Grab Hire across the East Midlands

Grab hire uses a lorry fitted with a hydraulic arm and bucket, known as the grab, to lift loose waste straight off the ground and into the lorry's own body. There is no skip to drop off and come back for. The lorry arrives, the operator loads the pile, and the waste leaves with the lorry in a single visit.

Most grab lorries are large eight-wheelers, which typically carry around 16 tonnes per load, considerably more heavy waste than a builder's skip can take. Some firms also run smaller six-wheel grabs that suit tighter streets but carry less, so it is worth asking which vehicle the provider plans to send.

Grab hire comes into its own when a job produces a lot of heavy, loose material at once: digging footings for an extension, lifting an old driveway or patio, clearing a demolished garden wall or outbuilding, or landscaping that leaves a mountain of soil and turf. A load or two from a grab lorry can replace a whole run of skip swaps, and you only book the lorry once the pile is ready.

It also helps when there is nowhere sensible to put a skip. The grab can usually reach over a front wall, hedge or fence, so the pile can sit in a front garden or behind a boundary rather than on the road, and nothing is left standing outside overnight. If your waste will build up slowly over days or weeks, or it is mostly bags and furniture, a skip or a rubbish removal crew is usually the better fit.

Grab lorries are built for loose, bulky material: soil, clay, sand, rubble, brick, concrete, hardcore, stone, turf, hedge cuttings and branches. Many providers also take mixed builders' waste. Clean, single-material loads such as soil or hardcore on their own are often priced differently from mixed waste, so keep materials apart where you can and describe the pile honestly when you ask for quotes.

Some waste has to stay out of the load. Plasterboard usually needs to be kept separate, and hazardous waste, including asbestos, needs a specialist contractor. Liquids, paint, oils, gas bottles, tyres and electrical items do not belong in a grab load either, and soil containing invasive plants such as Japanese knotweed needs specialist handling. If you are unsure about anything in the pile, mention it and the provider will advise.

The lorry parks on the road or a hardstanding, puts down its stabiliser legs and swings the arm over to the pile. The pile needs to be within reach of the grab arm, often around 6 metres from where the lorry stands, but reach varies between vehicles, so check with the provider. Overhead cables, phone lines and overhanging trees can get in the way, and the lorry needs firm, level ground where it stops.

Because no skip is left on the highway, grab hire does not usually need a skip permit. The waste itself should be piled on your own land, as leaving soil or rubble on a pavement or road generally needs council permission. The lorry also has to stop somewhere legal and safe while it loads, so flag yellow lines, bus lanes, residents' parking and narrow roads when you enquire.

Grab hire is usually priced per load. The type of waste is the biggest variable, followed by access and how many loads you need, and bigger jobs such as a full garden dig or a yard clearance can often be quoted as a set of loads. The more detail you give up front, including what is in the pile, roughly how big it is, how far it sits from the road and any overhead obstacles, the more accurate the quotes will be.

We do not run grab lorries ourselves. We pass your request to independent grab hire firms that cover your postcode, they come back to you with prices and availability, and you choose whether to go ahead. The provider you book carries out the work and is responsible for taking the waste to a licensed site.