Posted on 11th August 2023

For a major building or renovation project to be a success, one of the most important things to consider at the planning stage is how you’re going to get rid of the resulting waste. Two popular options are grab hire and skip hire. Whilst skips have long been a common choice, grab hire services have gained recent popularity as a more cost-effective, and more flexible option. You may be left wondering which service will best suit your needs? In this article, we take a closer look at the differences between the two options, and discuss the reasons why grab hire generally works out to be the cheaper, more flexible option.

What are the underlying differences?

A skip is a large container, ranging in size according to your needs, that you hire for as long as you wish – you place your waste in it as you go, and when it’s full, or your job is complete, the skip hire company arrives to take it away. 

A grab lorry, however, is a large truck equipped with a hydraulic arm and a grab-bucket. The arm extends to operate the bucket, allowing it to reach and collect waste from a variety of locations, including (but not limited to) construction sites, residential areas and commercial properties. This service can make single, or multiple visits to your site, placing your waste securely on the lorry bed before taking it away to dispose of it safely.

1. Flexibility and Convenience

One of the key advantages of grab hire over skip hire is the flexibility and convenience it offers. Grab hire services typically allow for faster, more effortless, waste collection. Unlike skips, which require careful placement and often necessitate permits, grab lorries can access areas with restricted access or limited space. Collections typically take between 10-30 minutes depending on load and capacity, ensuring that waste is disposed of swiftly and collection can often be arranged same-day or within shorter timeframes so that you aren’t delayed waiting for waste to be removed.

Grab hire reduces the need for additional road licenses or permits (and their associated fees) and ensures that waste is removed promptly, saving both time and money. Whilst skips may occasionally provide convenience in the form of being able to dispose of waste as the project progresses, they are often priced for fixed-period use, resulting in unexpected and increasing costs if your project is delayed or planned over the longer term.

2. Labour and Efficiency

When it comes to skip hire, manual labour is often required to load the skip. This can be time-consuming, especially for large or heavy waste items. On the other hand, grab hire services provide trained operators who efficiently handle the collection of waste using the hydraulic arm. Since grab lorries can reach over walls, fences and other obstacles, accessing tight or awkward spaces, waste can be stored in a location that is convenient to you, resulting in fewer hazards on site. In these situations, skips may need to be placed on neighbouring property or on public access roads, which leaves you reliant on goodwill or subject to additional fees for permits. Therefore Grab Hire will save you both time and labour costs, since fewer workers are needed to load the waste into the disposal system.

3. Time Savings

Time is the most valuable resource available to the construction and renovation industry. Grab hire services offer significant time savings compared to skip hire. With grab hire, waste can often be collected in a single visit, allowing for greater flexibility around load-size and eliminating the need for multiple skip exchanges. This minimizes downtime and allows projects to progress more smoothly. By contrast, skip hire often requires the coordination of skip deliveries and lengthy collection periods, causing needless delays and disrupting workflow unnecessarily.

4. Waste Volume Optimization

Another advantage of grab hire is its ability to optimize waste volume. Skips come in predefined sizes, meaning that if you underestimate the amount of waste made, you may need to hire an additional skip, incurring extra costs. Conversely, if you overestimate the waste volume, you end up paying for unused space. Grab hire services, however, allow for more precise waste removal as the grab lorry can collect and compact waste on-site. This ensures that you only pay for the actual waste removed, making it a more cost-effective solution.

5. Transportation Costs

Transportation costs can significantly impact the overall expense of waste removal. Skips require delivery and collection by large vehicles, which can be costly, especially for multiple exchanges. Grab hire services, on the other hand, incorporate transportation costs within their pricing structure, reducing the chances of unexpected fees. With grab hire, the waste is loaded directly onto the lorry, minimizing transportation requirements and its associated expenses.

6. Environmental Considerations

In recent years, environmental concerns have become more prominent, leading to increased regulations and waste management standards. Skip hire often requires the waste to be transported to a central facility for sorting and recycling. This not only adds to the transportation costs but also has a larger carbon footprint due to the additional journeys involved. SW Grab Hire, however, delivers waste directly to a licensed recycling centre, minimizing the environmental impact and reducing costs associated with waste disposal. Furthermore, responsible waste disposal and recycling contribute to global environmental compliance, potentially avoiding additional fines or penalties.

Professional Waste Disposal from SW Grab Hire

While skip hire has been a popular choice for waste removal for some projects, the extra flexibility that grab hire offers generally makes it the better solution of choice for most users. By combining the cost saving benefits of reduced labour expenses, time efficiency, lower transport costs, waste volume optimisation, access to restricted areas and environmental impact, grab hire quickly becomes the more economical option compared to skip hire for waste removal and management.

As always, SW Grab Hire can help with all your waste disposal needs. Our friendly team is always happy to advise on the best solution for your project. Contact Paul today via email to find out more: [email protected].