The default for clearing a load of rubbish is to ring a skip company. For most jobs, that’s the more expensive option, takes longer, and ties up your driveway for days. A licensed man and van is the alternative most people don’t know to ask for.
Skip vs man and van: the honest comparison
| Skip | Man & Van | |
|---|---|---|
| You load it yourself? | Yes | No, we load |
| Time on your driveway | Days to a week | An hour or two |
| Permit needed if on the road? | Often yes | No |
| Risk of fly-tipping into your skip overnight? | High | None |
| Risk of scratched driveway / dragged across paving? | Some | None |
| Volume you actually pay for | Whole skip, even if half full | Just what we take |
| Recycling rate | Variable | High, sorted as we load |
| Heavy items lifted for you? | No | Yes |
When a skip wins
To be fair, there are jobs where a skip is the right answer:
- Multi-day projects where waste accumulates over a week (builder rip-outs, big renovations).
- You’ve got plenty of strong help to load it yourself.
- The waste is mostly inert (rubble, soil) and you want a specific roll-on type.
For everything else, a single man and van visit is faster, cheaper, and zero hassle.
Roughly what it costs
Pricing for waste clearance is by volume (effectively a fraction of a van load). For most domestic jobs we come in under what a small skip costs once you factor in permit fees, hire days, and the value of your weekend spent loading it. Send us a photo of the pile and we’ll come back with a fixed quote.
Plus you stay clear of the duty-of-care risk
We’re Environment Agency registered. You get a written receipt, we use a licensed transfer station, and your name is nowhere near a layby if some rogue clearance firm decides to dump rather than dispose. (Lots of articles online about the fines for fly-tipping that come back to the householder, not the carrier.)
Skip looking like the wrong answer?
Send us a photo of the pile and we'll quote on the spot.