Skip Permit (license)
Skip Permit & License Overview
A skip permit is issued by your local council and allows a skip to be placed on the public highway. The public highway usually includes the street in front of your home or business as well as grass verges, unless owned by you. Skip permits come with terms which must be adhered to - in particular the requirement of lighting and signage and include a license period.
Some councils refer to a skip permit as a skip license - both mean the same thing.
A skip permit is always required if you intend to place a skip on the public highway. A public highway is defined as any land which is not private which includes roads and verges (you cannot place a skip on the pavement). A skip permit can be avoided by placing the skip on private land, such as your own driveway, a private car park or in a courtyard as long as you have the permission of the land owner and you have considered access for a skip lorry.
Skip permits are issued by your local council but in most cases they are arranged by the company who organises your skip. Any skip ordered with Skip Bag will include the skip permit if ‘on the road’ is selected. Please note this may slow down delivery as it can take several days to organise depending on the local council. If you do not tell us you need a permit and the delivery fails then a wasted journey will apply.
Skip permits vary dramatically in cost depending on your location. Across the UK the average price is around £45 but it can be as low as £9 in Sheffield to as much as £165 or more in some parts of London. Don’t forget you may need a parking suspension too which will add to the cost even more.
The skip permit charge is not the only cost incurred which is why it will usually cost more than this to organise a permit. There is a degree of admin involved liaising with the local council and the skip operator will incur additional costs through the provision of lighting and signage. Because of this the cost of the skip permit is likely to be a little higher than the council base charge.
Most councils will issue a skip permit within 1 business day. It can however take up to a week and in some locations even longer than this. Because of this it does really slow down our service (and all operators), so if you are in a rush we would recommend our ‘man and van’ waste clearance service which does not need a permit and we can clear your waste on the same day or next day.
If you really do need a skip then forward planning is recommended to ensure the permit (and parking suspension if necessary) is in place to prevent any delays.
This varies by area and where you plan to put the skip, plus considerations such as parking suspensions. However most skip permits are valid for 7 - 14 days. All skip permits have a valid from and expiry date and it is important your skip is only on the public highway during this period. If a skip permit is due to expire a skip company will usually come and collect the skip regardless of your request, so do make sure you have loaded the skip as soon as possible.
Permits can usually be extended but you will need to ensure enough notice has been given and this does vary by area. As well as extending the permit you may need to extend the skip hire period. If you do not extend the hire or the permit the skip will usually be removed but it is usually your responsibility to ensure it is removed before the expiry date.
Both of these are handled separately and can take a varying amount of time. A permit and a suspension are different although if you plan to place a skip in a parking bay then this bay must be suspended before the skip can be placed - you cannot simply ‘reserve’ a space. This also applies to residents parking areas.
Adding a parking suspension can add significantly to the cost, particularly if it is a pay and display bay.
Additionally if there are other skips already placed nearby - by neighbours for example - then the council may decide not to suspend additional spaces which will impact your delivery.
Our man and van service is a good alternative when there are these sorts of complications, both to reduce cost and increase response speed.
The law requires all skip operators to have a minimum insurance of £5 million. This means you will not usually require additional insurance to place a skip on the road. If in doubt check with your local council or skip provider who will be able to provide full terms and conditions.
A standard skip permit only authorises a skip not exceeding 5 metres in length by 2 metres in width. This does limit the size of skip which can go on the road without special permissionwhich means very large skips and RORO’s are not allowed. Typical sizes of skips on the street are 4 yard midi skips and 6/8 yard ‘builders’ skips.
Remember Skips placed on the road must comply with the The Builders' Skips (Markings) Regulations 1984 with specific rules on markings, as detailed here.