Copper scrap price by grade
Copper (bare bright)
$5.80/ lb
-2.75%
Updated 04:12:13 UTC
Copper scrap pricing is grade-dependent in a way that's worth understanding before you load up. The reference number above is for bare bright — the cleanest grade. Other grades fall below in fairly predictable ratios.
Grade definitions and typical pricing
| Grade | Definition | Typical % of bare bright |
|---|---|---|
| Bare bright | Bright, uncoated, 16ga or thicker, no insulation | 100% |
| #1 copper | Clean, no solder/paint, includes plumbing pipe | 95–98% |
| #2 copper | Light oxidation, paint, or solder; mixed | 80–90% |
| #1 insulated wire | Heavy gauge with single jacket | 60–75% |
| #2 insulated wire | Lighter gauge with single or dual jacket | 35–55% |
| Christmas-tree wire | Thin, fine-strand, complex jacket | 15–30% |
These percentages are typical — your yard's posted grades will vary slightly.
What changes a grade call
- Solder presence — common on plumbing fittings; downgrades #1 to #2
- Paint or coating — same effect
- Tinned copper — looks like plain wire but is silver-coated; downgrades to "tinned" pricing
- Visible oxidation — heavy green oxide downgrades to #2
Practical advice
If a load is borderline (say, mostly #1 with some #2 mixed in), separate before you go. Yards err on the conservative side for mixed material, which means even 10% contamination can default the entire pile to a lower grade.
For wire-grade detail, see Copper and Wire.