Grab Lorry vs Skip Hire: Which Is Better for Your Waste Removal?

Expert guidance from A11 Aggregates — licensed waste carriers serving Cambridgeshire.

Removing soil, hardcore, rubble, or general renovation waste usually comes down to two choices: grab lorry hire or skip hire. Both methods work well in the right situation, but each has very different strengths, costs and access requirements. Choosing the wrong option can add unnecessary expense, delay your project, or even leave you with a skip you can’t legally place.

As a local aggregates and waste-removal provider operating grab lorries, tipper lorries and a weighbridge, A11 Aggregates deals with these questions every day. Below is a clear, experience-based breakdown to help you make the right decision for your project.

What Each Service Actually Does

What Skip Hire Offers

A skip is a static container delivered to your property or worksite. It stays there for as long as you need it, usually several days or weeks. You load it yourself, at your own pace. This makes skip hire suitable for:

• Renovations spread over several days
• Slow-moving clearances
• Jobs where waste is produced gradually
• Areas with very tight access where lorries cannot reach

However, skips require a legal permit if placed on a public road, which can add cost and waiting time.

Common skip limitations:

• Weight limits are strict — wet soil, clay or hardcore fill a skip very quickly
• Overfilling can lead to fines or refusal to collect
• It occupies driveway or garden space for the duration of the hire
• Permits add both cost and delays

What Grab Lorry Hire Offers

A grab lorry uses a hydraulic crane and bucket to lift the waste for you, load it, and remove everything in one visit. This makes it ideal when you want waste cleared quickly or when you have large volumes of heavy material such as soil, brick, rubble or concrete.

A11 Aggregates’ grab lorries typically:

• Carry the equivalent of two or three large skips in a single load
• Reach over walls, fences and hedges
• Load in minutes rather than hours
• Require no skip permit
• Reduce labour as our operator does all the loading

Grab lorry limitations:

• You need enough space for the lorry to pull close to the waste
• Cannot collect certain types of mixed waste (e.g., hazardous materials)
• Not ideal for waste generated slowly over several days

Cost Comparison: Which Is Cheaper?

This depends entirely on volume and waste type.

For large or heavy loads, grab lorries are almost always more cost-effective.

A single grab load can replace 2–3 skips, especially for soil, clay, hardcore or dense rubble. Customers often underestimate how quickly a skip hits its weight limit, even when it still looks half empty.

For small or light waste jobs, skip hire may be cheaper.

If you’re clearing a single room or producing waste steadily across a week, a skip provides better value.

Our real-world rule of thumb:

• One big skip or less: skip hire
• Two skips or more: grab hire is cheaper and faster

Access Requirements: What Will Work on Your Site?

Skip Access Requirements

• Must sit on your driveway or private land
• Road placement requires a council permit
• Space needed for delivery and collection
• Cannot be placed where access is blocked or uneven
• Must be positioned safely away from doors, drains and pedestrians

Grab Lorry Access Requirements

A grab lorry needs:

• Room to pull alongside the waste
• Overhead clearance for the hydraulic arm
• A stable area to stop safely
• Approximately 6 metres of reach to grab waste over walls, fences or hedges

A grab lorry is often the ideal solution for sites where skips physically cannot fit, provided the driver can get close enough to the waste pile.

If you’re unsure whether your site is suitable, A11 Aggregates can advise by phone or with photos.

Speed: How Quickly Do You Need Waste Removed?

Skip Hire Speed

• Slower
  You fill it yourself over days or weeks
  Best for phased renovations or ongoing projects

Grab Hire Speed

• Extremely fast — waste can be removed in one visit
  No lifting or loading required
  Best when you want the site cleared immediately

Many customers choose grab hire simply to avoid the disruption of having a skip taking up driveway space for a week.

What Waste Types Each Method Handles Best

Grab Lorries Excel At:

• Soil
• Clay
• Hardcore
• Concrete
• Rubble
• Muck-away
• Large piles of heavy material
  Mixed inert waste

These dense materials often exceed skip weight limits long before the skip is full. A grab lorry lifts them effortlessly.

Skips Are Better For:

• Slow, steady household waste
• Renovation rip-out rubbish
• Bagged domestic waste
• Long-term projects
• Smaller quantities of mixed waste
• Users without room for a grab lorry to manoeuvre

Environmental Responsibility & Recycling

At A11 Aggregates, all waste collected by grab or skip is taken to licensed recycling facilities. Materials such as:

• Soil
• Rubble
• Concrete
• Hardcore
• Clay

…are screened and processed into recycled aggregates, reducing landfill use and supporting sustainable construction.

Where practical, we encourage customers to separate inert waste from general rubbish to reduce disposal fees and environmental impact.

A11 Aggregates is a fully licensed waste carrier, ensuring all waste is handled legally and responsibly.

Comparison Table: Grab Lorry vs Skip Hire

Which Is Best for Your Project? Our Expert Guidance

Choose Skip Hire if:

• You’re working slowly over several days
• You have small amounts of waste
• Access is too tight for grab lorries
• You need to sort waste as you go
• You don’t mind the skip sitting on-site

Choose Grab Hire if:

• You want waste removed fast
• You have heavy waste (soil, clay, rubble)
• You’d otherwise need more than one skip
• You don’t want to load anything yourself
• You don’t want to deal with permits
• You need to keep your site clear for vehicles or trades

In practice, many customers start with a skip and later switch to grab hire when they realise how much heavy waste they actually have.

Why Customers Across Cambridgeshire Choose A11 Aggregates

With grab lorries, tipper lorries, bulk-bag deliveries, and a weighbridge for collections, we offer a complete waste and aggregate service:
Licensed waste carrier

• Skilled, insured grab operators
• Local deliveries within a 20-mile radius
• Fast clearance for soil, rubble, hardcore and muck
• Transparent, fair pricing
• Friendly guidance if you’re unsure what you need

FAQs for Grab Lorry vs Skip Hire

Is a grab lorry cheaper than a skip?
Usually yes. If you have large or heavy waste. One grab load can replace two or three skips.

Do I need a permit for a grab lorry?
No. Grab lorries do not need permits because they do not remain on-site.

How much can a grab lorry take?
Typically around 15–18 tonnes, depending on the model, far more than a skip.

What if I don’t know how much waste I have?
You can send us photos or a rough measurement. We’ll advise honestly whether a skip or grab lorry is more cost-effective.

Can grab lorries collect waste over a wall or fence?
Yes, the hydraulic arm normally reaches up to 6 metres.

Do you recycle the waste collected?
Yes. Soil, hardcore, rubble and other inert materials are processed into recycled aggregates.

Can a grab lorry access small streets?
Most can, but we’ll confirm based on your postcode and access photos.

Ready to Book a Grab Lorry or Skip?

If you want your waste removed quickly and cost-effectively, or if you’re unsure which option is best, we can help.

Get in touch