The Short Answer
On our estimates, a rubbish collection costs about £60 to £80 for a minimum load (a few bags or one item), £120 to £190 for a medium load and £250 to £350 for a large van load. Mattresses, fridges and sofas are often priced per item.
Your council may collect bulky items, and the local recycling centre takes household waste. If you pay someone to take it, check they're a registered waste carrier first.
Rubbish removal prices
| Load | Roughly | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum load | 1 to 1.5 cubic yards: a few bags or one item | £60 to £80 |
| Small | 2 to 3 cubic yards | £80 to £120 |
| Medium | 4 to 6 cubic yards | £120 to £190 |
| Large | 10 to 12 cubic yards | £250 to £350 |
| Single items | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Mattress | £25 to £85 |
| Fridge or freezer | £45 to £95 |
| Sofa | £80 to £110 |
| Builders' waste, up to a tonne | £320 to £370 |
Collection or a skip?
A builder's skip costs about £230 to £350 for a week on our estimates. I'd choose a skip when you're producing rubbish over several days, such as a renovation or a big clear-out you're doing yourself, and a collection when the pile is already there and you want it gone in one go, with someone else doing the lifting.
Cheaper ways to get rid of it
GOV.UK sets out the options for household waste. Before paying a collector, it suggests you:
- use your council's bins for most household waste, and check its website for recycling, garden waste and food waste collections;
- book a council bulky waste collection for large items like sofas and fridges, where your council offers one;
- take it to the local recycling centre (the tip), or a permitted private waste site;
- hand old electricals back to the shop when you buy a new one that does the same job: a retailer will take your old kettle when you buy a new kettle;
- give away or sell anything reusable, for example to a charity shop.
Household waste here includes old furniture and mattresses, electrical items, garden waste, paint, scrap metal and DIY rubble. Check your council's website for what it collects and what it charges before booking a private collector.
The check you must do
If someone takes your waste away, check they're a registered waste carrier: you can be fined if it's fly-tipped and you didn't. See garden clearance.
- A private collector (such as a skip company or a household clearance service) must be on the register of waste carriers as an upper-tier carrier. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own registers.
- A charity collecting items must be on the register too, as a lower-tier carrier.
- A scrap metal collector can be checked on the register of scrap metal dealers.
- If you take it to a private waste site yourself, ask for its environmental permit or registered exemption number and check it with the Environment Agency.
If you give waste to someone who can't legally take it and you didn't check, GOV.UK says you could get a fixed penalty notice from the council, or be prosecuted and face a higher penalty. I'd check the register on the day you book, and be wary of anyone who can't give you a registration number.
Get rubbish removal quotes
Rubbish removal is priced by the load, with some items charged separately.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does rubbish removal cost?
On our estimates, £60 to £80 for a minimum load, £120 to £190 for a medium load and £250 to £350 for a large van load.
What is the minimum price for rubbish removal?
About £60 to £80 for a minimum load of a few bags or one item, on our estimates.
What's the cheapest way to get rid of rubbish?
Your council's bins and the tip, a council bulky collection for big items, handing old electricals back to the shop when you buy new, and giving away anything reusable.
How do I check a rubbish collector is legitimate?
Look them up on the register of waste carriers: a private collector should be upper tier. You can be fined if your waste is fly-tipped and you didn't check.
Is a skip cheaper than a rubbish collection?
A skip costs about £230 to £350 a week on our estimates. A small or medium collection costs less than that on our estimates. For rubbish that builds up over several days, I'd still use a skip.
How we priced thisView sources (1, 1 official)
Rules come from the legislation and official guidance, read at source. Prices are our estimates: we check them against trade price data, retailer shelf prices and specialists' price lists, then build them up from their parts so the totals add up. Below are the sources behind the page; the trade price guides we only compare against aren’t listed. Where sources disagreed, we've said so. More on our method.
- OfficialDispose of household waste, GOV.UK. Checked 15 Oct 2026.
