
| Three quarter load | £220 to £340 |
| Full van load, outside London | £250 to £400+ |
| Full van load, London and South East | £320 to £520+ |
| Clearabee mini (1 cubic yard) and small (2 cubic yards) | £99.99 and £149.99 |
| Council bulky waste, minimum charge | £5 to £90.90, average £37.70 |
Load prices come from Fantastic Services' and RubbishBids' own 2026 cost guides and Clearabee's published price list, so they are operators' prices rather than independent surveys. The two guides disagree on a full load: RubbishBids quotes £160 to £250 and Fantastic Services £250 to £400 or more, so get two or three quotes from photos. Council figures are minimum charges from Business Waste's July 2026 survey of UK councils.
What moves the price
- Volume is the main driver: firms price by the share of the van your waste fills, at roughly £33 per cubic metre in Fantastic Services' guide.
- Sofas, mattresses and fridges carry surcharges because they go to separate sites: RubbishBids lists +£20 to £35 a sofa or mattress and +£30 to £40 a fridge or freezer.
- London and the South East cost 20 to 30% more, according to Fantastic Services, because of congestion, parking and disposal fees.
- Access adds labour: stairs with no lift, a long carry to the van or no parking near the door.
- Heavy waste such as soil and rubble is priced by weight or as a separate job, because a van reaches its weight limit before it is full.
Who quotes for it
Questions about rubbish removal
Can a rubbish removal firm take my sofa?
Yes, but it is usually priced as a separate item. Since 1 January 2023, upholstered seating containing POPs must be kept apart from other waste and incinerated, not landfilled, so it cannot simply go in with a mixed load.
Do I need a waste transfer note for household rubbish?
Ask for one, or for a written receipt with the firm's name, registration number and what was taken. It is your evidence that you checked the carrier if the waste is later found dumped.