Muck away calculator: soil volume, weight and skips
The calculator needs JavaScript. The worked example, formula and figures below show exactly how it works, so you can do the sum yourself. A guide, not advice. Check your supplier's or maker's figures before ordering.
Short answer
Worked example
| You enter | Value |
|---|---|
| Area you're digging out | rectangle 5 m × 4 m |
| Dig depth | 250 mm |
| What you're digging | Topsoil |
| Bulking factor | 1.25 × |
| Skip size | 8 yd³ |
2 × 8 yd³ skips for 6.25 m³ of loose spoil
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Skips | 2 |
| Dug out (in the ground) | 5 m³ |
| Loose (after digging) | 6.25 m³ |
| Skip capacity | 6.116 m³ |
Show the working
- Dug out: 20 m² × 250 mm = 5 m³ in the ground
- Skip: 8 yd³ × 0.765 = 6.12 m³
- Loose: 5 m³ × 1.25 bulking = 6.25 m³
- Skips: 6.25 m³ ÷ 6.12 m³, rounded up = 2
How it works
- Bank volume (m³) = area × dig depth
- Loose volume (m³) = bank volume × bulking factor
- Weight (t) = bank volume × density in the ground
- Skip capacity (m³) = skip size (yd³) × 0.764555; skips = loose volume ÷ capacity, rounded up
- By weight: skips = tonnes ÷ the firm's weight limit, rounded up; grab loads the same way
Soil and rubble are heavy: many skip firms only allow them in smaller skips, or charge by weight. Ask before you book.
Our default (adjustable)
These are typical planning figures and our own allowances, not facts about your product. Change any of them in the calculator to match your bag, pack or tin.
| Figure | Our default (adjustable) | Kind | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulking factor: Topsoil | Enter from the bag, pack or tin | Typical value Not yet checked against the source | From your product brief v2 G6: bulking factor, sourced to aggregate or skip suppliers. Researcher to fill. |
| Density in the ground: Topsoil | Enter from the bag, pack or tin | Typical value Not yet checked against the source | From your product brief v2 G6: in-situ (undug) density, not the loose density of bagged topsoil. Researcher to fill. |
| Bulking factor: Clay | Enter from the bag, pack or tin | Typical value Not yet checked against the source | From your product brief v2 G6. Researcher to fill from an aggregate or skip supplier. |
| Density in the ground: Clay | Enter from the bag, pack or tin | Typical value Not yet checked against the source | From your product brief v2 G6: in-situ density. Researcher to fill. |
| Bulking factor: Sand or gravel | Enter from the bag, pack or tin | Typical value Not yet checked against the source | From your product brief v2 G6. Researcher to fill from an aggregate or skip supplier. |
| Density in the ground: Sand or gravel | Enter from the bag, pack or tin | Typical value Not yet checked against the source | From your product brief v2 G6: in-situ density. Researcher to fill. |
| Bulking factor: Rubble or hardcore | Enter from the bag, pack or tin | Typical value Not yet checked against the source | From your product brief v2 G6. Researcher to fill from an aggregate or skip supplier. |
| Density in the ground: Rubble or hardcore | Enter from the bag, pack or tin | Typical value Not yet checked against the source | From your product brief v2 G6: in-situ density. Researcher to fill. |
| Skip size | 8 yd3 | Common UK size Not yet checked against the source | From your product brief v2 G6 (test MA1 uses an 8 yd³ skip). A product size; skip firms' sizes vary. |