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Rubble Removal Calculator — How Much Does My Demolition Waste Weigh?
Calculate the volume and weight of rubble from wall demolition. Get skip size recommendations and bulk bag quantities for brick, block, concrete and mixed demolition waste.
Length of each wall
Height of each wall
Number of walls with the same dimensions
Rubble volume multiplier vs solid wall (default 1.4 = 40% expansion)
Volume capacity of a builder's bulk bag (default 0.7 m³)
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How We Calculate This
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
- Wall area = length × height × number of walls
- Solid volume = wall area × wall thickness
- Rubble volume = solid volume × 1.4 (bulking factor)
- Weight = solid volume × material density
- Skip = smallest size that satisfies both the volume and the weight limit
- 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)
Frequently Asked Questions
Brick rubble weighs approximately 1,800 kg per cubic metre (1.8 tonnes). However, broken rubble takes up about 40% more volume than the solid wall due to air voids between pieces. So 1 m³ of solid brick wall produces approximately 1.4 m³ of rubble but still weighs the same ~1.8 tonnes.
The bulking factor is approximately 1.4 for demolished wall rubble, meaning the rubble volume is about 40% larger than the original solid wall. This is because broken pieces do not stack neatly and have air gaps between them. Always account for this when sizing a skip or ordering bulk bags.
Yes, but weight — not volume — is the binding constraint for rubble. Skips have weight limits (mini ~1.5 t, midi ~3 t, 6-yard ~6 t, 8-yard ~8 t) as well as volume limits, and a skip that is volume-full of brick or concrete is usually well over its weight limit and will not be collected. For rubble and hardcore the largest skip you can hire is the 8-yard (~8 tonnes); 12-yard skips are not permitted for heavy inert waste. This calculator caps its skip recommendation by both volume and weight, but always confirm the exact limit with your skip company.
A bulk bag (also called a builder's bag, ton bag, or FIBC) is a large polypropylene bag that holds approximately 0.7 m³ of material with a safe working load of 1 tonne. Because rubble is dense, a bag reaches its 1-tonne safe working load before it is physically full — 0.7 m³ of brick rubble weighs over 1 tonne — so for heavy rubble each bag must be part-filled to stay within the safe working load. This calculator sizes the number of bags by whichever is greater, the volume or the 1-tonne weight limit.
Yes. Clean brick rubble can be crushed and used as hardcore or sub-base material (6F2 grade). Many recycling centres accept brick and concrete rubble and it attracts the lower rate of Landfill Tax (£8.65 per tonne for inert waste vs £130.75 per tonne for standard rate — HMRC, from 1 April 2026). Recycling rubble can significantly reduce disposal costs.
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Last updated: February 2026
Verified against UK standards · estimates only, confirm with your supplier.