Muck-away calculator: tonnes, grab loads and skips
Enter the size of the dig and the type of ground. You'll see the volume in the ground, how much it bulks up once dug, roughly what it weighs, and how many grab loads or skips that should be. Most of south Essex is clay, so if you're not sure, pick clay.
Estimate only. Not a quote.
Should weigh about
11.4 tonnes
6.0 m³ in the ground, about 7.8 m³ once dug (10.2 yd³).
- Grab lorry
- 1 full loadGoes by space: dug ground bulks up and takes more room.
- Guide price
- £396 inc VATFull load, soil
- Weight range
- 10.8 to 13.2 tonnesDepending on how wet it is.
- Or skips
- 2 x 8-yard skips, filled to about 95% of their weight limit Guide total £818 inc VAT
- 3 x 6-yard skips, filled to about 84% of their weight limit Guide total £1,107 inc VAT
- 4 x 4-yard skips, filled to about 95% of their weight limit Guide total £1,276 inc VAT
- We used clay, the heaviest common soil in south Essex.
Guide prices are per load and include VAT and disposal. Not included: extra loads, overweight, waiting time, road permits if needed and waste we can't take.
Guide prices include VAT, delivery, collection, 10 days' hire and disposal. Not included: road permits, extra weeks, overweight loads and waste we can't take.
Guide total. Skips and loads are booked one at a time.
The price is confirmed when you book or when we quote, under our terms.
Densities and bulking vary with material, moisture and compaction. Order a little extra and check with your builder or supplier. This is not engineering or structural advice.
Skips and grab loads have weight limits. Soil, rubble and concrete only go in skips up to 8 yards. Loads may be checked at the weighbridge.
Not covered: asbestos, plasterboard mixed with other waste, tyres, fridges, TVs, paint, gas bottles and contaminated soil. What can and can't go in a skip.
Soil that could be contaminated (oil, fuel, old industrial land) needs testing before we take it.
This calculator works on your device. Nothing you type is stored or sent to us unless you choose to book or ask for a quote.
How it works
Volume in the ground, times how much it bulks up once dug, gives the space it takes on the lorry. Volume in the ground, times its weight per cubic metre, gives the tonnes. Whichever fills the lorry first sets the number of loads.
Measure the dig
Measure the length, width and depth of each part of the dig. For a round hole, measure across it.
Work out the volume in the ground
Multiply length by width by depth, or 3.14 x radius x radius x depth for a circle. Add the parts together.
Allow for bulking
Dug ground takes up more room. Multiply by about 1.3 for clay, 1.25 for topsoil, 1.15 for sandy soil and 1.45 or more for chalk and hardcore.
Work out the weight
Multiply the volume in the ground by its weight: about 1.9 tonnes per m³ for clay and 1.6 for topsoil. Digging it out doesn't change the weight.
Count the grab loads
Divide the weight by 16 tonnes, and the dug volume by 10.7 m³ (14 cubic yards). The bigger answer is the number of full loads.
Per cubic metre dug, by type of ground
| Ground | Tonnes per m³ in the ground | 1 m³ once dug | Weighs | Share of a full grab load |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay (most of south Essex) | 1.9 1.8 to 2.2 | 1.30 m³ | 1.90 t | 12% |
| Topsoil or garden soil | 1.6 1.4 to 1.9 | 1.25 m³ | 1.60 t | 12% |
| Sandy or gravelly soil | 1.8 1.6 to 2.0 | 1.15 m³ | 1.80 t | 11% |
| Chalk | 2.0 1.8 to 2.2 | 1.45 m³ | 2.00 t | 14% |
| Broken concrete, brick or hardcore | 2.2 1.9 to 2.4 | 1.50 m³ | 2.20 t | 14% |
A full grab load is about 16 tonnes or 14 cubic yards (10.7 m³), whichever fills first; a half load is half of each. Soil, rubble and concrete only go in skips up to 8 yards, worked out here at a cautious 0.75 tonnes a yard. "Not sure" uses clay, the heaviest common soil in south Essex.
Worked example
A patio area 5 m long and 4 m wide, dug out 30 cm deep in clay.
- About 6.0 m³ in the ground, about 7.8 m³ once dug (10.2 yd³).
- Should weigh about 11.4 tonnes (10.8 to 13.2 depending on how wet it is).
- Should be 1 full grab load. Guide price £396 inc VAT.
- Or 2 x 8-yard skips, filled to about 95% of their weight limit. Guide total £818 inc VAT, booked one at a time.
Estimate only. Not a quote. The price is confirmed when you book or when we quote, under our terms.
Muck-away questions
How much does a cubic metre of soil weigh?
In the ground, about 1.6 tonnes for topsoil and about 1.9 tonnes for clay. Wet clay can be 2.2 tonnes or more. Once dug it takes up more room, but weighs the same.
How much does soil bulk up when dug?
Typically about 15% for sandy soil, 25% for topsoil, 30% for clay, and 45% or more for chalk and broken concrete. So 1 m³ of clay in the ground is about 1.3 m³ in the lorry.
How much does a grab lorry take?
Our 8-wheel grab lorry takes about 16 tonnes or 14 cubic yards a full load, whichever comes first. A half load of soil is £200 and a full load £396 inc VAT, as a guide.
Can soil go in a big skip?
Only skips up to 8 yards take soil, rubble or concrete, and they have weight limits, so they may need filling below the top.
Is the calculator price what I'll pay?
No. It's a guide from our price list. The price is confirmed when you book or we quote, under our terms. Permits, extra hire, waiting time, overweight loads and waste we can't take are not included.
Rather we priced it?
Press Ask us with these figures on the estimate and your figures go into this form. Add the address, and a photo if you can, then press Send for an estimate. Nothing is sent until you do.
- A photo of the pile or the dig, and of where the lorry can stand, is the quickest way to an accurate price.
- The grab reaches about 6 metres from where the lorry stands, over walls and fences.
- Soil that could be contaminated (oil, fuel, old industrial land) needs testing before we take it.
- The calculator's figures are a guide. The price is confirmed when you book or when we quote, under our terms.
Know how many loads? Book the grab.
Half and full loads of soil from £200 inc VAT, booked from the next working day.