This is the question almost everyone in Uxbridge, Hillingdon, Hayes, Ruislip, Ickenham, Northwood and West Drayton asks before booking anything, and most pages answering it are selling one side. So here is the whole comparison, including the cases where you should book the council and not call us.
Both prices below are real and current. Hillingdon Council’s figures are from its own published schedule; ours are the published ladder from our pricing page, which is what you would actually be charged.
The two options, side by side
| Hillingdon Council | Van Thats Quick | |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest option | £53 a slot, or £39 if you are over 65 | £95 minimum load |
| Priced by | Item count band | Space filled in the van |
| Item limit | 6 per slot | None |
| Who carries it | You do, to the boundary by 6am | We do, from any room, garage or garden |
| Building / DIY waste | Refused | Accepted, priced by weight from £95 |
| Garden waste | Refused | Accepted |
| Speed | Booked, days out | Same day, 7am–10pm, seven days |
| Paperwork | Council record | Waste transfer note on request |
Where the council genuinely wins — and we will say so
If you have a small number of ordinary household items, you can physically get them to your boundary by 6am, and they are on the accepted list, book the council. At £53 a slot, or £39 if you are over 65 it is cheaper than our minimum load and we would rather tell you than take the booking. The rest of this page is about the point where that stops being true.
What Hillingdon Council charges in 2026
| Who | Price per slot | What a slot covers |
|---|---|---|
| Standard resident | £53 | 1 fridge/freezer, or up to 6 items |
| Resident aged over 65 | £39 | 1 fridge/freezer, or up to 6 items |
| Landlord | £94 | 1 fridge/freezer, or up to 6 items |
Full detail, including the current accepted-item list, is in our Hillingdon bulky waste guide.
The four limits that catch people out:
- Everything must be at your boundary by 6am, at ground-floor level and accessible. Miss the window and the crew moves on.
- Six items per slot, and a single fridge or freezer uses the whole slot. Each further slot is another £53.
- It takes no building or DIY waste: no rubble, soil, garden waste, tyres or hazardous items.
- It is booked, not same-day, Monday to Friday, and at busy periods the next free date can be several days out.
What a man and van costs for the same job
We price by the space your load fills in the van, not by the item. Every figure includes two people, all the loading and carrying, and the disposal and recycling fees — and we are not VAT registered, so the price shown is the price paid.
| Space filled | Typical job | Our fixed price |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum load | A few bags, or one or two items | £95 |
| ¼ van | A bedroom cleared | £195 |
| ½ van | A garage cleared | £320 |
| Full van | A large mixed clear-out | £495 |
A whole room cleared, furniture and all, is a house clearance rather than a load — that starts from £195.
Which is cheaper for your actual job
| Your job | Cheaper option | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One mattress at the kerb | Council (£53 a slot, or £39 if you are over 65) | A single item still costs a full band, but that band is under our £95 minimum |
| Three items, all at ground level, no rush | Council | This is exactly what the service is priced for |
| A sofa that has to come down stairs | Man and van | The council will not enter the property at all, so the service simply does not apply |
| A garage or loft clear-out | Man and van | Past the item limit immediately; two slots is £106 and you still carry everything |
| Anything after a kitchen or bathroom refit | Man and van | The council refuses rubble, tiles and bathroom suites outright |
| A garden strip-out | Man and van | Garden waste is not on the bulky list |
| You need it gone today | Man and van | The council books days ahead |
| End of tenancy, whole property | Man and van | Landlords pay £94 a slot, not £53, which closes most of the gap immediately |
What about just driving it to the tip?
Free is hard to beat, and if you can fit it in a car and you have a spare morning, the tip is the cheapest answer available to you. Your nearest is Harefield Civic Amenity Site (or Space Waye in Feltham).
Harefield on New Years Green Lane (UB9 6LX) is free for Hillingdon residents, 8am to 4pm seven days with last entry 3.45pm — but cars need a HillingdonFirst card, vans need two forms of ID and are capped at 12 visits a year, and it takes household waste only. Since 15 July residents can also use Space Waye in Feltham, which is closer for the south of the borough.
Where it stops working is volume and vehicle. Twelve van visits a year sounds generous until a single clearance uses three of them, and neither site will take a tree trunk or a branch thicker than 20cm. Full detail is in our permit and cost guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hillingdon Council bulky waste collection cheaper than a man and van?
For a small number of ordinary household items that you can get to your boundary by 6am, yes — £53 a slot, or £39 if you are over 65 is cheaper than our £95 minimum load, and we will tell you so. It stops being cheaper as soon as you go past the item limit, need anything carried out of the property, have building or garden waste, or need it gone the same day.
How much does Hillingdon Council charge for bulky waste in 2026?
Standard resident is £53, Resident aged over 65 is £39, Landlord is £94. The price is per band or slot rather than per item, so a single item still costs the full amount.
Will the council take building or DIY waste?
No. Rubble, soil, tiles, bathroom suites, glass panels, tyres and garden waste are all outside the bulky waste service. That is the single biggest gap, because a kitchen or bathroom refit produces exactly the waste it refuses. We take it by weight from £95 for up to 100kg.
Will the council collect from inside my house?
No. Everything has to be at your boundary, at ground level, clearly visible from the road, by 6am on the collection day. If you cannot get the item out yourself, the service does not help you — which is the most common reason people end up calling us instead.
How much is a man and van in Hillingdon?
Rubbish removal is priced by volume: £95 for a minimum load, £195 for a quarter van, £320 for a half van and £495 for a full Luton load. Two people, all the loading, and the disposal fees are included, and the price is fixed after a photo before we set off.
Can I get it collected the same day?
Usually yes. We run 7am to 10pm, seven days a week including bank holidays, across Uxbridge, Hillingdon, Hayes, Ruislip, Ickenham, Northwood and West Drayton. Send a photo on WhatsApp to 07400 640002 and you will have a fixed price back before the van sets off.
Not sure which one your job is?
Send a photo on WhatsApp. If the council is cheaper for what you have, we will tell you that instead of quoting.