Skip Hire Vs. Grab Lorry – Which is Best For You?
When you’re planning a major building or renovation project, one of the most important things you need to consider is how you’re going to get rid of the resulting waste. The best options are usually hiring either a skip or a grab hire truck.
You may be wondering which is best – and the answer is, understandably, that it depends on the type of job you’re doing and the amount of waste you’ll need to dispose of. Let’s take a look at the differences between the two, and the pros and cons of each.
The difference between using a skip and using a grab truck?
A skip is a large container that you can hire for as long as you need it – you place your waste in it as you go, and when it’s full or your job is complete, your skip hire company comes and takes it away.
A grab truck, on the other hand, has a large scoop on a hydraulic arm attached to the back. It makes a single visit to your site, scoops up your waste, places it into the back of the truck and then takes it away.
The pros and cons of skip hire
Convenience
They are ideal for long-term projects as you can throw your waste in as you go and keep them for as long as you need them.
Flexibility
They come in a wide range of sizes, making them suitable for all kinds of jobs.
Tidiness
They keep all your waste in one contained unit until you’re ready for it to be collected. This can also make your site safer for those working on it.
Waste segregation
If you have large quantities of different types of recyclable waste, multiple skips can make segregating them for easy recycling much easier.
Cons of Skip Hire:
Capacity
You’re not allowed to overfill a skip, so if you’ve underestimated the amount of waste, you might have to pay for a second one later on.
Weight
Filling a large skip with construction waste like rubble and concrete can make it both difficult and dangerous to lift and take away.
The pros and cons of grab hire
Pros of Grab Hire:
Speed
A grab hire truck can enter your site, collect your waste and be gone within half an hour.
Capacity
Grab trucks can generally hold more waste than a skip, so if you’re creating a lot of waste, it may be more cost efficient to hire one grab truck than multiple skips.
No weight limits
Grab trucks can more easily and safely deal with particularly heavy loads.
Access
The long hydraulic arm attached to a grab truck means it can get at waste being kept in locations that might otherwise be hard to access.
Cons of Grab Hire:
Mess
Unless you’re creating and disposing of all your waste in one day, it will all be lying around on the ground – potentially causing a health hazard – until the grab truck turns up.
Lack of flexibility
Grab hire is generally only suitable for larger jobs over short periods of time.
What to consider when deciding between skip hire and grab hire
Given the above lists of pros and cons for each waste solution, it’s clear that it’s worth taking time to consider whether a skip or a grab hire truck is going to be the best choice for your own situation. Things you need to think about include:
- Will the levels of waste your project will be generating be more effectively dealt with by a skip or a grab hire truck?
- Where can your waste be safely kept until either the skip is ready to be removed or you’re ready for the grab hire truck to take it away?
- Will the weight of your waste be such that it would be safer to be removed by a grab hire truck?
- How long will your project be going on? Skips are generally better for long-term projects while grab hire may be better for quicker jobs.
- If no clear winner emerges after considering the other issues, which solution would be the more cost effective?
Is grab hire cheaper than a skip?
Whether skip hire or a grab truck is going to be the most cost-effective choice for your project also depends on several factors.
If you’ll be producing large volumes of waste over a short period of time, then a grab hire truck is probably going to work out cheaper than skip hire. Producing smaller quantities over a long period, on the other hand, would make hiring a skip the cheaper option.
If you’re ever unsure whether skip hire or grab truck would be the best or most cost-effective choice for your project, the waste management experts at CSH Environmental are always happy to provide advice.
We offer both skip hire and grab hire at affordable prices to our customers across Colchester, Chelmsford, Ipswich and beyond. We’ll be happy to discuss your project and work with you to find the right solution at the right price to meet your waste management requirements and budget.
Get in touch with us now to find out more.
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