Skip hire
Roll on roll off skip hire (20 to 40 yard)
A 20 yard roll on roll off skip costs £300 to £600 and a 40 yard £400 to £800 on MyJobQuote's September 2026 guide, but rent-a-skip quotes £350 to £1,150 and £600 to £1,450 (April 2026). The gap exists because roll on roll off containers are usually priced per container plus a charge per tonne of waste, so the final bill depends on what goes in. Ask any firm for its haulage price and its tonnage rate separately.
What this covers
What it costs. Prices by size and region, and what moves them, are in the cost guide. Full cost breakdown.
Typical jobs
- Ongoing site waste on a building or demolition project
- Factory or warehouse clear-out of packaging and pallets
- Shop or office strip-out with partitions and fittings
- Separate containers for timber, cardboard or metal on a large site
- Clearing a large house or farm building of light bulky waste
What is involved
Roll on roll off (RoRo) containers are long, open bins winched onto a hook-loader lorry. Mick George lists a 20 yard RoRo at roughly 6.10m long, 2.41m wide and 1.31m high, a 35 yard at 5.79m by 2.40m by 2.24m, and a 40 yard at 6.10m by 2.41m by 2.50m. Rent-a-skip gives a footprint of roughly 5.8m by 2.4m for all sizes. These are approximate.
Price is usually two parts. Mick George charges for haulage to the site, and again for each exchange, then adds a charge based on the waste's weight. Rent-a-skip describes RoRo as usually quoted per container plus per-tonne disposal, which is why flat RoRo prices often rise once the load is weighed.
Weight sets the real limit. Rent-a-skip gives a ceiling of about 18 tonnes for all sizes, and Mick George says its 20 yard RoRo is not suitable for soil or hardcore, with inert or concrete waste filled only three quarters full. Landfill tax from 1 April 2026 is £130.75 a tonne at the standard rate and £8.65 a tonne at the lower rate for inert waste such as clean soil and rubble (GOV.UK).
The lorry needs room. Rent-a-skip says a hook-loader needs firm, level hardstanding with roughly 3.5m of clear width and 4m of height clearance. If a container has to go on the road, it needs a permit from the highway authority like any skip, and the firm usually applies for it.
The skip hire page covers the rules.
Choosing a firm
Ask for the haulage price per lift, the price per tonne for each waste type, the minimum charge, and how weight is measured. Ask whether the firm will provide separate containers for timber, metal, cardboard or plasterboard, which can lower the tonnage charge.
The skip hire page covers the rules.
Read next
Common questions
How much does a 40 yard skip cost?
MyJobQuote's September 2026 guide puts a 40 yard roll on roll off skip at £400 to £800. Rent-a-skip quotes £600 to £1,450 (April 2026). The final price depends on the weight of waste, so ask for the tonnage rate.
How are roll on roll off skips priced?
Usually per container plus per-tonne disposal, according to rent-a-skip. Mick George charges haulage for each delivery and exchange, then a charge based on the waste's weight. Landfill tax alone is £130.75 a tonne at the standard rate from 1 April 2026.
How much weight can a RoRo skip take?
About 18 tonnes for all sizes, according to rent-a-skip. Heavy waste such as soil and rubble reaches that well before a large container is full, and Mick George does not take soil or hardcore in its 20 yard RoRo.