//UK skip permit costs

Skip permit costs across the UK: what 67 councils charge in 2026

Every council sets its own fee for putting a skip on the road, and nobody had put them side by side since 2019. We compiled the fees from 67 council websites, last updated 10 October 2026 and normalised the figures to the cost of a two-week permit, the length of a typical domestic hire.

What does your council charge for a skip permit?

Enter your postcode and we'll look up your highway authority (via the free postcodes.io service) and show its permit fee. Or type a council name.

£72Median cost of a 14-day skip permit across 67 councils

£240Most expensive: Herefordshire Council

£15Cheapest: North Tyneside Council

16xGap between the dearest and cheapest council for the same two weeks

The headline findings

The same two weeks costs £15 in North Tyneside and £240 in Herefordshire. That is a 16-fold difference for an identical piece of admin.
17 of the 67 councils charge £100 or more for a fortnight. 16 charge under £50.
London averages £125.07 against £79.71 everywhere else, and that is before parking bay suspensions, which in Camden add £54.68 to £103.90 a day on top.
The North East is the cheapest region at an average of £28.38, with East of England the dearest region on our sample at £200.
North Yorkshire ranks 20 of 67 at £91.42, dearer than Camden and than every council covered in the North East, Yorkshire and the North West.
58 of 67 councils only accept applications from skip operators, not householders. If a skip company tells you to sort the permit yourself, check the council page.
Seven councils charge an early-start or fast-track fee for anything under three to five days notice, from £15 in Worcestershire to £53 in York and Kensington.

Hiring in Scarborough?

The North Yorkshire fee is included in every quote we give. Skip on the driveway and you avoid it entirely.

Get a fixed price

Average permit cost by region

Map of Great Britain showing average 14-day skip permit cost by region, from £29 in the North East to £200 in the East of England — The East of England figure rests on one council so far. Free to reuse with a link.

Cost of a 14-day permit, every council

Bars show the cost of keeping a skip on the road for two weeks. North Yorkshire is in green.

By region

Average 14-day cost of the councils covered in each region. Sample sizes are small outside the North West and West Midlands, so treat the regional figures as indicative.

Region	Councils	Average 14-day cost
East of England	1	£200
South East	4	£130
London	7	£125.07
West Midlands	7	£115.13
South West	5	£105.10
Wales	3	£97
Scotland	6	£79.96
East Midlands	6	£67.17
North West	10	£48.95
Yorkshire and the Humber	14	£42.05
North East	4	£28.38

The full table

Click a column header to sort. "Published fee" is what the council page says; "14-day cost" is our normalised figure (see methodology). Every row links to the council page it came from.

