Scrap Calculator

That pile of old copper pipe in the garage, the aluminum siding from last year’s renovation, the steel from a torn-down shed — it is all money sitting in scrap form. The Scrap Calculator above converts it into dollars. Pick your scrap material from the list, enter the weight in pounds and the price per pound, and instantly see the gross scrap value, weight in tons, value per ton, and price per kilogram.

Scrap metal is a genuine commodity market. Prices move daily with global supply and demand, and different metals command wildly different prices — copper can be worth thirty times as much as steel per pound. Knowing the math before you drive to the yard protects you from lowball offers and helps you decide whether that load is worth the trip.

The calculator comes pre-loaded with typical default prices per pound for nine common materials, from carbon steel to bare bright copper. Leave the price field blank to use the default, or overwrite it with today’s quote from your local yard for an exact figure. Either way, the arithmetic is instant and transparent.

How Scrap Metal Pricing Works

Scrap yards buy metal by weight at a price per pound that tracks commodity markets. The yard then sorts, processes, and resells the metal to mills and foundries at a markup — your price is the wholesale rate minus their margin. Prices are quoted per pound in the United States, though large industrial deals use per-ton pricing.

Three things determine what you get paid. First, the metal type: copper, brass, and aluminum pay far more than steel because they are more valuable to recycle. Second, the grade or cleanliness: bare bright copper (clean, uncoated wire) pays more than #2 copper (painted or soldered). Third, the market: prices rise with construction booms and industrial demand and fall in recessions. Calling two or three yards for quotes on the same day is always worth it.

Weight is measured on the yard’s certified scale, and reputable yards show you the readout. A US ton is 2,000 pounds, which is why the calculator converts your pounds to tons — for large loads, per-ton thinking is standard.

Common Scrap Metals and Their Values

Copper is the king of common scrap. Bare bright copper — clean, unalloyed wire stripped of insulation — commands the top price, often $3.50 to $4.00+ per pound. #1 copper (clean tubing and wire) runs slightly less, and #2 copper (painted, soldered, or coated) less still. Even at #2 prices, copper dwarfs most other metals.

Brass (faucets, valves, fittings) typically brings $2.00 to $2.80 per pound. Aluminum — siding, gutters, cans, wheels — usually pays $0.50 to $0.80 per pound; it is light, so you need volume. Stainless steel lands around $0.30 to $0.60, lead near $0.70 to $1.00, and zinc similar. Carbon steel — the most common scrap on earth — pays only $0.08 to $0.15 per pound, so steel only pays when you have tons of it.

The calculator’s defaults reflect typical mid-range yard prices. Real quotes vary by region, yard, and day — always confirm before hauling.

How to Use the Scrap Calculator

Select your scrap material from the dropdown. Enter the weight in pounds — use a bathroom scale for small loads or estimate from known quantities. For the price per pound, either leave the field blank to use the material’s default price or type in today’s quote from your yard. Click Calculate.

The results show the gross value (weight × price), the weight in tons, the value per ton, and the price per kilogram for comparing with international quotes. Run the calculation separately for each metal type if your load is mixed.

Worked Example 1: Copper Wire Haul

Sam stripped 250 lbs of #1 copper wire from a renovation and the yard quotes $3.50 per lb. Here is the math.

Step 1: Gross value. 250 × $3.50 = $875.00.

Step 2: Weight in tons. 250 ÷ 2,000 = 0.125 tons — an eighth of a ton.

Step 3: Value per ton. $3.50 × 2,000 = $7,000.00 per ton. This is the number that shows why copper is worth collecting.

Step 4: Price per kg. $3.50 × 2.20462 = $7.72 per kilogram — useful if comparing with overseas buyers.

Sam’s afternoon of stripping wire is worth $875. Had the wire been left insulated and sold as #2 at, say, $3.20, the same load would bring $800 — the $75 difference is the payoff for stripping.

Worked Example 2: Aluminum Siding Load

Patel tore off 4,000 lbs of aluminum siding. The yard pays $0.65 per lb.

Step 1: Gross value. 4,000 × $0.65 = $2,600.00.

Step 2: Weight in tons. 4,000 ÷ 2,000 = 2.000 tons — a full two-ton load.

Step 3: Value per ton. $0.65 × 2,000 = $1,300.00 per ton.

