Scrap copper prices today
Clean copper typically pays $5.08 to $6.03 per pound (estimate)
The copper price is $6.35 per pound. A scrap yard pays a share of that: roughly 80% to 95% for clean bare bright wire, 80% to 90% for No. 1 copper and 70% to 85% for No. 2. These percentages are our estimate, worked out from published scrap yard ranges. They are not quotes. Call a yard for the real price. Live · updated 17:45 UTC
Scrap copper by grade
| Grade | Share of copper priceOur estimate | Per pound now |
|---|---|---|
| Bare brightBare, uncoated, unalloyed copper wire with a clean, shiny surface. No insulation, solder or tin coat.Trade code: Barley | 80% to 95% | $5.08 to $6.03 |
| No. 1 copperClean, unalloyed, uncoated copper with no solder, paint or attachments. Slight surface oxidation is allowed. Heavy wire, bus bar, clean pipe and tubing.Trade code: Berry (wire), Candy (heavy pieces and tubing) | 80% to 90% | $5.08 to $5.71 |
| No. 2 copperCopper that is coated, soldered or lightly contaminated, such as tinned wire and pipe with solder joints. Nominal 96% copper, minimum 94%.Trade code: Birch (wire), Cliff (pieces and tubing) | 70% to 85% | $4.44 to $5.40 |
Estimate, not a quote. The percentages are our estimate from published scrap yard ranges. Published shares differ by source and by region: one trade site lists 80% to 90% for bare bright, 80% to 85% for No. 1 and 70% to 80% for No. 2; another lists 90% to 95%, 85% to 92% and 78% to 85%. The ranges here cover both. Yards post prices daily; call ahead.
What a load of copper pays
| Weight | Bare bright | No. 1 copper | No. 2 copper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 pounds | $50.80 to $60.32 | $50.80 to $57.15 | $44.45 to $53.97 |
| 25 pounds | $127.00 to $150.81 | $127.00 to $142.87 | $111.12 to $134.94 |
| 100 pounds | $508.00 to $603.25 | $508.00 to $571.50 | $444.50 to $539.75 |
Weight is the clean weight of that grade only. Mixed loads are graded down, usually to the lowest grade in the pile.
How to get the higher grade
- Sort by grade. Keep clean wire and clean pipe in separate piles. Keep brass and bronze out of the copper; they pay less.
- Remove what is not copper. Steel fittings, plastic, insulation and rubber lower the grade. Soldered joints and paint can drop a pipe from No. 1 to No. 2.
- Test a piece. Copper is not magnetic and is a pinkish red when scraped. Brass is yellow.
- Call two yards. Prices differ by location, volume and what they sell on to. Ask for the price per pound for each grade and whether they pay more for large loads.
- Check the scale. Ask how they weigh and whether the scale is certified.
Where the numbers come from
- Copper price: gold-api.com, symbol HG (COMEX copper futures), US dollars per pound.
- Grade definitions and trade codes (Barley, Berry, Candy, Birch, Cliff): ReMA (Recycled Materials Association, formerly ISRI) Scrap Specifications Circular; the No. 2 figures (nominal 96% copper, minimum 94%) are from ReMA's notice on nonferrous specification changes.
- Share of the copper price: Lustre editorial estimate built from two published ranges: metalcharts.org and meltvalue.com. They disagree with each other, which is why the ranges are wide.
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Scrap copper questions
How much is scrap copper worth per pound?
A yard pays a share of the copper price, which is $6.45 per pound at the reference price on this page. Bare bright usually pays the most, then No. 1, then No. 2. The table shows the estimated range for each grade.
What is the difference between #1 and #2 copper?
No. 1 copper is clean, bare copper with no solder, paint or coating. No. 2 copper has some solder, paint, tin coating or other contamination, and the yard pays less for it. No. 2 is nominally 96% copper with a minimum of 94%.
What is bare bright copper?
Bare bright is clean, uncoated, unalloyed copper wire with a shiny surface. It is the grade closest to the full copper price.
Why does a scrap yard pay less than the copper price?
The copper price is for refined copper. A yard has to sort and grade scrap, ship it to a mill or refiner and cover its own costs, so it pays a share of the price.
Does stripping the insulation off wire pay?
Often, yes. Bare bright wire is the highest grade and insulated wire is priced lower, because the buyer has to remove the plastic. Whether it is worth your time depends on the gap in price your yard posts.