Skip hire
Wait and load skips
Wait and load costs about the same as a skip of the same size, according to Mick George, which advertised the service from £99 in October 2026 with 15 minutes' waiting included and £60 an hour after that. The lorry drops a skip, waits while you fill it, and takes it away in the same visit. It suits streets where a skip cannot stay and jobs where the waste is already piled up and ready.
What this covers
Typical price. Mick George advertised wait and load from £99 in October 2026, with the first 15 minutes of waiting included and £60 an hour charged after that in 15 minute blocks.
Typical jobs
- Clearing a terraced house where a skip cannot stay on the street overnight
- Loading a pile of garden waste that is already bagged and waiting
- Clearing a shop or flat in a controlled parking zone
- Removing building waste stacked on a site before a deadline
- Clearing a garage in an hour with several people loading
What is involved
With wait and load, the skip arrives, you and your helpers fill it while the driver waits, and the lorry leaves with it. Loading time is short: Mick George includes the first 15 minutes, then charges £60 an hour in 15 minute blocks, while rent-a-skip says the window is usually around 20 to 30 minutes.
Have the waste bagged and stacked close to where the lorry will stop before it arrives, and have enough people to load it. A pile that takes an hour to move can cost more in waiting time than a skip hired for a week.
Firms disagree on permits. Rent-a-skip says nothing stays on the road, so there is nothing to permit. Mick George says a permit is still required if the skip goes on public land. Ask the firm, and if in doubt ask the council's highways team. A skip on a road or pavement needs a permit from the highway authority, which is the county council in two-tier areas, and the skip firm usually applies for it.
The skip hire page covers the rules.
Choosing a firm
Ask how long loading time is included, the charge for each extra 15 minutes or hour, the skip size and weight allowance, and whether a permit is needed on your street. Ask whether the price is fixed if you finish early.
The skip hire page covers the rules.
Read next
Common questions
How much is a wait and load skip?
Mick George advertised wait and load from £99 in October 2026 and says it costs the same as hiring a skip. Waiting after the first 15 minutes is charged at £60 an hour in 15 minute blocks.
How long do I get to load a wait and load skip?
Mick George includes 15 minutes of waiting. Rent-a-skip says the window is usually around 20 to 30 minutes. Extra time is charged, so have the waste ready before the lorry arrives.
Do I need a permit for wait and load?
Firms disagree. Rent-a-skip says no permit is needed because nothing is left on the road. Mick George says a permit is still required on public land. Ask the firm and, if unsure, the council's highways team.