#	Council	Region	Published fee	Covers	14-day cost	Early start	Extension	Who applies	Notes	Source
1	Herefordshire Council	West Midlands	£128	7 days	£240	–	£112 per further week	Skip operator	£275 retrospective; 10 days processing	Council source
2	Walsall Council	West Midlands	£85.40	7 days	£211.40	–	Charged per day; £18/day for weeks 2 and beyond	Skip supplier	Charged at £12.20 per day on non-traffic-sensitive streets (7 days shown); £18/day on traffic-sensitive streets	Council source
3	Thurrock Council	East of England	£100	7 days	£200	–	Same rate per further week	Skip company only	Charged per whole or part week	Council source
4	Oxfordshire County Council	South East	£190	1 calendar month	£190	–	£190 per further month	Skip owner or supplier	£190 late renewal (under 5 working days notice); £300 fine plus £51/hr enforcement if unlicensed	Council source
5	Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole Council	South West	£78	7 days	£156	–	–	Registered skip operators	£78 from 1 April 2026 (was £75)	Council source
6	London Borough of Waltham Forest	London	£155	14 days	£155	–	New permit after 14 days	Registered skip owner or supplier	Registered skip owners/suppliers only; maximum licence period 14 days	Council source
7	Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea	London	£153	1 month	£153	53 fast track	£153 renewal per month	Skip company	RORO not allowed; £53 retrospective	Council source
8	London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham	London	£150	14 days	£150	–	New application if expired	Skip operator	Parking bay suspension needed first	Council source
9	Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead	South East	£90	7 days	£130	–	£130 for 2 weeks; £190 3 weeks; £250 4 weeks	Registered skip companies (£120 annual registration)	10 working days notice; £650 fine unlicensed	Council source
10	Torfaen County Borough Council	Wales	£64	7 days	£128	–	–	Skip company only	£10m liability insurance required; £209 non-compliance	Council source
11	London Borough of Islington	London	£127	1 calendar month	£127	–	–	Companies with waste carrier licence and £10m insurance	From January 2026; £85.40 per day extra to occupy a parking bay	Council source
12	Royal Borough of Greenwich	London	£114	30 days	£114	–	–	Approved skip companies only	£190 charge for unlicensed skip	Council source
13	Somerset Council	South West	£109	Per licence	£109	–	Extension form available	Accredited contractors only	10 working days notice; CPI-linked increase	Council source
14	London Borough of Southwark	London	£105	1 calendar month	£105	–	–	Approved skip companies only	7 working days notice; no licences on red routes or in pay and display bays; 30% cancellation fee	Council source
15	Bracknell Forest Council	South East	£60	7 days	£100	–	£40 per additional week	Registered skip operators	£500 if no licence	Council source
16	East Dunbartonshire Council	Scotland	£50	7 days	£100	–	£40 per month extension up to 3 months; then £75 new permit	Skip owner	Permit allows up to one month; 7 days notice; inspector visits	Council source
17	Wokingham Borough Council	South East	£100	14 days	£100	–	£70 per further week	Registered skip companies	£53 per week parking dispensation if restrictions apply	Council source
18	East Renfrewshire Council	Scotland	£94	28 days	£94	–	–	Skip owner	£94 additional retrospective permit; 10 working days notice	Council source
19	Glasgow City Council	Scotland	£55	7 days	£91.75	–	£36.75 per additional week	Skip hire company	2026/27 charge outside city centre; £92 first week in city centre; £142 fixed penalty	Council source
20	North Yorkshire Council	Yorkshire and the Humber	£91.42	14 days	£91.42	35.56 if within 3 days	No extensions; new £91.42 licence	Registered skip operators only	Inspection fee £69.83; £196.80 unlicensed	Council source
21	Angus Council	Scotland	£90	1 month	£90	–	–	Skip hire company on behalf of customer	£155 per month on traffic sensitive routes; 10 to 20 working days notice	Council source
22	Bristol City Council	South West	£90	1 calendar month	£90	–	New application per month	Skip owner only	£144 per month retrospective; 5 working days notice; applies to skip bags and RORO too	Council source
23	Cheshire East Council	North West	£45	7 days	£90	–	Multiple weeks can be applied for	Skip operators only	£440 plus fee if deposited without licence; 2 working days notice	Council source
24	Leicestershire County Council	East Midlands	£45	7 days	£90	–	£45 per further week	Skip operators only	Permit valid up to 14 days; 3 full working days notice; skip removed within 2 days of being filled	Council source
25	Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council	West Midlands	£89.50	1 calendar month	£89.50	–	–	Registered skip operators	No VAT; 2 clear working days notice	Council source
26	Dorset Council	South West	£88.50	14 days	£88.50	–	£44.50 renewal per 14 days	Contractors only	Apply 2 weeks ahead; £88.50 if skip left after expiry	Council source
27	Cardiff Council	Wales	£44	7 days	£88	–	£88 for 28 days	Registered skip traders	£44 per 7-day skip licence, £88 per 28-day; operator licence required	Council source
28	Manchester City Council	North West	£42	7 days	£84	–	New permit	Registered skip operators (£175 annual registration)	No off-loaded skips in city centre (wait and load only); £10m insurance	Council source
29	Swindon Borough Council	South West	£82	21 days	£82	£104 emergency (under 5 working days)	New licence required	Skip hire company	£10m insurance; £75 breach charge	Council source
30	Nottinghamshire County Council (Via)	East Midlands	£40	7 days	£80	–	New application per 7 days	Skip companies	£40 retrospective permit; invoiced monthly	Council source
31	Worcestershire County Council	West Midlands	£45	7 days	£80	£25 urgency surcharge (within 2 days)	£35 per subsequent week	Contractor or skip company	£40 retrospective charge; up to 5 working days	Council source
32	Carmarthenshire County Council	Wales	£75	1 month	£75	–	–	Skip contractor	£214 per month to renew a lapsed licence; both valid to 31 March 2027	Council source
