Green City Waste Disposal
Pricing

How Much Does Rubbish Removal Cost in London? (2026 Prices)

By Diarmaid Sheehan

How Much Does Rubbish Removal Cost in London?

If you're Googling prices, you've probably already noticed that most waste removal companies make you call or fill in a form before they'll give you a number. We think that's daft. Here's what it actually costs.

Our Pricing by Load Size

Every job is priced by how much space your waste takes up on our truck. Here's the guide:

  • Minimum load (a few bags, small items) — from £80
  • Quarter load (small room clearance) — from £140
  • Half load (large room, garden clearance) — from £200
  • Three-quarter load (multi-room clearance) — from £280
  • Full load (full house or office clearance) — from £350

    • These prices include labour, loading, transport and responsible disposal. We don't charge VAT.

    What Costs Extra?

    Some items need specialist disposal and carry a surcharge on top of your load price:

  • Fridges and freezers — the refrigerant gas has to be professionally recovered before the unit can be scrapped
  • Mattresses — classified as hazardous waste by most recycling centres, so disposal fees are higher

    • We'll always tell you about surcharges before you agree to anything.

    How We Compare to a Skip

    A lot of people think a skip is the cheapest option. Once you add up the real costs, it usually isn't:

    Skip hire (typical London prices):

  • Mini skip (2 yards): £220–£280
  • Midi skip (4 yards): £280–£350
  • Builders skip (6 yards): £350–£450
  • Road permit (if no driveway): £30–£165 depending on borough
  • Waiting 3–7 days for delivery and collection
  • You load it yourself
  • Restricted items (mattresses, fridges, tyres, plasterboard, paint)

    • Man-and-van removal (our prices):

  • Half load: from £200
  • Full load: from £350
  • Same-day or next-day collection
  • We load everything for you
  • We take items a skip won't accept
  • No permit needed — we park, load and go

    • For most domestic jobs, man-and-van is faster, easier and the same price or cheaper.

    How We Compare to the Council

    Every London council offers a bulky waste collection service. It's cheap, but it comes with trade-offs:

  • Islington — £37 for up to 5 items, 5–10 working day wait
  • Camden — £37.50 for up to 6 items, booking required
  • Hackney — £37 for up to 5 items, collected from outside only
  • Haringey — £37 for up to 5 items
  • Barnet — £42 for up to 4 items

    • The catch: they won't enter your property. Everything has to be left at the front boundary. They won't carry items downstairs, through hallways or over gardens. And the wait is typically one to two weeks.

    If you've got a single item on the ground floor near the front door and you're not in a hurry, the council is good value. For anything bigger, heavier, upstairs, or urgent — you're better off calling us.

    What Affects the Price?

    A few things can push the price up or down:

    Makes it cheaper:

  • Good access (ground floor, wide doorways, close to where we park)
  • Everything ready to go when we arrive
  • Flexible on timing

    • Makes it cost more:

  • Difficult access (narrow stairs, basement, top-floor flat with no lift)
  • Hazardous items (fridges, paint, chemicals)
  • Large volumes requiring multiple trips

    • We always confirm the price before we start. If we turn up and the job is bigger than expected, we'll tell you the new price and let you decide.

    How to Get an Exact Quote

    The fastest way is to WhatsApp us a photo of what needs clearing. We'll send you a price back within the hour — no site visit needed for most jobs.

    You can also call us on 07309 718960 or fill in the quote form on this site.

    Why Choose Green City Waste?

  • Licensed waste carrier — CBU506357, registered with the Environment Agency
  • 9.98/10 on Checkatrade from 64 verified reviews
  • 5.0 on Google from 36 reviews
  • Same-day collection available
  • We sort and recycle everything we can — paper to mills, green waste to farms, metal to scrap yards
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    Get a Free Quote

    Upload a photo for an accurate quote — no site visit needed.

    Get Your Free Quote Today

    Tell us what needs clearing — send a photo on WhatsApp or fill in our form and we'll get back to you within the hour.

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