Step 4: Price per kg. $0.65 × 2.20462 = $1.43 per kilogram.

Notice the contrast: Patel’s load weighs sixteen times Sam’s but is worth only three times as much. That is the reality of aluminum — it pays in volume. For light metals, the fuel cost of the trip matters; combine loads before hauling.

Preparing Scrap for the Best Price

Sorting is the single highest-return activity in scrapping. Yards pay mixed loads at the lowest-grade price in the mix, so separating copper from brass from aluminum can easily double your payout. Use a magnet: steel sticks, copper/brass/aluminum do not — the fastest first sort there is.

Cleaning pays too. Stripping insulation off copper wire upgrades it from #2 to bare bright pricing. Removing steel screws from aluminum, draining fluids from parts, and cutting oversized pieces to the yard’s preferred length all nudge you into better grades. The calculator’s grade-adjusted sibling calculations show exactly what contamination costs you.

Finally, timing matters. Track prices for a few weeks; a 10% swing on a $2,600 load is $260 for waiting. But do not hoard indefinitely — storage costs and theft risk are real, and prices can fall as well as rise.

What Scrap Yards Deduct and Why

Yards deduct for contamination (non-metal attachments), moisture and dirt, and sometimes charge processing or scale fees. Dirty or mixed loads get downgraded to the cheapest category present. Some yards also enforce minimum weights or pay less for small quantities.

Bring identification — most jurisdictions require a photo ID for scrap sales, and some require thumbprints or vehicle documentation for copper and catalytic converters, as anti-theft measures. Know your local rules before you arrive with a truckload.

Ferrous vs. Non-Ferrous: Know the Divide

The scrap world splits into two families. Ferrous metals contain iron — steel, cast iron, wrought iron — and are magnetic. Non-ferrous metals — copper, aluminum, brass, lead, zinc, stainless steel — are non-magnetic (stainless is the tricky exception: some grades are slightly magnetic). This single distinction explains most of the price difference in scrap: non-ferrous metals are rarer, cost more to produce new, and recycle beautifully, so yards pay far more for them.

The magnet test is the scrapper’s first tool. Touch a magnet to the metal: if it sticks firmly, it is ferrous and priced like steel — cents per pound. If it does not stick, you may be holding dollars per pound. Keep a strong magnet on your keychain and you will never throw copper-priced metal into a steel pile again.

Within non-ferrous, learn the look and feel of each metal. Copper is reddish-brown and heavy. Brass is yellow-gold and heavy. Aluminum is silvery, light, and soft. Lead is dull gray, extremely heavy, and soft enough to scratch with a fingernail. Stainless is silvery, hard, and non-rusting. Misidentification is expensive — a bucket of “brass” that is actually brass-plated steel pays steel prices, so when in doubt, file a small notch to check the core metal.

Selling Beyond the Local Yard

Local scrap yards are convenient, but they are not your only buyer. Metal brokers aggregate scrap from many small sellers and sell to mills in bulk — if you consistently generate volume, a broker may beat yard prices by cutting out the middleman’s margin. Direct mill sales are possible for truly large, clean, single-grade quantities (think full truckloads), where prices approach commodity levels.

Online marketplaces have opened a second channel: machinists, artists, and hobbyists buy clean copper, brass, and aluminum at above-scrap prices for reuse. A stack of clean copper sheet might fetch scrap value at the yard but double that from a craftsman. eBay and specialty forums are worth checking for unusual or high-grade material.

For e-waste — computers, servers, telecom gear — use specialized e-waste refiners, not general yards. Circuit boards, RAM sticks, and CPUs contain gold, silver, and palladium in concentrations that general scrap pricing ignores entirely. A gaylord of server boards can be worth thousands to the right refiner and nearly nothing extra at a regular yard. Always match the material to the buyer who values it most.

Scrap Laws and Regulations to Know

Scrap dealing is one of the most regulated cash businesses, because stolen metal is a real problem. In most US states, sellers must show government photo ID, and yards must record the transaction — your name, the material, the weight, the price, and often your vehicle information. Some jurisdictions add thumbprints or photographs for copper and other high-theft metals. These records go to law enforcement databases, so selling scrap is never anonymous.

