Do Skips With Doors And Covers Affect Skip Hire Prices?
If you’re searching for skip hire in Swansea and wondering, do skips with doors and cover affect skip hire prices? – you’re asking the right kind of question. The features of a skip do more than just make loading easier – they can affect the hire cost, availability, and even whether it’s the right choice for your job.
We’ve had plenty of customers in areas like Gorseinon and Sketty ask for a skip with doors or covers – and we always walk them through how that changes the overall skip hire price. Sometimes it’s worth the extra. Other times, it’s money better saved.
Let’s break it down so you can make an informed choice before you book.
Why Some Skips Have Doors or Covers
Not all skips are built the same. While your standard open 6 or 8-yard skip works for most jobs, certain situations call for a bit more.
Skips with doors:
These have drop-down doors on one end so you can wheelbarrow or walk heavy materials straight in. This makes it easier to fill a skip safely. Ideal for:
- Soil, hardcore, or rubble jobs
- Elderly customers who can’t lift items
- Sites with ramps or barrows
Skips with covers:
These are usually used in commercial or city-centre settings to:
- Prevent fly-tipping overnight
- Keep rubbish dry (especially cardboard)
- Avoid smells or litter blowing out
But how do these features affect skip hire prices? Let’s get into that.
Yes – They Usually Cost a Bit More
The truth is, yes – skips with doors or covers can cost more than standard skips. Here’s why:
Limited availability
We only have a limited number of skips with these features. Demand can bump up the price, especially in busy seasons.
Additional handling
Doors require regular maintenance. Covered skips often need different delivery equipment or more driver care.
Longer hire times
Customers often take more time with door-access skips, especially for jobs that involve barrow loading.
Example: A customer in Killay, doing a garden landscaping project, needed skip hire for soil to move two tonnes of it. The skip with a drop-down door made the job easier – but the price was around 10–15% higher than a standard 6-yarder.
When It’s Worth Paying Extra
We don’t recommend paying extra unless it actually benefits your job. But here’s when we’ve seen it save customers time, money, or stress:
- Heavy ground-level loading: If you’re filling with rubble or wet clay, being able to walk it in saves your back.
- Narrow access: Some driveways in Uplands are tight – having a skip with doors can reduce the need for high lifting.
- Fly-tipping hotspots: If your skip’s going on the street overnight, a covered skip helps prevent strangers from dumping their waste into yours.
In these cases, the added skip hire price is often balanced out by labour savings, fewer health risks, or avoiding overfill fines.
When a Standard Skip Will Do
If you’re just chucking in old furniture, garden clippings, or DIY offcuts – a regular open skip is fine.
We had a job in Penlan where a customer requested a door skip for general waste. After chatting, they realised they didn’t need one and saved £30 by going with the standard model.
Always ask before you book – we’ll help match the right skip to your job.
What Else Affects Skip Hire Prices?
Doors and covers are just one part of the puzzle. Other things that affect skip hire prices include:
- Skip size – A 4-yard costs less than an 8-yard, naturally.
- Waste type – Mixed waste is more expensive to dispose of than hardcore or soil-only.
- Location – Access, permits, and distance can all play a part.
- Hire duration – Longer hires may add to the total cost.
For more on this, you can check our guide to skip hire Swansea prices.
Final Word
So, do skips with doors and covers affect skip hire prices? Yes – but only slightly, and usually for good reason. If your job involves heavy loads, tricky access, or vulnerable placement, it’s often a worthwhile investment.
If you’re unsure what kind of skip you need – or whether it’s worth paying more for doors or covers – just give us a call. We’ll give you honest advice based on your job, your location, and your budget.
