The short answer
Choose a skip if most of your waste is rubble, soil, bricks or tiles, if you'll fill it bit by bit over days or weeks, and if you have somewhere to put it and people to load it.
Choose a junk removal collection if your waste is bulky but light, such as furniture, appliances, mattresses, garden waste or old fixtures, if it's upstairs or at the back of the house, or if there's nowhere to put a skip.
We're a junk removal service, so we're not neutral. But we don't take rubble or soil, so for those a skip really is the better choice.
How skip hire and junk removal compare
- Who does the loading. With a skip, you do. With a collection, two loaders carry everything out and load the van.
- What goes in. Skips suit heavy, mixed building waste. Skip companies set their own rules, and some won't accept items such as fridges, electrical goods, mattresses or tyres, so check before you load. We take bulky household, garden and renovation items, but not rubble, soil or hazardous waste.
- Permits. A skip on a public road or footpath needs a permit from your local council. The skip company often applies for it, but check who is responsible. A collection needs no permit: the van parks, we load, and we leave.
- Space and time. A skip needs a spot on your driveway or the road, and it usually stays for days. A collection only takes up space while we're there.
- How the cost works. A skip is usually priced by its size and the hire period, so you pay for the skip whether you fill it or not, and a road permit can add to the cost. Our price is one call-out and labour charge for your county plus a fixed price for each item, so a small job stays a small bill.
- Access. A skip lorry needs room to drop and lift the skip. We carry from attics, upstairs flats and back gardens a skip can't reach.
When a skip is the better choice
- Rubble, concrete, bricks, tiles, soil or stone. We don't take these.
- A long renovation where waste builds up over days or weeks.
- A big strip-out with people on site to do the loading.
- You have space on your driveway, or on the road with a permit.
Hazardous waste such as asbestos, paint or chemicals should go in neither a skip nor a general collection. Use a specialist contractor, or ask your local council where to bring household hazardous waste.
When a junk removal collection is the better choice
- Bulky items such as sofas, wardrobes, mattresses, fridges and washing machines.
- Items upstairs, in the attic or at the back of the garden.
- Apartments, terraces and streets with no room for a skip.
- A one-off clear-out, such as a house clearance or the end of a tenancy.
- You'd rather not do the lifting yourself.
- You want to know the full price before anyone arrives.
Our price is a call-out and labour charge (€100 in Dublin) plus a fixed price per item: a mattress is €30 and a fridge freezer is €45, VAT included. Every item is on our price list.
Mixed jobs: use both
Many renovations use both. Put the rubble, tiles and broken plaster in a skip, and book a collection for the bulky things that would fill half of it: the old bath, kitchen units, doors and flooring.
See construction waste removal for what we take from a renovation, and garden waste removal for garden clear-outs.
A quick checklist
Answer these before you book anything:
- Is most of it rubble, soil, bricks or tiles? Get a skip.
- Is it mostly furniture, appliances, bags or garden waste? A collection is usually simpler.
- Who will do the lifting? If nobody can, choose a collection.
- Is there room for a skip off the road? If not, you'll need a council permit for the road, or a collection.
- Will the waste build up over weeks? A skip you fill as you go may suit you better.
- Is any of it hazardous? Neither option: use a specialist.
Get a price for your clear-out
Send a few photos to get my price, then book and pay in the same chat. How it works explains each step.
Clearing a whole property? See house clearance. Want to compare costs before you decide? Read our junk removal cost guide.