Should You Cover a Skip in the Rain?
Yes, covering your skip in wet weather is a good idea. A simple tarpaulin keeps rain out, stops lighter waste from blowing away and makes it less tempting for other people to add their own rubbish. It is particularly worth doing in autumn and winter, or if your skip will be on site for a week or more.
Rain Makes Waste Heavier
Many common materials soak up water. Cardboard, soil, plasterboard, carpets, mattresses and garden waste can all become much heavier when wet, and in a skip that is already full of heavy material, the extra weight can make it harder to collect safely. Wet cardboard and paper are also harder to recycle. Keeping the skip covered helps your waste stay lighter and cleaner, which is explained further in our guide to skip weight limits.
Stopping Waste From Blowing Away
In windy weather, packaging, plastic sheeting and insulation can easily blow out of an open skip and end up in neighbours' gardens or across the road. A cover held down securely prevents this and keeps your site tidy. Load lighter items underneath heavier ones as you fill the skip, and never weigh the cover down with loose bricks balanced on top, which could fall or be thrown off.
Keeping Other People's Rubbish Out
An open skip on a drive or street can attract unwanted additions overnight, and you may end up paying for someone else's waste, or for items that are not allowed in a skip. A cover makes the skip look closed and is a simple deterrent. Our guide on stopping other people from using your skip has more ideas.
How to Cover a Skip Properly
Use a heavy-duty tarpaulin large enough to overhang the sides, and tie it down using the skip's lifting points or secure it with bungee cords. Make sure the waste is level with or below the top of the skip before you cover it, because a cover is not a way to hide an overfilled skip, and a skip loaded above the sides still cannot be collected. Remove the cover before your collection day so the driver can check the load.
Winter Skip Hire Tips
In frosty or snowy weather, keep the area around the skip clear and gritted so it is safe to load, and make sure our driver can reach it on collection day. Skips on the road must be lit at night, which matters even more on long winter evenings. Protecting your drive with boards under the skip is also worth considering on soft or wet ground, as our guide on protecting your driveway from a skip explains. If your project is held up by bad weather, our guide on how long you can keep a skip explains how extensions work.