Catalytic converters face the strictest rules of all: many states now require proof of vehicle ownership, limit who can buy them, or mandate detailed documentation, in response to waves of converter theft. Payment rules are tightening too — several states prohibit cash payments above a threshold (often $25–$100), requiring checks or electronic payment instead, which creates a paper trail.

Know the prohibited materials list as well: most yards will not take sealed containers, pressurized cylinders, radioactive materials, or items with refrigerants unless properly evacuated and tagged. Municipalities may require business licenses for regular commercial scrapping. None of this affects the casual seller much — bring ID, sell legitimate material, accept non-cash payment — but operating in ignorance of the rules is how hobbyists accidentally break them.

Tips for Maximizing Your Scrap Payout

1. Sort by metal type before you go. Mixed loads are priced at the lowest grade in the pile. Separate everything.
2. Call three yards for quotes. Prices for the same metal can differ 10 to 20 percent across town on the same day.
3. Strip copper wire. The jump from insulated to bare bright pricing pays for the labor many times over.
4. Remove non-metal attachments. Steel screws in aluminum, plastic housings, rubber — all of it drags down your grade.
5. Accumulate volume for light metals. Aluminum and steel only pay with weight; make the trip worthwhile.
6. Watch the market. Track prices for a few weeks and sell into strength rather than on the first free Saturday.
7. Use a magnet for quick sorting. Magnetic means ferrous (steel/iron); non-magnetic means non-ferrous (copper, brass, aluminum).
8. Keep it dry and clean. Mud, water, and oil add weight you will not be paid for — and may get deducted.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a scrap calculator?

It estimates the cash value of scrap metal. Enter the material, weight in pounds, and price per pound, and it computes gross value plus ton, per-ton, and per-kilogram conversions.

2. How much is scrap copper worth per pound?

Bare bright copper typically brings $3.50 to $4.00+ per pound, #1 slightly less, #2 less still. Prices move with commodity markets, so confirm with local yards.

3. Why does the calculator have default prices?

The defaults are typical mid-range yard prices for each material. They give a quick estimate; overwrite them with today’s local quote for precision.

4. What is the difference between #1 and #2 copper?

#1 copper is clean, uncoated, and unalloyed — tubing, clean wire. #2 has paint, solder, or coatings. #1 pays noticeably more per pound.

5. How many pounds are in a ton of scrap?

A US short ton is 2,000 pounds. The calculator converts automatically — 4,000 lbs is exactly 2 tons.

6. Do I need to strip wire before selling?

It pays to. Insulated wire sells at a steep discount to bare bright. The labor of stripping is usually worth the price jump on any significant quantity.

7. Why do yards pay less for mixed loads?

They must sort it themselves, and they price the whole load at the cheapest metal present to protect their margin. Sorting at home captures that margin for you.

8. What ID do I need to sell scrap?

Most places require a government photo ID, and many log transactions to deter metal theft. Some require additional documentation for copper wire and catalytic converters.

9. Is steel worth scrapping?

At $0.08 to $0.15 per pound, steel only pays in bulk — think appliances, car bodies, structural steel by the ton. Small steel items are rarely worth a dedicated trip.

10. How do I convert price per pound to price per kilogram?

Multiply by 2.20462. A $3.50/lb copper price equals about $7.72/kg. The calculator does this conversion for you.

11. Do scrap prices change daily?

Effectively yes — they track commodity exchanges and move with industrial demand, currency shifts, and global events. Always get a same-day quote.

12. What is “clean” scrap?

Metal free of attachments, coatings, fluids, and other materials. Clean scrap earns top grade pricing; contaminated scrap gets downgraded or docked.

13. Can I sell scrap aluminum cans?

Yes — cans are clean aluminum and easy to accumulate. The per-pound price is modest, so volume is everything. Crush them to save space.

14. Why did two yards quote different prices?

Yards have different overhead, different downstream buyers, and different margins. Competition between them is your leverage — always get multiple quotes.

15. Is scrapping bad for the environment?

The opposite — recycling metal uses a fraction of the energy of mining and refining new metal, and keeps heavy materials out of landfills. Scrapping is genuinely green.

CONCLUSION

The Scrap Calculator turns any pile of metal into a dollar figure in seconds: pick the material, enter the weight and price, and see the gross value, tonnage, and per-unit conversions. Sort your metals, strip your wire, get three quotes, and never haul a load without knowing what it is worth. Run your numbers above before your next trip to the yard.