33	Birmingham City Council	West Midlands	£36	7 days	£72	–	New permit per week (up to 4 weeks)	Registered skip operators (free registration)	£238 per week retrospective permit	Council source
34	City of York Council	Yorkshire and the Humber	£72	14 days	£72	53 if under 3 days notice	£72 per further 14 days	Skip company	£261 penalty for unlicensed skip	Council source
35	London Borough of Camden	London	£71.50	14 days	£71.50	–	£103.68 for 4 weeks	Skip companies only	2026/27 fee; parking bay suspension £54.68 to £103.90 per day plus £66.66 admin on top if in a bay	Council source
36	Coventry City Council	West Midlands	£71	14 days	£71	£79 if under 3 working days notice	£53 per 14-day renewal	Skip owner or supplier	£210 retrospective licence	Council source
37	Derbyshire County Council	East Midlands	£65	7 days on A/B roads; 14 days elsewhere	£65	–	£60 to £65 per extension	Registered skip companies	£60 admin charge if found without permit	Council source
38	Midlothian Council	Scotland	£65	Per permit	£65	–	–	Person hiring the skip	Fee from 1 April 2026; 5 working days minimum; fixed penalty if placed without permission	Council source
39	Hull City Council	Yorkshire and the Humber	£32	7 days	£64	–	Extensions by email	Approved contractors only	Up to 3 working days to process	Council source
40	North Northamptonshire Council	East Midlands	£32	7 days	£64	–	Extensions available	Skip company	£160 per week extra in pedestrian areas of larger towns	Council source
41	West Northamptonshire Council	East Midlands	£27	7 days	£54	–	Extensions available	Skip company	£155 per week extra in pedestrian areas of larger towns	Council source
42	St Helens Borough Council	North West	£25	7 days	£50	–	£25 per further 7 days	Registered skip operators	–	Council source
43	Nottingham City Council	East Midlands	£50	Per application	£50	–	–	Skip company	2026/27 Highway Activity Licence fee schedule; £25 admin charge on invoices under £500; no duration stated	Council source
44	Wirral Council	North West	£48.50	14 days	£48.50	–	–	Registered companies	£32.50 for mini skips under 6 tonne; £48.50 extra if found without permit	Council source
45	City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council	Yorkshire and the Humber	£48	14 days	£48	–	New licence required	Registered skip companies only	Streets over 5.5m; narrow streets £48 per 6 days; £168 unlicensed	Council source
46	Liverpool City Council	North West	£44	Per skip	£44	–	–	Skip operator	£200 fine plus fee if no permit	Council source
47	Sefton Council	North West	£22	7 days	£44	–	New application per week	Skip owner or supplier	£41 per week in high congestion areas	Council source
48	Staffordshire County Council	West Midlands	£42	7 days on A/B/C roads; 14 days elsewhere	£42	28 fast track (3 days notice)	£42 renewal	Skip operator	Aims to issue within 5 working days	Council source
49	North Lincolnshire Council	Yorkshire and the Humber	£30	7 days	£41	–	£41 for 14 days; £81 for 28 days	Skip owner	5 working days to process	Council source
50	Salford City Council	North West	£40	28 days	£40	–	New application each 28 days (charged)	Registered skip companies (£186.84 registration)	£20.76 for domestic sites; £72.66 over 12 yd; unregistered companies pay double	Council source
51	Argyll and Bute Council	Scotland	£39	Per skip	£39	–	–	Skip owner	2026/27 charge	Council source
52	East Riding of Yorkshire Council	Yorkshire and the Humber	£39	14 days	£39	51 short notice	Renewal £28	Skip companies	Over 12 cubic yards £48; £280 unlicensed skip	Council source
53	Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council	Yorkshire and the Humber	£39	7 or 14 days	£39	–	New permit required	Approved companies only	£110 retrospective for unlicensed skip	Council source
54	Newcastle City Council	North East	£38	28 days	£38	–	New application	Skip hire company usually	Around 10 weekdays to process; £113 unauthorised/late fee; max 28 days	Council source
55	Lancashire County Council	North West	£36	1 month	£36	–	–	Registered skip companies	2 working days notice; aims to respond within 24 hours	Council source
56	Durham County Council	North East	£32.50	14 days	£32.50	–	£24.50 per further week	Skip operator	£288 fine plus backdated permit if placed first; tacit consent after 3 working days	Council source
57	Calderdale Council	Yorkshire and the Humber	£32.50	14 days	£32.50	–	New licence required	Skip companies only	Invoiced quarterly; apply 7 days ahead	Council source
58	Wakefield Council	Yorkshire and the Humber	£32.13	Per application	£32.13	–	–	Skip company	Council also runs its own skip-hire service including the licence	Council source
59	Kirklees Council	Yorkshire and the Humber	£32	14 days	£32	–	28-day licence £48	Registered skip companies only	Traffic-sensitive street 7-day £37; invoiced monthly	Council source
60	Leeds City Council	Yorkshire and the Humber	£31.60	Per application (dates specified)	£31.60	–	–	Registered skip companies only	Fee from the council's published 2024/25 application form; 2026/27 fee not published online at time of check	Council source
61	Gateshead Council	North East	£28	28 days	£28	–	–	Permit scheme members (£66 annual membership)	Higher fee for non-members	Council source
62	Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council	North West	£28	14 days	£28	–	–	Registered skip companies (£130 annual registration)	£114 for unregistered companies; £84 non-permit fee	Council source
63	Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council	Yorkshire and the Humber	£28	2 weeks	£28	–	New permit required	Companies only, not residents	–	Council source
64	Warrington Borough Council	North West	£25	Per permit	£25	–	–	Registered skip owner or supplier	Tacit consent after 28 days	Council source
65	Doncaster Council	Yorkshire and the Humber	£21	Per permit	£21	–	New permit required	Registered skip companies only	Highways occupancy charge; approved list	Council source
66	Sheffield City Council	Yorkshire and the Humber	£17	15 days	£17	–	£17 per extension	Registered skip operators (free registration)	Extra charges in pay-and-display bays or on yellow lines	Council source
67	North Tyneside Council	North East	£15	Per skip	£15	–	Extend by phone or email	Licensed skip operators	Tacit consent applies	Council source

