HOW TO HIRE · REMOVALS & STORAGE

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

A rubbish removal firm must be a registered waste carrier. Check the number, ask where it goes, and keep the receipt.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a rubbish removal firm in five steps

  1. Check the carrier numberOn the public register before booking.
  2. Photograph the pileFor an accurate price.
  3. Flag hazardous itemsPaint, chemicals, batteries.
  4. Ask where it goesA named site, not "the tip".
  5. Keep the receiptWith the carrier number and vehicle registration.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

Waste carrier registration

A rubbish removal firm is carrying your waste, so it must be on the register for its nation — the Environment Agency (England), Natural Resources Wales, SEPA (Scotland) or DAERA (Northern Ireland). English upper-tier numbers begin CBDU and are renewed every three years.

Check the number on the public register and that the name on it matches the business. 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 rubbish removal 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 →

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 rubbish removal firm.

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

Hazardous items

Gov.uk lists asbestos, chemicals, batteries, solvents, pesticides, oils and equipment containing ozone-depleting substances such as fridges as examples of hazardous waste, which has its own rules; in England the Environment Agency regulates it. Tell them about paint, chemicals or batteries in the pile.

List anything hazardous to the rubbish removal firm before the quote, and ask how each is dealt with. gov.uk →

VAT

Rubbish removal is standard-rated, so a registered rubbish removal firm adds 20% to the load price and to surcharged items such as fridges or mattresses. Registration becomes compulsory once a rubbish removal 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 rubbish removal firm for the VAT number with the carrier number and for the load, surcharges and VAT listed apart. gov.uk →

“What is your waste carrier number?”

A good answer: One you can check that matches the rubbish removal firm.

“Where will the rubbish go?”

A good answer: A named transfer station.

“Is the rubbish removal price per load?”

A good answer: Written, with what a load holds.

“What costs extra?”

A good answer: Mattresses, fridges, plasterboard, tyres — listed.

“Do you load it yourselves?”

A good answer: Yes, included.

“What vehicle are you bringing?”

A good answer: Registration noted for your record.

“Will I get a receipt?”

A good answer: Yes.

Getting the quote right

  • Load size and price
  • Who actually attends the collection: the rubbish removal firm's employed crew, or a subcontracted carrier with its own registration
  • Surcharged items listed
  • Loading included
  • Carrier number
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% on the load and surcharged items

Walk away if

  • No carrier number
  • Advertised price far below others
  • Cash only, no receipt
  • No answer on where it goes
LOW
£60
TYPICAL
£150
HIGH
£400

What a rubbish removal firm costs: £60–£400 per load

Rubbish removal is priced per load; the volume, the type of waste and surcharged items set the price. Junk & Rubbish Removal 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

Rubbish removal 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. PricePile seen or photographed, price fixed.
  2. LoadLoaded by the crew.
  3. CoverLoad covered.
  4. TransportTaken to a licensed site.
  5. ReceiptReceipt with business details.

Load
A van or lorry full.
Surcharge
Extra for items such as mattresses.
Transfer station
A licensed sorting site.
Waste carrier number
Registration to carry waste.
Duty of care
Your duty to use an authorised person.
Fly-tipping
Illegal dumping.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the receiptWith the carrier and vehicle numbers.
Check the areaSwept, nothing left.
Report dumpingTell the council if your rubbish turns up.
Leave the reviewReviews of the rubbish removal firm on Locufy come only from booked jobs. If something was left wrong, the make-it-right step comes first.

STEP 1Tell the rubbish removal firm, in writingSay what is wrong with the collection and what you want done. A trader owes you reasonable care and skill under the Consumer Rights Act 2015; if that was missing, ask for the work to be redone at their cost or for money off.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyRate the rubbish removal firm under four stars and you are asked whether to send it to them first; we follow it through. Then review.
STEP 3Fly-tipping or an unregistered carrierIf waste the rubbish removal 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. Trading Standards is reached through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline (0808 223 1133) in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland (0808 800 9060) and Consumerline (0300 123 6262) in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Money still in disputeA claim against the rubbish removal firm can go to court without a solicitor: up to £10,000 on the small claims track in England and Wales, up to £5,000 under simple procedure in Scotland, and up to £5,000 in the small claims court in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a rubbish removal 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 rubbish removal firm's number and keep the receipt.

£60–£400 a load, typically around £150. The junk & rubbish removal price guide explains what pushes it up or down; type your town above to compare rubbish removal firms near you.

Search its carrier number, name or postcode on the public register for your nation.

Yes, your own household waste; check the council tip's rules.

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: House ClearanceHow to hire: Garage ClearanceHow to hire: Furniture DisposalHow to hire: Builders Waste RemovalHow to hire: Garden Waste RemovalHow to hire: Man with a VanHow to hire: Mattress DisposalAll 701 hiring guides →

Rubbish removal firms near you

Rubbish removal firms in LondonRubbish removal firms in ManchesterRubbish removal firms in BirminghamRubbish removal firms in GlasgowRubbish removal firms in BelfastAll rubbish removal 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 — hazardous waste (England)
  13. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  14. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register