Muck away (also written muckaway) means taking excavated material off site by lorry: soil, clay, sand, stone, hardcore, rubble and broken concrete. It's used when there's too much heavy material for skips, typically from footings, driveways, extensions, basements, landscaping and groundworks.
Grab lorry or tipper: which do you need?
It depends on whether you already have a machine on site to load it, and how much room there is.
| Lorry | Typical load | How it's loaded | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8-wheel grab lorry | About 16 t, roughly 12–16 m³ | Its own grab arm, typically reaching 6–8 m over walls and fences | Stockpiles on driveways and gardens, no digger on site |
| 8-wheel tipper | About 20 t, around 15 m³ | Your excavator loads it | Groundworks with a digger already working |
| 6-wheel or smaller grab | Often 8–12 t; mini grabs less | Shorter grab arm, around 4–6 m | Narrow streets, tight access, weight-restricted driveways |
| Wait-and-load | One skip or container | Filled while the driver waits | Where a skip can't be left on the road |
A lorry stops at whichever limit it reaches first. Wet clay and concrete are so heavy that the lorry can reach its legal weight before the body looks full, so don't expect a heaped load.
How much muck will you have?
- Measure the digLength × width × depth in metres gives the volume in the ground.
- Allow for bulkingDug soil takes up more space: clay around 30%, topsoil around 25%, sand and gravel around 15%, broken concrete up to 50%.
- Check the weightWeight usually limits the load, so work out tonnes as well as cubic metres.
A 10 m × 5 m driveway dug out 300 mm deep is 15 m³ in the ground. As topsoil, that's about 19 m³ once dug and roughly 22 tonnes: two 8-wheel grab loads.
Muck-away calculator
Enter the size of the area you're digging out. The calculator allows for the soil bulking up once it's dug, and for the lorry reaching its weight limit before it looks full.
- Volume in the ground
- Volume once dug (bulked)
- Approximate weight
- 8-wheel grab lorry (16 t or 12 m³, whichever comes first)
- 8-wheel tipper (20 t or 15 m³, whichever comes first)
- Landfill tax on that weight (2026/27)
Estimates only. Weights use typical densities and bulking factors from engineering references, and real loads depend on moisture, the lorry and the supplier. Landfill tax applies only where material goes to landfill; recycled material avoids it. Always confirm load numbers with your supplier.
What muck away costs, and why prices vary
Muck away is usually priced per load, and sometimes per tonne, per hour or per day. Clean, inert soil is the cheapest to remove; mixed or contaminated loads can cost several times as much.
- What the material isThe biggest factor, because of landfill tax and tip fees.
- Distance to the tip or recycling siteLonger trips mean fewer loads per day.
- Access and loading timeA lorry parked next to the stockpile is quicker, and cheaper, than one reaching over a wall.
- Number of loadsMultiple loads are often priced lower than one-offs.
- Waiting timeTippers waiting for a digger are often charged by the hour.
- TestingSoil of unknown origin may need lab testing before a site will accept it.
Landfill tax: why clean soil is so much cheaper
Landfill sites charge tax by the tonne on top of their gate fee. From 1 April 2026 the rates are the same in all four UK nations: Landfill Tax in England and Northern Ireland, Scottish Landfill Tax, and Wales's Landfill Disposals Tax.
Clean soil with a few bags of general waste or timber mixed in can be charged as mixed waste. Separate piles of soil, hardcore and other waste are the easiest way to lower the price. Much clean soil and hardcore is recycled rather than landfilled, which can bring costs down further.
Is your soil inert, non-hazardous or hazardous?
Inert Cheapest
Clean natural soil, clay, sand, stones, brick and concrete with nothing else mixed in.
Non-hazardous Costs more
Soil mixed with other material such as roots, timber or plastic, or with low levels of contamination.
Hazardous Specialist
Soil containing oil, fuel, heavy metals or asbestos. Needs testing, specialist handling and a consignment note.
Waste is described with a List of Wastes code. Soil and stones are 17 05 04 (non-hazardous) or 17 05 03* (hazardous), a "mirror pair" where test results can decide which applies. Concrete is 17 01 01. On brownfield land or anywhere with a history of fuel storage, expect to be asked for lab analysis.
Soil containing Japanese knotweed is controlled waste and, if it leaves site, must go to a landfill or incineration site with the right permit. Soil containing asbestos is likely to be hazardous waste. Tell the supplier before they quote.
Your legal duties when you have muck taken away
Whoever produces the waste has a legal duty of care to make sure it goes to the right place. If a carrier fly-tips your soil, you can be held responsible.
- Check the carrier is registered on the public register of waste carriers. Every supplier marked Verified on this site has been checked.
- Get a waste transfer note for each load or series of loads, with the waste code, and keep it for at least two years. Hazardous waste needs a consignment note instead (a special waste consignment note in Scotland), kept for at least three years.
- Describe the waste accurately. Calling mixed waste "clean soil" to get a lower price can leave you liable for how it's disposed of.
- Digital Waste Tracking starts for permitted waste sites in England, Wales and Northern Ireland from October 2026. Until your part of the scheme starts, transfer notes still apply.
Site and access checklist
Access width
An 8-wheel lorry is about 2.5 m wide and needs roughly 3 m of clear width and firm ground. Check gateways and weight limits on bridges or private roads.
Overhead cables
A grab arm needs clear height and can't work safely near power lines. Point them out when you book.
Driveways
A loaded 8-wheeler weighs over 30 tonnes and can crack block paving. Ask whether it can load from the road.
Spoil on the road Licence
Brief loading from the street is normal. Stockpiling spoil on the road or pavement needs a section 171 licence from the highway authority in England and Wales, applied for a few working days ahead.
Mud on the road
You're responsible for keeping the road clean around the site entrance.
Muck away, grab hire or a skip?
Skip
Filled over several days. Skip firms limit how much soil a skip can take, and a builder's skip holds only about 6 m³.
A skip on the road needs a council permit.
Grab lorry
Loads itself, with no digger needed.
Needs room to swing and no overhead cables.
Tipper
Loaded by your excavator as you dig.
Watch for waiting time if the digger can't keep up.
As a rough guide, once you have more than about two skips' worth of soil or rubble, a grab lorry is usually quicker and cheaper.
Questions to ask a muck away supplier
- What's your waste carrier registration number? (Check it on the register.)
- Is the price per load or per tonne, and what's included: loading time, waiting time, tip fees and VAT?
- What size lorry will you send, and can it reach my stockpile?
- Where will the material go, and will it be recycled or landfilled?
- Will I get a waste transfer note for every load?
- Do you need my soil tested first, and who pays?
- What happens if the load turns out to be mixed or contaminated?
Prices in this guide are typical ranges from suppliers' published price lists and cost guides. They change and vary by area, so always confirm the price with the supplier before you book. Rules, fees and tax rates are checked against official sources.