Fill it yourself, on your own clock.
A skip is the cheapest per-cubic-metre option for a job that spans days, but only if you get two decisions right: the size, and the waste type. Get either wrong and the savings evaporate in overage fees and sorting charges.
Pick your size
Rough bag-equivalents to size by. When in doubt, send the provider photos: a slightly bigger bin is cheaper than a second one.
Bathroom reno
Roughly 20–30 bin bags. A bathroom strip-out, a small deck demolition, or a single-room clearout.
Kitchen reno
Roughly 30–45 bin bags. Kitchen cabinetry and benchtops, a garage tidy, or a medium garden clearance.
Whole-house cleanout
Roughly 60–90 bin bags. A full house clearout, a large renovation, or mixed household + renovation waste.
Big reno / demo
Roughly 90–135 bin bags. Major renovation, demolition waste, or a whole-property clearance. Check access first: these need room.
The waste-type decision
Household + reno mix
The default stream and the priciest per tonne. Fine for mixed household and renovation waste, but keep heavy fill and green waste out of it.
Concrete, bricks, soil
Priced separately and cheaper, when it’s clean. One bag of general rubbish in a hardfill load can trigger sorting fees that wipe out the difference.
Prunings, clippings, stumps
Garden waste belongs in its own stream at its own lower rate. A garden-heavy skip booked as general is paying premium rates for prunings.
Wellington providers, compared
Seven operators with published or quote-based pricing. The hire rate is the small number; disposal fees and weight rules are where quotes diverge.
Rules that change the real cost
Weight limits are real. Every skip carries a weight allowance; overage is charged per tonne. Soil, concrete and bricks hit limits fast. For heavy fill, ask about a hardfill bin or a lower-weight general bin and price both.
Placement may need approval. A skip on your own driveway or section is fine. On the berm or road reserve it needs council approval. Ask the provider who arranges it before the bin lands.
The hire period is part of the price. Typical hire runs 4–7 days with daily rates after. A job that drags over three weekends is a cost line. Book the window you’ll actually fill, not the cheapest headline.
Common mistakes
Booking before checking access and placement: a 9m³ skip needs real room, and tight Wellington driveways rule out the big bins. Measure the spot before you pick the size.
Mixing hardfill with general rubbish: clean hardfill is priced separately and cheaper. One load of concrete in a general skip can trigger sorting fees that dwarf the hire.
Underestimating weight: soil, concrete, bricks and renovation debris are heavy. Skips carry weight limits; overage charges per tonne add up faster than a bigger bin would have.
Paying full-service prices for a slow cleanout: if the job spans days and you can load it yourself, a 3–7 day bin is almost always cleaner and cheaper per cubic metre.
Putting green waste into general rubbish: green waste has its own cheaper stream. A garden-heavy skip booked as general is paying premium rates for prunings.
Forgetting the permit question: a skip on the berm or road reserve needs council approval. Ask the provider who handles it: some do, some leave it to you.
FAQ
How much does a skip bin cost in Wellington?
Published prices run roughly $340–$620 depending on size and waste type: RBC lists online booking from $350–$600 with admin and weight rules, and Daily Waste from $340–$550 by size. Operators note the bulk of a skip’s price is the disposal fee, which is why waste type and weight matter more than the hire rate.
What size skip do I need?
As a rough guide: 2m³ for a bathroom strip-out (20–30 bags), 3m³ for a kitchen reno (30–45 bags), 6m³ for a whole-house cleanout (60–90 bags), 9m³ for major renovation or demo (90–135 bags). When in doubt, providers will size it from photos, and a slightly bigger bin is cheaper than a second one.
Skip or full-service?
Skip if you can do the lifting and the job spans days: it’s the cheapest per cubic metre for renovations and heavy fill, but you carry the sorting and the weight risk. Full-service if the load is heavy, bulky, urgent, or inside the house. Mixed loads: pull the free-stream items out first.
What can’t go in a skip?
Paint, chemicals, gas bottles, batteries, asbestos and tyres all need separate handling: most go to the hazardous-waste stream, and asbestos needs a specialist. Ask the provider for their prohibited list before you load, not after the truck arrives.
Do I need a council permit?
If the skip sits on your driveway or section, no. If it goes on the berm or road reserve, it needs council approval. Ask the provider who handles the permit: some arrange it, some pass it to you.
Size it from the bag guide, then get quotes from RBC, Daily Waste and Low Cost Bins with the waste type stated up front. Keep hardfill clean, keep green waste in its own stream, check the weight allowance before you load soil or concrete, and ask who handles the permit if the bin sits on the berm.