Ex-owner of LM Solutions London · onlyvans-uk.com · rubbishbids.co.uk
What Builders Should Photograph Before Posting a Waste Job
Two carriers looking at the same strip-out will price it differently if one of them can see the stairs and the other can't. Access, weight, and material mix can move the price by tens of pounds — sometimes more. Carriers price what they can see.
The bid is made from the photos you post. Seven shots, taken in the right order, give a carrier everything they need to price your job accurately.
Why photos change the price, not just the paperwork
Three things move the price on a builders' waste job: weight, access, and material mix. Gate fees at the tip are charged by tonnage, so a load of dense rubble costs more to dispose of than the same volume of light timber — even if both fill the van. Stairs and narrow routes add loading time, and loading time is someone's wages. Mixed waste — plasterboard alongside timber and plastic — attracts a higher gate fee than clean inerts, because it has to be sorted differently. A carrier who can see all of this from your photos doesn't need to pad the bid for uncertainty. One who can't has no choice but to.
The seven shots
The whole pile, with something for scale
Frame the entire pile in one shot and put something of known size in the frame — a spade, a bulk bag, a door. Not a hand or a foot. Without scale a carrier is guessing volume and padding the bid to cover the uncertainty. If you want to work out roughly what your load weighs before posting, use the rubble weight calculator.
What's actually in it
Get close to the mix. Inert waste — brick, concrete, tiles — attracts a different gate fee to mixed construction waste. A pile that looks like rubble but has timber, insulation, and plastic in it sits in a different waste category and costs more to dispose of. This is the shot carriers rely on most.
The route from pile to van
Photograph the path the load will take out — corridor, passage, garden gate, side alley. Width and corners are loading time. If a wheelbarrow won't fit, it goes in bags, and that takes longer.
Where the vehicle can actually stop
Shoot from the parking spot toward the property. Red routes, permit bays, double yellows, driveways, height restrictions under a deck or archway. A carrier who needs to suspend a bay needs to know before the day, not on it.
Stairs and floor level
How many floors, and is there a lift. Loading from a third floor without a lift is different work to loading from the ground. It is the most common reason a price changes on the day — and the easiest to avoid with one photo.
Anything that has to be separated
Plasterboard cannot go to landfill alongside biodegradable waste — Environment Agency regulations require it to be separated. Anything that could be asbestos — old ceiling boards, textured coating, corrugated sheeting — photograph it from a distance and say so in the description. Do not disturb it. A licensed specialist, not a standard carrier, handles asbestos removal. Refrigeration equipment, tyres, paints, and batteries also need flagging. Digital waste tracking applies separately for hazardous materials.
The ground and the weather
Muddy ground, soft lawn, fresh concrete, loose gravel. This determines whether a grab lorry can get in or whether the load has to come out on foot. One photo saves a phone call and a wasted journey.
If you suspect asbestos: photograph it from a distance, note it in the job description, and do not disturb it. Removal requires a licensed asbestos specialist — this is a legal requirement, not a platform rule.
What not to include
Carrier bids come from carriers competing for the job — multiple people see the photos you post. Keep out vehicle registration plates, documents, postal addresses, house numbers, and names on packaging or bags. The waste pile itself reveals nothing sensitive. These details do. You can always check a carrier's licence on the EA public register before you share any personal contact details.
How many photos, and when to take them
Five to eight photos is enough for most jobs. Take them in daylight. Wait until the pile is complete — posting halfway through a strip-out means carriers will bid on half the job, and the price will shift when they see the rest. If more waste is still coming, say so in the description. Carriers price what they see and what you tell them.
Post a waste job
Post the job with your photos and EA-licensed carriers bid on it. Bidding is free for them, and your contact details only go to the carrier you choose — nobody else gets your number.
Frequently Asked Questions
Photos ready? Post the job.
Rubbish Removal Across London
Compare quotes from EA-licensed carriers in your borough.