How much does rubbish removal cost in Swansea?

Our prices, by load

We price by the space your rubbish takes up in our 12 cubic yard tipper. Loading, tip fees and a waste transfer note are included, and there’s no VAT to add.

Rubbish removal prices by load size

Load	What it looks like	Price
Single item	One chair, bed frame, table or washing machine	£45
Mini load1 cubic yard	6 to 8 bin bags, or two or three small bits of furniture	£65
Quarter load3 cubic yards	About 20 bags. A small shed, or one room of odds and ends	£125
Half load6 cubic yards	About 40 bags, roughly a builder’s skip. A garage, or the furniture from a one-bed flat	£210
Three-quarter load9 cubic yards	About 60 bags. A big garden clear-out with an old shed	£290
Full load12 cubic yards	About 80 bags, roughly two builder’s skips. Everything from a typical one-bed flat	£360

Sofas and armchairs are £20 extra each, mattresses £25 and fridges or freezers £30, because they cost more to dispose of legally. Soil and rubble go by the bag at £5.

How that compares

1. Published online prices from one of the UK’s largest clearance firms, VAT included, checked 23 September 2026.
2. Swansea averages from a skip price guide, and “from” prices on a national skip firm’s Swansea page, VAT included. A skip on the road needs a council permit, reported at £60 for 28 days.
3. Swansea Council’s bulky waste collection: £24 for one to three items, £48 for four to six, collected from the kerb.

What pushes the price up

• Volume. Most firms, us included, price by cubic yard or by fractions of a van.
• Weight. Soil, rubble and wet garden waste are heavy, and tips charge by the tonne.
• Items with their own rules. Sofas and other upholstered seating must be incinerated. Fridges need specialist recycling. Mattresses are charged one by one at the tip.
• VAT. Check whether a quote includes it. £200 plus VAT is £240.
• Labour and access. Some firms charge by the hour or add fees for stairs. We include reasonable carrying, but always ask what’s included.

The cheapest options, honestly

If you can do some of the work yourself, you can pay less than any clearance firm charges:

• Swansea Council’s bulky collection takes one to three items for £24, or four to six for £48, from the kerb. You put things out the night before, and it won’t take items that are too heavy to lift safely.
• The recycling centres are free for your own household rubbish. Swansea residents need a free permit for a van or trailer, and Llansamlet needs a booking. See our guide to the tip rules.
• Reuse charities will often collect furniture that’s in good condition with its fire labels intact.

A clearance firm earns its money when the rubbish is upstairs or in the loft, when there’s too much for a car, or when you need it gone this week.

What a very cheap quote can cost you

Swansea recorded 2,579 fly-tipping incidents in 2024-25, about seven a day. If rubbish you paid someone to take is found dumped, it can be traced back to you. Before you hand anything over, ask for the carrier’s registration number and check it on the Natural Resources Wales public register. Then keep the waste transfer note. A firm that can’t give you either isn’t a bargain.