Skip licences in Surrey come from the county council
In most of the country the council that collects your bins also licenses skips on the road. Surrey is different: the highway authority is Surrey County Council, so a skip licence comes from the county, not from Guildford, Woking or your borough council. A licence is needed whenever a skip stands on any part of the highway, including the pavement and the verge. A skip on your own driveway or private land needs none.
Only skip companies registered with Surrey County Council can apply for a licence, and the council publishes its register of approved companies. It is worth checking that a supplier is on it if the skip is going on the road. The county's conditions also require the skip operator to hold at least £10 million of public liability insurance, and licences run for up to 28 days before they need renewing.
Surrey's councils change in April 2027
From 1 April 2027, Surrey County Council and the eleven district and borough councils are replaced by two unitary councils. East Surrey Council covers Elmbridge, Epsom and Ewell, Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead, and Tandridge. West Surrey Council covers Guildford, Runnymede, Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Waverley and Woking. Skip licensing passes to the new council for your address, so if your job runs across that date, ask the supplier how they are handling the change. See the skip permit guide for the general rules.
Choosing a size
Many Surrey homes have driveways, which avoids the permit entirely and makes a larger skip practical for a house clearance. Gravel drives and soft verges are worth mentioning when you enquire, as some suppliers use boards to spread the load. For heavy waste like soil or rubble, most suppliers limit you to a smaller skip, often 6 yards or less, because weight rather than volume is the limit. The size guide works it out from what you are clearing.