HOW TO HIRE · REMOVALS & STORAGE

How to hire a grab hire firm in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

A grab hire firm must be a registered waste carrier with an operator licence for its lorries. Check both, and the reach.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a grab hire firm in five steps

  1. Check the carrier numberOn the public register.
  2. Ask for the operator licenceLorries over 3.5 tonnes need one.
  3. Measure the reachHow far the waste is from where the lorry can stand.
  4. Say what the waste isSoil, rubble, green waste — mixed loads cost more.
  5. Check the ground and wiresSoft verges, overhead cables and low branches.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

Waste carrier registration

Carrying waste for others is lawful only with registration: Environment Agency in England, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA in Scotland, DAERA in Northern Ireland. Ask the grab hire firm for the number; in England an upper-tier one starts CBDU.

Look the number up before booking, and note it with the date. environment.data.gov.uk →

Your duty of care

Section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 requires a householder in England or Wales to take reasonable steps to give waste only to an authorised person; Scotland has its own version. In England a council can issue a fixed penalty of £150 to £600 to a householder who fails it — even if it was the grab hire firm who dumped it.

Keep a photo of the carrier registration, the vehicle registration and a receipt with the business's details. legislation.gov.uk →

Goods vehicle operator licence

A grab lorry is a goods vehicle well over 3,500 kg, and gov.uk says a business using goods vehicles over that gross plated weight needs an operator's licence; in Northern Ireland the licence comes from the Department for Infrastructure.

Ask the grab hire firm for its operator licence number. gov.uk →

Where the waste is going

Scotland's 2026 duty of care code, issued under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, tells householders to ask where waste is going and to be wary of unrealistically cheap offers — good advice for any grab hire firm.

Ask which licensed site the load will go to. gov.scot →

VAT

Grab hire is standard-rated, so a registered grab hire firm adds 20% to the load price and to surcharges for heavy or restricted waste. Registration becomes compulsory once a grab hire firm has VAT-taxable turnover over £90,000 in any rolling 12 months; from then VAT must be charged and shown as a separate line on the invoice.

Ask the grab hire firm for the VAT number with the carrier and operator licence numbers, and for the load and VAT shown separately. gov.uk →

“What is your waste carrier number?”

A good answer: One you can check that matches the grab hire firm.

“What is your operator licence number?”

A good answer: A number for a goods vehicle operator licence.

“How far can the grab reach?”

A good answer: A distance from the lorry, and where it will park.

“What can go in the grab lorry?”

A good answer: Soil, rubble, green waste — and what is excluded.

“Will the grab lorry damage my drive?”

A good answer: Boards or mats, and an honest answer on weight.

“Where will the waste go?”

A good answer: A named site.

“Is the grab price per load, with VAT?”

A good answer: Written.

Getting the quote right

  • Load size and price
  • Who actually attends with the lorry: the grab hire firm's employed driver, or a subcontracted operator with its own licence
  • Waste types accepted and surcharges
  • Reach and parking
  • Carrier and operator licence numbers
  • The VAT number, with VAT at 20% on the load and surcharges

Walk away if

  • No carrier number
  • No operator licence
  • Parks across a footpath without arrangements
  • Cash only
LOW
£160
TYPICAL
£260
HIGH
£420

What a grab hire firm costs: £160–£420 per load

Grab hire is priced per load; the type of waste, the load size and reach set the price. Grab Hire price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Grab hire firms near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. SurveyWaste, reach and parking checked.
  2. PositionLorry parked, ground protected.
  3. LoadGrab loads the waste.
  4. SheetLoad covered for the journey.
  5. DisposeTaken to a licensed site; receipt given.

Grab lorry
A lorry with a crane-mounted grab bucket.
Reach
How far the grab arm can extend.
Operator licence
Licence for businesses using goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes.
Inert waste
Soil and rubble.
Waste carrier number
Registration to carry waste.
Duty of care
Your duty to use an authorised person.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the receiptWith both numbers.
Check the driveAny damage noted at once.
Sweep upSpillage cleared from the road.
Your reviewOnly booked jobs get reviews on Locufy. Raise anything unfinished with the grab hire firm through the make-it-right step, then review.

STEP 1Raise it with themKeep it in writing: what was agreed for the collection, what was done, and what you now want from the grab hire firm. Work done without reasonable care and skill breaks the contract under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
STEP 2The make-it-right stepA review under four stars for the grab hire firm goes to them first if you say so, and we chase the reply. Then you review.
STEP 3Fly-tipping or an unregistered carrierIf waste the grab hire firm took turns up dumped, report it to the council and the regulator — the Environment Agency in England, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA or DAERA — with your receipt and their number. The consumer helplines pass complaints to Trading Standards: Citizens Advice (0808 223 1133) for England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland (0808 800 9060), Consumerline (0300 123 6262) for Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Claim the money backFor a grab hire firm who ignores a fair request, the small-claims limits are £10,000 (England and Wales), £5,000 (Scotland, simple procedure) and £5,000 (Northern Ireland).

Hiring a grab hire firm: questions people ask

It needs to be a registered waste carrier: with the Environment Agency in England, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA in Scotland or DAERA in Northern Ireland. Check the number on the public register before booking.

You have a legal duty of care to give waste only to an authorised person. In England a council can fine a householder £150 to £600 for failing it, so check the grab hire firm's number and keep the receipt.

£160–£420 a load is the usual range and £260 the typical figure. The grab hire price guide has the factors behind it.

For big loads of soil or rubble with good access, often; the grab loads and leaves in one visit.

The business needs a goods vehicle operator licence for vehicles over 3.5 tonnes.

In England and Wales a householder does not need one for household waste; the receipt and carrier number are your record. In Northern Ireland DAERA advises asking for one, and a business must complete one for each load.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in removals & storage

How to hire: Skip HireHow to hire: Builders Waste RemovalHow to hire: Garden Waste RemovalHow to hire: Junk & Rubbish RemovalHow to hire: House ClearanceHow to hire: Garage ClearanceHow to hire: Man with a VanHow to hire: Office ClearanceAll 701 hiring guides →

Grab hire firms near you

Grab hire firms in LondonGrab hire firms in ManchesterGrab hire firms in BirminghamGrab hire firms in GlasgowGrab hire firms in BelfastAll grab hire firms on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. gov.uk — register as a waste carrier, broker or dealer (England)
  2. Environment Agency — public register of waste carriers
  3. Natural Resources Wales — register as a waste carrier, broker or dealer
  4. SEPA — waste carriers and brokers
  5. DAERA — registration of carriers and brokers
  6. Environmental Protection Act 1990, section 34 — duty of care
  7. Environmental Protection Act 1990, section 34ZA — householder fixed penalties (England)
  8. gov.scot — Duty of Care code of practice for managing controlled waste (2026): householders
  9. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 54 — what you can ask for when a service falls short
  10. Civil Procedure Rules Part 26 — the small claims track (England and Wales)
  11. nidirect — the small claims process (Northern Ireland)
  12. gov.uk — being a goods vehicle operator
  13. nidirect — goods vehicle operator licensing: licence applications
  14. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  15. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register