Worldwide skip size estimator

Skip Size Estimator

Estimate the right skip size for your job from a waste breakdown - general, wood, metal, garden, soil/rubble, concrete or plasterboard. A live fill visual shows how close you are to the safe-fill line, with cautions for heavy waste and plasterboard segregation built in.

Metre2 Skip Size Estimator's Estimate tab showing a waste item list, a filling skip visual, and a recommended midi skip

Skip Size Estimator, in practice

The filling skip visual on the Estimate tab, and the Skip Guide reference table.

A live filling skip visual

Add waste items and watch a skip-shaped fill gauge rise toward a dashed safe-fill line - a genuinely different way to see a job's total volume, not just a number.

Seven waste categories

General/mixed, wood, metal, garden, soil & rubble, concrete & hardcore, and plasterboard - each item gets its own category and volume.

Heavy waste and plasterboard cautions

A high share of soil, rubble or concrete flags the weight-limit caution many providers apply; any plasterboard flags a segregation reminder, automatically.

Seven common skip sizes

Mini through to 40-yard RoRo, each with a typical use and a rough bin-bag equivalent, in a dedicated Skip Guide tab you can browse any time.

Metric or imperial, one toggle

Enter and read every volume in cubic yards or cubic metres - the whole job recalculates instantly when you switch.

Copy, export and sample jobs

Copy a plain-text summary or export the whole job as a standalone HTML file, or load a rotating sample job to see the app in action. Light/dark theme remembers your choice.

How it compares to HIPPO Waste

HIPPO is a well-known national UK skip hire brand with a free online skip-size guide. It's built to lead into booking a skip through HIPPO rather than to be a neutral standalone calculator - here's how a dedicated estimator tool compares.

Feature Skip Size Estimator HIPPO Waste
Pricing model One-off purchase after a free trial Free guide, tied to booking a skip through HIPPO
Works fully offline
Neutral - usable whichever skip company you book with
Visual "filling" estimate reflecting your specific waste mix
Heavy waste/plasterboard segregation cautions ~
Instant online quote and booking
Requires a postcode/personal details to get an answer
Sample jobs and copy/export summary

Comparison based on HIPPO's publicly listed skip size guide as of August 2026 (hippowaste.co.uk) - pricing and availability change over time, so check hippowaste.co.uk for current details. HIPPO is a trademark of its respective owner; this comparison is for informational purposes and isn't sponsored by or affiliated with HIPPO.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to install anything to use Skip Size Estimator?

Skip Size Estimator is a Windows desktop app, free to try from the Microsoft Store.

Does my Skip Size Estimator account work with Vector and Forma?

Yes - Skip Size Estimator uses the same shared Metre2 account as Vector, Forma and every other Keystone app. Sign in once and it works everywhere.

Is this a guarantee my waste will fit, or a booking service?

No - it's an approximate sizing guide based on commonly-used UK skip capacities and a standard safe-fill margin, not a booking service or a weight-limit guarantee. Actual sizes, fill rules and weight limits vary by skip hire provider and local council - always confirm with your chosen supplier before ordering.

Why does it flag plasterboard separately?

Most UK skip hire firms require plasterboard to be segregated into its own skip, because it can release hydrogen sulfide gas in landfill if mixed with other waste. The app flags this automatically whenever a plasterboard item is added.

Ready to try Skip Size Estimator?