Download the data (CSV)

Why the fee on your quote varies so much

Three things drive the number your skip company passes on.

Licence length. Some councils sell a week, some a fortnight, some a calendar month. A £40 weekly permit and a £90 monthly one look different but cost about the same over two weeks. That is why we normalised.
Extensions. North Yorkshire, Hammersmith and Fulham and Waltham Forest have no extension; you buy a whole new licence. Herefordshire charges £112 for a second week on top of £128 for the first. Others, like York and Tameside, simply repeat the original fee.
Add-ons. Parking bay suspensions in London and other controlled parking zones often cost more than the permit itself. Traffic-sensitive streets carry a premium in Walsall, Kirklees, Angus and Glasgow city centre. Retrospective permits for skips placed before approval are typically two to three times the standard fee.

Skip permit FAQs

Do I need a skip permit?

Only if the skip sits on the public highway: the road, a pavement or a verge. On a driveway or private land no permit is needed. Councils generally expect the skip on private space where any exists.

Who applies for the skip permit?

In most areas, including North Yorkshire, only registered skip operators can apply, and the fee is passed on within your quote. A minority of councils let householders apply directly; the table notes who can apply where the council states it.

How long does a skip permit last?

Most licences run 7, 14 or 28 days; 14 days is the most common. Extensions are often possible for a further fee, though some councils, including North Yorkshire, issue a new licence instead.

Why does the permit fee vary so much between councils?

The fee is set locally by each highway authority to recover its own administration and inspection costs, and there is no national cap. That is how the same two-week permit ranges from £15 in North Tyneside to £240 in Herefordshire.

What happens if a skip is put on the road without a permit?

The council can require its removal, remove it and charge the costs back, and prosecute under section 139 of the Highways Act 1980, with fines up to £1,000. Lighting and marking rules also apply at night.

Is the permit included in the skip hire price?

Usually quoted on top, since it only applies to on-road placements. When you get a quote from us we tell you the current North Yorkshire fee and arrange the licence; see our Scarborough permit guide.

Methodology

Every fee on this page comes from the council's own website or published fees schedule, linked on each row with the date it was last updated. We record the published fee and the period it covers, then normalise to a 14-day cost so councils that charge per week, per fortnight or per month can be compared like for like. Early-start, extension and retrospective charges are noted separately. Regional averages use the 14-day figure. The dataset covers 67 UK highway authorities and grows monthly, with a full refresh each April when new fees take effect. Corrections are welcome and applied with a note.

Download, reuse and press

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The data, map and figures are published under CC BY 4.0. Credit as "Source: Scarborough Skip Hire, UK skip permit costs" and link to https://scarboroughskiphire.com/blog/skip-permit-costs-uk/. That link is the only condition.

Download the dataset (CSV)Download the map (PNG)

Embed the map with the credit included:

<a href="https://scarboroughskiphire.com/blog/skip-permit-costs-uk/"><img src="https://scarboroughskiphire.com/images/skip-permit-costs-map-full.png" alt="Map of UK skip permit costs by region, 2026" width="1053" height="1493" style="max-width:100%;height:auto"></a>
<p>Source: <a href="https://scarboroughskiphire.com/blog/skip-permit-costs-uk/">UK skip permit costs, Scarborough Skip Hire</a></p>

Press: [email protected] for the full dataset, regional cuts or comment. Last updated October 2026; next full refresh April 2027.

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