How much does grab hire cost in the UK?
A Grab hire costs £160 to £420 in the UK, typically around £260 per grab load. What moves the price most is lorry size, so a simpler job sits near the bottom of that range and a larger or higher-spec one near the top. Prices reviewed June 2026.
Grab hire usually costs about £160 to £420 per load, with £260 a fair typical figure for an 8 wheel lorry of soil and rubble. Clean inert muck-away sits at the lower end, while mixed or part-contaminated loads and London jobs run to the top.
Grab hire cost calculator
Use the calculator to price your Grab hire in 2026. Adjust the options and area for a UK cost range. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Grab hire cost breakdown
Typical Grab hire costs, by option:
| Load size and waste type | Typical UK cost |
|---|---|
| 6 wheel grab, clean inert muck-away (soil, rubble, hardcore) | £160 to £260 |
| 8 wheel grab, inert soil and rubble load | £220 to £340 |
| 8 wheel grab, mixed or part-contaminated load | £300 to £420 |
What's included in the price?
Typical Grab hire prices include:
- The grab lorry, driver and hydraulic grab arm
- Loading the waste straight from your site or driveway, with no carrying by you
- Haulage and tipping of one full load, usually 12 to 16 tonnes
- Disposal and recycling of inert waste such as soil, rubble, hardcore and concrete
- One reach from the kerb, so the muck needs to sit within about 6 metres of the lorry
- Waste transfer paperwork for your records
What changes the price?
The things that move Grab hire prices most:
Lorry size, a 6 wheeler carrying around 12 tonnes or an 8 wheeler around 16 tonnes
Your region, with London and the South East dearest and the North, Wales and Scotland cheapest
The type of waste, since clean inert soil and rubble tip cheaply while mixed or contaminated loads cost more
How accessible the pile is, as the grab arm needs to reach the waste from a road or hard standing
Distance from the site to the nearest licensed tip, which drives the haulage cost
Whether the load is full, since you pay per load whether the lorry leaves full or half empty
How the price is built up
The per-load price bundles the lorry and driver, the drive to and from your site, and the gate fee to tip and recycle the waste. Waste type drives much of the gap, since clean inert soil, rubble and concrete tip cheaply while mixed or part-contaminated loads cost far more per tonne. Region matters too, as gate fees and haulage are dearer in and around London. You pay for the whole load whether the lorry leaves full or half empty, so a brimmed load is always the best value. Grab hire is a waste service, not a trade, so the price is one flat fee for the lorry, the driver, haulage and tipping rather than separate labour and materials. The only work at your end is having the muck piled within reach of the grab arm.
Ways to keep the cost down
- Pile the muck within about 6 metres of where the lorry can park, since anything out of the grab arm's reach cannot be loaded.
- Keep the waste clean and inert. Soil, rubble and concrete tip cheaply, so keep out plasterboard, plastic and general rubbish that push the load into a dearer band.
- Fill the load. You pay per grab whether it leaves full or half empty, so time the collection for when you have a full lorry's worth ready.
- Compare grab hire against two or three skips for heavy waste, since one grab load often carries more tonnage for less money.
Does where you live change the cost?
In London, a Grab hire typically costs around £340 per grab load, about 30% above the UK average of £260. In the North, Scotland and Wales the guide figure is nearer £240.
| Region | From | Typical | Up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midlands / East (UK average) | £160 | £260 | £420 |
| London | £210 | £340 | £550 |
| South East / South West | £180 | £300 | £480 |
| North / Scotland / Wales | £150 | £240 | £390 |
Guide prices per grab load, scaled with the same regional multipliers as the calculator. Not quotes.
Grab hire cost in major UK cities
| City | From | Typical | Up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast | £140 | £220 | £360 |
| Birmingham | £160 | £250 | £410 |
| Bristol | £180 | £290 | £460 |
| Cardiff | £150 | £240 | £390 |
| Edinburgh | £160 | £250 | £410 |
| Glasgow | £140 | £230 | £380 |
| Leeds | £150 | £240 | £390 |
| Liverpool | £150 | £240 | £390 |
| London | £210 | £340 | £550 |
| Manchester | £150 | £250 | £400 |
| Newcastle | £140 | £230 | £380 |
| Sheffield | £150 | £240 | £390 |
City guide estimates, scaled by local labour costs. Indicative averages for Grab hire, not quotes.
London and the South East carry the highest rates because tip gate fees and haulage cost more, while the North, Wales and Scotland are usually the cheapest.
Common questions
How much does grab hire cost in the UK?
Grab hire costs roughly £160 to £420 per load, and the price turns mainly on lorry size, waste type and region. A 6 wheel grab carrying around 12 tonnes is about £160 to £260, and an 8 wheel grab carrying around 16 tonnes is about £220 to £420. Clean soil and rubble sit at the lower end, while mixed or part-contaminated loads and London jobs reach the top. A typical 8 wheeler of inert muck-away lands near £260.
Is grab hire cheaper than a skip?
For heavy soil, rubble and concrete, grab hire is usually the cheaper of the two. A grab lorry carries 12 to 16 tonnes in one load, far more than a skip, which hits its weight limit long before it looks full when packed with rubble. One grab load often does the work of two or three part-filled builders skips, and no road permit is needed. A skip still wins when the waste is light, mixed or you need to load it slowly over a week.
What waste can a grab lorry take?
Grab lorries are built for heavy inert waste, so they take soil, subsoil, clay, rubble, hardcore, broken concrete and tarmac. Clean inert loads tip cheapest. Mixed muck with some brick, timber and green waste is fine but costs more, and part-contaminated soil is dearer again. What they will not take is general household rubbish, plasterboard, fridges, mattresses, tyres or any hazardous waste, which need a skip or a proper disposal route.
Do I need to load the grab lorry myself?
No, you do not load a grab lorry yourself. The point of it is the hydraulic grab arm, which scoops the waste straight off your site or driveway, so there is no carrying or filling for you. What you do need is the muck piled within about 6 metres of where the lorry parks, since the arm cannot reach further. Anything beyond its reach has to be moved closer first or it will be left behind.
Do I need a council permit for grab hire?
Usually not. The grab lorry parks on the road only for the 15 to 30 minutes it takes to load, so it counts as loading rather than storage and needs no skip permit. That is one reason grab hire can work out cheaper than a skip left on the street. If access is tight or the road is busy the firm may arrange traffic management, which adds to the cost, but for most home jobs no permit applies.
How much does an 8 wheel grab load hold?
A 6 wheel grab holds around 12 tonnes and an 8 wheel grab around 16 tonnes, which is roughly 12 to 16 cubic yards of soil and rubble. Because heavy waste hits a skip's weight limit early, one 8 wheel grab load carries about what two to three builders skips would take of the same material. That is why grab hire is quoted per load and works out well for excavation spoil, driveway dig-outs and landscaping muck-away.
These are independent guide prices based on typical UK jobs in 2026. Your actual cost depends on your property, spec, access and where you live. Always get at least three written quotes before committing.