Rubble Removal Calculator — How Much Does My Demolition Waste Weigh?

This calculator estimates the volume and weight of rubble produced from demolishing walls, and recommends an appropriate skip size or number of bulk bags for removal.

Calculation Steps

1. Wall area = length × height × number of walls
2. Solid volume = wall area × wall thickness
3. Rubble volume = solid volume × 1.4 (bulking factor)
4. Weight = solid volume × material density
5. Skip = smallest size that satisfies both the volume and the weight limit
6. Bulk bags = greater of (rubble volume ÷ 0.7 m³) and (weight ÷ 1 t safe working load)

Material Densities

Typical solid densities — real-world figures span a wide range, so treat these as indicative and use a known density where you have one:

• Brick (clay): ~1,800 kg/m³ (clay brick 1,800-2,000; brickwork with mortar 2,000-2,200)
• Concrete block (dense aggregate): ~1,900 kg/m³ (dense aggregate 1,850-2,300)
• Aircrete / lightweight block: ~700 kg/m³ (aircrete 600-800; lightweight aggregate 1,350-1,600)
• Concrete: ~2,400 kg/m³ (plain concrete 24 kN/m³ per BS EN 1991-1-1; reinforced ~2,500)
• Mixed (brick, block, plaster): ~1,600 kg/m³

Densities per Concrete Society masonry densities and BS EN 1991-1-1 structural densities. Aircrete blockwork is roughly a third the weight of dense blockwork, so pick the option that matches your wall.

Skip Sizes & Weight Limits

For rubble and hardcore the largest hireable skip is the 8-yard (~8 t); 12-yard skips are not permitted for heavy inert waste. Weight, not volume, usually decides the size:

• Mini (2-yard): 1.5 m³ · ~1.5 t limit
• Midi (4-yard): 3.0 m³ · ~3 t limit
• Builder's (6-yard): 4.6 m³ · ~6 t limit
• Maxi (8-yard): 6.1 m³ · ~8 t limit (largest for rubble)