Grab Lorry or Skip Hire? Deciding Which Is Best for You

Waste is an inevitable part of any renovation or construction project. However, the clean-up process afterwards is often a hassle. People generally employ skips or skip bags for waste disposal, but are these the best options?

There are two popular options for disposing of construction waste: skip hire or grab hire. Each of them has its advantages.

In this article, we compare grab lorry and skip hire services to help you select the waste collection method best suited to your needs.

What is a Skip hire?

A skip hire is a straightforward waste management solution that simplifies the process of handling and processing waste.

Skips are large, open-topped waste containers mounted on a special type of vehicle. They can carry large volumes of waste. With skip hire services, you fill the skip with your waste materials and other garbage until they are collected at a scheduled time or date.

What Is a Grab Hire?

Grab lorry hire vehicles are designed to clear large amounts of waste efficiently. Grab lorry for hire services are particularly useful for business owners that need to eliminate waste from their site as quickly as possible.

With the capability to move significant amounts of construction, building and garden waste, grab lorries offer an economical alternative to conventional waste removal methods. For easy access, grab lorries utilise hydraulic grab arms and buckets to collect and remove waste from hard-to-reach places.

Local Grab Lorry Hire or Skip Hire?

Both grab hire and skip hire are common ways to manage and dispose of waste. Here are the key differences between them and when to use each.

Capacity

There are various skip sizes available, which means its capacity will differ according to its size. Overfilling a skip isn’t allowed, so if you underestimate how much waste you have, you may need to hire a second skip.

Grab lorries can handle far greater volumes of waste than conventional skips, thereby reducing the need for multiple skip trucks. This means that for large amounts of waste, one grab truck would be more economical than hiring several skips. With a bigger capacity, grab lorries can lift heavy loads of waste quickly and efficiently.

Skips can typically handle 4, 6, 8 and 12 tonnes of waste. Meanwhile, grab lorries can handle waste loads of 8, 12 or 16 tonnes.

Permit

Keep in mind that if your skip will be on a sidewalk or public road, a permit will be required, which means additional costs. Before skip delivery can take place, you'll need to take care of this and get a permit from your local council. There’s no lengthy process involved, but you may need to let the local council know between two and seven working days in advance. To make things easier, some skip hire companies assist consumers with arranging a permit.

In contrast, a grab lorry can park beside the road and quickly collect waste. In most cases, they do not require permits, resulting in lower costs and fewer disruptions when removing your waste. There shouldn't be any significant disruptions caused by these lorries, as they usually complete their work within 30 minutes.

Operations

No matter their size, skips can be kept on-site as long as necessary, whether for a couple of days or weeks. Grab lorries, on the other hand, arrive at your site, collect the waste and then leave, making waste removal easier.

Manual labour will be required for skip hire. To load the lorry, you can carry the garbage, shovel it or move it using a wheelbarrow. In the case of a smaller project, manual labour may not be an issue. But loading considerable waste into the skip might not be worth the time and money.

It may be better to hire a grab lorry if the project involves large amounts of waste. With its hydraulic arm, the grab hire expedites garbage collection. Speed and efficiency are the best features of grab lorries. It usually takes 15-20 minutes to fill a grab lorry, provided the waste has been properly sorted beforehand.

Location

Your decision for choosing between a skip and a grab lorry may also be influenced by the location of the garbage. Skips, for instance, weigh a lot and are massive. Once you have them in place, they can be difficult to move. Contrastingly, a grab truck is adaptable and agile. You can leave it outside your property and pick up garbage inside with the hydraulic arm. It is easy for the arm to reach over fences and pick up the waste.

Putting a skip in the right spot is one of the biggest challenges when hiring one. If there is no convenient spot to place a skip, then a grab lorry would be more appropriate.

The efficiency of grab lorries can save you a great deal of time and effort when it comes to hauling waste from place to place. With grab hire services, all you need to do is pile the waste together, and the lorry will take care of the rest.

Cost

Wondering how much to hire a grab lorry? When looking up ‘grab lorry hire prices near me,’ note that several factors determine the cost of each service, notably the location of the waste, the skip or lorry size and how much waste is being collected. A grab lorry’s cost can be determined on a daily basis, hourly basis or by the load.

If your waste will only fill a small skip, hiring one may be cheaper than renting a grab truck. However, it is more cost-effective to use grab lorries for larger jobs simply because of their capacity. So as an alternative to paying for multiple skips, you could rent a grab truck instead.

Choose AU Grabhire for Your Local Grab Lorry Hire Needs

If you’re looking for a ‘grab lorry hire’ near me and you’re in Swindon, consider AU Grabhire.

You can rely on us for waste removal services that fit your requirements. Whether you’re clearing your garden, house or construction site and need assistance with bulky waste, our team is on hand to assist you. Contact us now to learn more.