Can garden waste just go in my brown bin?

Small amounts of garden waste can go in your council brown bin, but for larger clearances — sheds, soil, old furniture — you'll need a licensed carrier or skip hire.

Do clearance companies take soil and rubble?

Yes, but it usually costs more as heavy waste incurs higher disposal fees. Mention the volume of soil or rubble upfront when requesting quotes.

How long does a garden clearance take?

A standard overgrown garden takes 2–4 hours for a two-person team. Larger properties or those with structures like sheds may take a full day.

What's the difference between garden clearance and a skip?

Garden clearance is a managed service — a team comes and removes everything for you. A skip requires you to load it yourself and there are restrictions on what can go in. For most residential garden jobs, a clearance team is faster and easier.

Is garden clearance waste recycled?

Green waste (grass, branches, plants) is typically sent to composting facilities. Hard waste like furniture and sheds is sorted at a licensed transfer station with recyclable materials separated.

Do you take green waste only, or mixed garden rubbish too?

Most garden clearance specialists take both. Green waste (cuttings, leaves, turf, soil) is the cheapest stream because it's composted at an open windrow facility. Harder waste (sheds, fences, decking, paving, broken pots) is more expensive because it has to be sorted at a transfer station. Tell the carrier the rough mix when you request a quote — they'll give you a single combined price and load everything in one visit. Trying to split the job between two contractors almost always costs more.

Can you remove a shed or summerhouse?

Yes. Most carriers will dismantle and remove sheds, summerhouses, greenhouses and timber outbuildings as part of the same job. The structure must be empty (carriers won't sort through your contents) and you'll need to confirm whether the base — concrete pad, paving slabs or pressure-treated bearers — is also being removed, as that affects both labour and tip fees. Sheds with felt roofs are fine; sheds with old corrugated cement-fibre roofs may contain asbestos and need a hazardous carrier instead.

What about Japanese knotweed?

Japanese knotweed is classified as controlled waste under Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Only carriers with a specialist hazardous-waste licence can move it, and it must go to a permitted landfill — never composted, recycled or fly-tipped. Disposing of it improperly can land you with an unlimited fine and up to two years in prison. If you suspect knotweed, get a specialist invasive-species firm to identify and treat it before any clearance — most general garden carriers will refuse to touch it and that's the right answer.

Will you take old paving, slabs and rubble?

Yes, in most cases. Clean broken paving, concrete and rubble (inert hardcore) is one of the easiest streams to recycle and is usually charged at a per-tonne rate on top of the standard van price. If you have a large quantity — more than 1–2 tonnes — it's often cheaper to book grab hire instead, which can lift several tonnes in a single 15-minute visit.

Garden Clearance & Green Waste Removal

Find local garden clearance companies for overgrown gardens, hedge cuttings, soil and turf removal. Compare quotes from licensed UK carriers.

Find Garden Clearance near you Check a carrier's licence

About Garden Clearance

Garden clearance covers green waste, soil, turf, hedge trimmings, fencing, sheds and full overgrown plot clearance. Use a licensed carrier to make sure your green waste is composted or recycled at an authorised site rather than dumped — green waste fly-tipping is one of the most common categories of waste crime in the UK.

Typical price guide: From £60 for a small van load up to £300+ for a full garden strip-out

What's covered

Commonly included

Hedge, tree and shrub cuttings
Old turf, soil and topsoil
Sheds, fencing, decking and paving slabs
Garden furniture, planters and pots
Overgrown plot, brambles and ivy clearance

Specialist disposal needed

Japanese knotweed (specialist disposal required)
Treated timber such as railway sleepers
Garden chemicals, weedkillers and pesticides
Asbestos garage and shed roofs

