Website of the UK government

What requires a permit?

You will need a permit for:

• hippobags and  other skip bags
• building materials
• skips

Applying for a skip permit

Most councils let the skip hire company apply for the permit but a few councils require the person who is hiring the skip to get the permit. Your council will be able to give you more information on the permit and how to obtain one.

Skip permits are generally valid from one day to four weeks, but they can be renewed. The permit must be issued before the skip is placed on the public highway.

If you do not have a permit in place, the skip can be removed and impounded (and this can be done without warning sometimes), which may cause delays to the work.

You should check with your council where you can place the skip because it can vary from council to council. If your skip is placed entirely on private land you probably won’t need a skip permit.

The following links will let you enter details of where you live and then take you to your local authority website where you can find out more about how to apply for a skip licence or permit.

• Apply for a skip permit Opens new window

Approved waste carriers

You will also be responsible for making sure that your waste  is disposed of by an approved waste carrier.

So you need to make sure that the skip hire company has a valid waste carriers licence and that the company is an approved waste carrier.  All companies that transport and dispose of waste are required to have a waste carriers licence by law.

Search for an approved waste carrier

You can search for an approved waste carrier on the Environment Agency website.

• Find an approved waste carrier Opens new window

Placing the skip and making sure your skip is safe

It is important to place skips on the road rather than the pavement, unless your permit allows the skip to be placed on the pavement

• don’t place skips on the highway in places where they might become a nuisance or a danger to road users

Safety is an important issue which you should consider when it comes to hiring a skip.

Safety measures

Safety measures to follow are:
• use cones and amber flashing marker lights around the skip when it's dark and/ or hard to see because of fog, mist and other conditions
• fix reflective markers on both ends of the skip
• avoid placing the skip on the pavement, manhole covers, drains, grates or other utility access points

Make sure:
• the contents don’t stick out from the sides of the skip: this is dangerous for road users and pedestrians
• the skip isn’t over-filled and its contents are stable, covered with netting or dampened to stop the waste materials from inside blowing out
• the skip doesn't contain materials likely to pose a risk of fire, explosion and won't release toxic fumes or present a health or environmental hazard

Enclosed skips

Consider hiring an enclosed skip. Enclosed skips are lockable to prevent unauthorised access. They are also the safest type of skip as they stop contents from falling out or overhanging, and stop dust from flying up when items are put into the skip.

Make sure you have any necessary planning permission you’re following building regulations for your project. For more information visit the planning permission and building regulations section.

More useful links

• Building regulations