Skip vs Grab Lorry: What's the Actual Difference?

5 min read

Builders in Surrey and South London ask us this every week. The terms get used interchangeably on site, but they're two different services with different costs, different timings, and different best-uses. Get the choice wrong and you'll either pay more than you need to or end up stuck with the wrong setup for your job.

Here's the actual difference, and how to pick.

The short version

A skip is a container we drop on your site. You fill it as you work, we collect when you're ready. A grab lorry is a vehicle that turns up, loads your waste with a hydraulic arm, and leaves the same visit. Skip sits. Grab visits.

That's the foundation. Everything else (cost, timing, what waste types fit, what site access you need) comes from this one distinction.

What you're getting with a skip

A skip is a metal container, sized 4 yards through to 16 yards. We deliver it, you fill it over days or weeks, we collect when you tell us. Standard hire period is usually 1 or 2 weeks built into the price.

The 8-yard is the workhorse of most residential refurbs. Big enough for a kitchen stripout or a loft conversion, small enough to fit on a driveway or kerbside with a permit.

One thing worth clearing up because we hear it weekly: there's no such thing as a 25-yard or 30-yard skip. If someone's quoting you that, what they actually mean is a RoRo bin (roll-on roll-off). They're delivered the same way as a skip, but the size and pricing structure are completely different. Worth knowing because suppliers occasionally use the terms loosely.

Skips work best when waste accumulates gradually. Refurbs, extensions, loft conversions, garden clearances. Anywhere your team is generating waste over multiple days and you want to chuck stuff in as you go.

What you're getting with a grab lorry

A grab lorry is a tipper truck with a hydraulic arm bolted to the back. The arm reaches up to about 6 metres and can pick waste up over walls, fences and hedges. The whole job happens in one visit, 20 to 30 minutes typically. No container left on site.

Two sizes most often quoted: 6-wheeler (smaller capacity) and 8-wheeler (bigger capacity per load). The price reflects which one's needed for your job.

Grab hire is built for bulk single-material loads. Soil from excavations. Hardcore from a demolition. Green waste from a garden clearance. Stuff that's already piled up or accessible and just needs taking away in one go.

What grab hire isn't great for: anything that needs to be filled gradually. The lorry's there and gone. If your waste isn't ready when it arrives, you're paying for waiting time.

Pricing

Skip pricing is straightforward: size of skip plus hire period. Collection's included when you call us to swap or pull it.

Grab pricing is per load. The cost reflects vehicle size, weight on the day, time on site, and where you are. Stay alert to access charges (tight streets, awkward locations) and waiting time fees. These are the bits that catch contractors out and can push the final bill well over the initial quote.

For gradual waste over days or weeks, skips usually work out cheaper because you're not paying for vehicle time. For bulk clearance in one hit, grab can be cheaper because you skip the container hire altogether.

Access and space

Skips need space, either on your property or kerbside. Kerbside placement requires a permit from the local council. Permit timing varies but you'll typically want to apply at least a week ahead.

Grab lorries need vehicle access close enough that the arm can reach the waste. The 6-metre reach helps with rear gardens or waste piled behind a wall, but the lorry still needs to get within range. Some councils require loading permits for commercial vehicles parked on the road, especially in restricted parking zones.

Surrey and South London street types make a real difference here. Victorian terraces with narrow front access often suit a grab lorry better because the arm can reach over to a rear garden where a skip won't fit. Newer developments with wider driveways usually take a skip fine.

Waste types

For mixed waste from a refurb or strip-out, skips work well. You can segregate as you go, drop different materials in different skips if you're doing volume.

For single-material bulk loads like soil, hardcore, muckaway or green waste, grab is built for it.

For hazardous or contaminated waste, grab often makes more sense. The collection happens fast, the material isn't left exposed on site, and the documentation handles cleaner because it's one load with one waste transfer note.

How to choose for your job

Skip if: waste generates over days or weeks, you have space for placement, you want flexibility on filling time.

Grab if: bulk waste is ready or can be ready on a specific day, access is awkward, you want it gone in one visit.

If you're not sure which fits, ask. Half the calls we get start with "I think I need a skip but my access is tight," and the answer turns out to be a grab. The wrong choice costs you money. The right one is usually obvious once you describe the site.

We handle both across Surrey and South London with one account manager. Tell us the job, we'll tell you which one makes sense and quote you on the spot.