What's included in garden clearance

Grass cuttings, leaves, hedge and tree trimmings
Old turf, topsoil, subsoil and small piles of rubble
Tree branches up to roughly 4 inches in diameter (larger requires tree surgery)
Sheds, summerhouses, greenhouses and timber outbuildings
Fence panels, posts, decking boards and pergolas
Patio slabs, edging stones and small areas of broken concrete
Garden furniture, planters, BBQs and children's play equipment

What's not included

Japanese knotweed and other invasive non-native species
Garden chemicals, weedkillers, fertiliser sacks and pesticides
Asbestos garage roofs and asbestos cement panels (need a hazardous carrier)
Petrol or oil from old mowers and strimmers
Pressure-treated railway sleepers (banned from most landfills)

Best time to book

Garden clearance demand is highly seasonal in the UK. Late February through April and again in September–October are by far the busiest months, when people prep gardens for the growing season or close them down for winter. Booking 7–10 days in advance during peak season usually saves 10–20% versus a same-day premium. Winter (November–January) is the cheapest time of year and lead times are shortest, but check the weather — heavy frost or snow can delay collection.

Garden clearance vs council green waste collection

Council green waste collection is a regular fortnightly service for small volumes of clean garden waste — typically a 240L brown bin or a few tied bundles. It usually costs £40–£60 per year and is great for routine gardening but useless for one-off clearouts. A garden clearance carrier turns up on a single visit, takes everything (including soil, structures, and mixed waste the council won't touch) and issues a Waste Transfer Note. Use the council bin for ongoing maintenance and a licensed carrier for any job bigger than a single bin load.

Garden Clearance price guide

Indicative UK pricing — actual quotes depend on location, access and load. All WasteFindr quotes are itemised and free.

Job size	Typical price	What it covers
Small tidy-up	£60 – £120	A few bags of cuttings, a couple of old planters — small van load.
Average back garden	£140 – £220	Hedge trim removal, old turf and a small pile of soil — half van.
Large or overgrown garden	£250 – £400	Full overgrowth clearance, brambles, ivy, old fencing — full transit or Luton.
Shed or decking removal	£150 – £350	Dismantle and removal — price varies with size and base type.
Full garden strip-out	£400 – £900+	Multiple van loads — turf, soil, paving and structures cleared back to bare earth.

Do I need a licensed carrier?

Yes — and this isn't optional. Under the UK Environmental Protection Act 1990, anyone removing waste in the course of business must hold a valid Upper-Tier Waste Carrier Licence issued by the Environment Agency (or SEPA in Scotland, NRW in Wales, NIEA in Northern Ireland). Every garden clearance company listed on WasteFindr is checked against the live public register before being approved.

The legal responsibility for waste does not stop with the carrier. Under the Duty of Care, the original waste producer — that's you, the householder or business — is also responsible for making sure waste is handed to a properly licensed operator. If your waste is later fly-tipped, you can be prosecuted alongside the fly-tipper unless you can produce a Waste Transfer Note (or Hazardous Waste Consignment Note) showing you used a licensed firm.

Risks of using an unlicensed operator

• Fixed Penalty Notices of up to £600 for failing the Duty of Care.
• Unlimited fines on conviction in the Crown Court.
• Up to 12 months in prison for a serious Duty of Care breach; up to 5 years for hazardous waste.
• Personal liability for clean-up costs of any waste traced back to you.
• A criminal record that can affect future employment, insurance and travel.

Always verify a carrier's licence before booking — use the free WasteFindr Licence Checker to look up any UK operator on the Environment Agency public register in seconds.

Why book through WasteFindr

Every garden clearance company on WasteFindr is checked against the Environment Agency public register. You'll get a Waste Transfer Note for every job — your legal proof of safe disposal under the UK Duty of Care.

Garden Clearance — FAQs

Ready to compare garden clearance quotes?

See licensed companies in your area and get free quotes in minutes.

Browse Garden Clearance

Garden Clearance in popular UK cities

See licensed garden clearance carriers in your local area.

Don't see your area? Browse the full UK directory or filter by garden clearance.