There are only two options that rule the conversation when people in London are looking for means to manage waste during construction, landscaping, clearance, or renovation, i.e., skip hire and grab lorry hire. It is true that both these services work best in helping people get rid of waste, but they serve different purposes. Choosing one of these two depends on the type of job that needs to be done. The problem with a city like London is that choosing one over the other, which is not suitable, can lead to increased costs, inconvenience, delays, and even fines, given a strictly regulated city like London. This blog breaks down all the pros and cons involved in this process to help people choose the right one when it comes to getting their job done. Whether grab lorry hire in London is good or skip hire works the best depends on the type of job only.
Understanding The Basics
What Is Skip Hire All About?
The process of skip hire requires the placement of a metal container, called the skip, at a specified location. The size of this metal container may vary based on the needs of the client. This skip is left at the specified location, where waste and other materials are filled for a specified period of time. Once the skip is full, the company returns to the site and collects the waste or other materials for disposal. This is a rather stationary item that remains on the site until the skip is full. Some of the commonest and most suitable uses of skip hire include:
- Office house clearances
- Home renovations
- Garden clean-ups
- Small to medium-scale construction projects.
What Is Grab Lorry Hire In London?
These are specialised vehicles fitted with hydraulic arms that can collect and remove loose waste directly from the site. Whether the waste needs to be collected from the ground or over the fence, these lorries can very easily do that. Unlike skip hires, these vehicles don’t stay at the site; rather, they arrive, load the materials, and leave, which makes these services not only effective but also very quick. Some of the most common uses of these vehicles include:
- Site clearances
- Projects with a limited space or where no skip permit is allowed
- Bulk waste removal
- Muck away
A Detailed Comparison Between Skip Hire And Grab Lorry Hire In London
In order to make things even simpler, let us have a look at the areas where one of these means excels over the other.
1. Waste Type And Volume
- Though skips have a fixed volume, they work best for moderate amounts of waste and especially in those cases when the waste is accumulated gradually over time. It is the most suitable means for removing mixed waste.
- Grab lorries can load and carry significantly large volumes of waste that can go up to 16 tonnes. These lorries are the best solutions when it comes to removing heavy waste like soil, hardcore, concrete, etc.
2. Space Requirements
- For skips, some additional setting is required because they need a flat and accessible surface. And when it needs to stand on a public road, an additional permit is required for that. Getting the work done with skip hire is not possible in difficult-to-reach places.
- Grab lorry hire in London, on the other hand, can work with difficult-to-reach places pretty easily. Their hydraulic arm is something that enables them to reach over the fences and walls into the tightly packed streets of London and other such regions. As the hydraulic arms of these vehicles can very easily reach up to 7 meters, they work perfectly when it comes to removing waste from an area with limited or restricted access.
3. Urgency And Timeframe
- Skip hire seems like a rather slow option as compared to grab lorries, simply because they work best when the waste is accumulated over time. The skip is placed at the required spot and is filled at a particular pace. Once the skip is filled, collection can be scheduled.
- Grab lorries, on the other hand, work in a way that removes the waste or other materials either on the same day or the next day. This means it works best when the client needs quick services, like after demolition or excavation.
4. Regulations And Permits
- In terms of skip hire, permits are needed in most cases because they are usually parked on public roads, and roads in London are narrow. Such a requirement leads to additional fees and efforts. Signage, safety, and skip lighting are required when the skip stands on the road.
- In the case of grab lorries, no such permits and signage are required because they don’t remain on the site; rather, they visit the site and clear it within a time. The working style of grab lorries is more like a delivery truck that comes, removes waste, and drives off.
5. Impact On The Environment
- In this regard, the grab lorries have a slight edge over the skip hires because they deliver the waste directly to the processing centres. Though both these means are heavily regulated, grab lorries can complete the job quickly in just one trip, while in the case of skip hires, two trips are required for disposing of a skip full of load.
6. Price Comparison
- Skip hires seem like a cheap option, and that is true for smaller projects. But the overall price of the job increases significantly as the volume of material increases.
- Grab lorry hire in London from DDO Haulage might seem like a more expensive option upfront, but when the overall cost is compared with the quickness of the service and volume of waste carried in one trip, along with the convenience of working with difficult locations, it would turn out to be a cheap and convenient option.
Conclusion: Grab Lorry Hire In London Offers Better Value For Money In Almost All Cases
Going for these means getting the ability to move more materials in less amount of time, even from locations, where working with other means is not possible. With a new fleet of grab lorries, citizens of London can now get their work done most conveniently.



