Clear garden & rubbish.

Garden clearing and rubbish removal in the UK typically costs £150–£800 for a one-off clearance, depending on size, what's being removed, and whether it's an overgrown garden or just hedge trimmings and grass. Most gardeners and clearance specialists charge by van load (£150–£350 per Transit-sized load) or by hourly rate (£35–£55/hour for a 2-person team).

This is the trade most useful when you've moved into a new property with an overgrown garden, after a major hedge or tree job, or after letting things slide for 12+ months. Skip hire is the alternative — sometimes cheaper, sometimes not.

Typical UK garden clearance costs

Skip vs man-with-van — which is cheaper?

• Skip hire — typical 4-yard skip £180–£280 for a week, 6-yard £230–£350, 8-yard £280–£420. You load it yourself; useful if you're doing the work in stages.
• Man-with-van clearance — they bring labour and load themselves. From £150 per van load. Better for jobs you don't want to load.
• Wait-and-load skip — skip arrives with operator, fills it, takes it away same day. £250–£500.

For a 1-day clearance with no DIY effort, man-with-van is usually quickest. For multi-week DIY garden projects, hire a skip.

What's typically removed

• Green waste — grass cuttings, hedge trimmings, branches, weeds.
• Soil and rubble — small amounts; large quantities sometimes priced separately.
• Shed contents — old tools, paint, broken garden furniture.
• Rotten timber — fence panels, decking boards, broken sheds.
• Patio slabs and bricks — within reasonable quantities.
• Old playground equipment, swing sets, trampolines — dismantled and removed.

What needs special handling

• Asbestos — old garage roofs, water tanks, soffits sometimes contain asbestos. Specialist removal costs £400–£1,000+ per item; never try to break or transport yourself.
• Japanese knotweed — listed as controlled waste; removing it requires a licensed waste carrier and often a treatment plan. Allow £1,500–£5,000 for full eradication.
• Garden chemicals — old pesticides, herbicides, weedkillers. Take to your local recycling centre's hazardous waste section, not in general clearance.
• Treated timber — pressure-treated fence panels and decking can't be burned and are sometimes charged extra at landfill. Some clearance firms reject them.
• Tyres and electricals — both are surcharged at landfill. Mention them upfront so they can be priced separately.

Things people often miss

• Waste carrier licence — only licensed waste carriers can legally take waste from your property. Always ask for the SIC number / licence reference. Fly-tipping by an unlicensed "clearance" cowboy can be traced back to YOU as the producer.
• Recycling vs landfill — green waste typically composts; mixed waste goes to MRF (materials recovery facility) for sorting. Reputable firms recycle 70%+; cheap "tip everything" firms may charge less but harm the environment more.
• Access matters — clearance jobs are charged partly on labour. A garden with rear access or driveway access is much faster than one where everything must be carried through the house.
• Fly-tipping liability — if your "clearance" firm fly-tips your waste, you can be fined under the Environmental Protection Act. Always get a Waste Transfer Note as proof of legitimate disposal.
• Local authority green waste collections — if you're not in a hurry, a £50/year garden waste subscription with the council can handle most ongoing trimmings. Useful baseline; one-off clearances are still better for big jobs.

Frequently asked questions

Want a local pro to handle this? A licensed garden clearance specialist or a gardener with disposal capacity will turn a daunting overgrown garden into a usable space in a day. Worth checking the licence and reading recent reviews before booking — fly-tipping operators are still a problem in this trade.