Scrap Yard Near Me: How to Find the Best Local Scrap Yard

Get the full experience of locating scrap yards near you and contacting local scrap yards with our locater tool. Get top dollar for your scrap metals.

Making money is something that everyone has to do in order to make ends meet. There are a ton of illegal money making schemes — but we aren’t that desperate. Especially when it is not uncommon for a scrapper to make $100 fast (or more) in a day from their hauls.

If that sounds interesting enough for you, we’ll break down the basics in this guide. Ready to make money for your scrap metal at a scrap yard near you? Here is everything you need to know to find the best local wrecking yard and some tips for those looking to get started.

How can I find a scrap yard near me?

Finding the closest junk yard near you is easier than ever with our scrap yard finder.

Just enter in your zip code and find all metal scrap yards near you ranked by real Google reviews.


Beginner’s guide: scrapping 101

What is a scrap yard?

A scrap yard (also known as a wrecking yard, scrapyard or junkyard) is the location of a business in dismantling where wrecked or decommissioned vehicles are brought, their usable parts are sold for use in operating vehicles, while the unusable metal parts, known as scrap metal parts, are sold to metal recycling companies.

How do you get started scrapping?

There are a lot of odd jobs that people use to make money in this world and scrapping is just another one. This is a great side hustle for men or women to use to make money with local scrap yards.

Some people haul scrap full-time, do it on the side, or just when they have scrap metal laying around and want some extra cash.

If you wanted to get more serious about scrapping, you will have to really know what you have and how much you are able to make with those metals. You’ll definitely make a few mistakes to start but that’s how you will learn.

What can I sell at a junk yard?

Once you find a scrap yard drop off facility, make sure that you are bringing the proper metals. Typical metals that most scrap yards accept are:

  • Iron
  • Steel
  • Stainless steel
  • Brass
  • Copper
  • Aluminum
  • Zinc
  • Nickel
  • Lead

Common household items that can be scrapped

  • Stainless Steel Sink 
  • Brass Faucets
  • Copper Pipe or Tubing
  • Aluminum Pots & Pans
  • Ceiling Fan Motors
  • Copper Yokes from TV’s
  • Power Outlets
  • Mini-Transformers
  • Backup Batteries & Surge Protectors
  • Laptops
  • Desktop Towers
  • Aluminum Lawn Chair

Popular items to bring

  • Cars
  • Appliances
  • Motorcycles
  • Copper Pipe or tubing
  • Bicycles
  • Boats
  • Airplanes
  • Stainless steel sinks

What are the average scrap prices?

Scrap MetalScrap PriceUpdated Price Date
Copper National Average$2.41/lbUpdated 02/02/2021
Steel National Average$145.00/tonUpdated 02/02/2021
Aluminum National Average$0.33/lbUpdated 02/02/2021

Pro-Tip: You can find national scrap metal prices that are updated daily here.

Average scrap prices for common items?

  • Washing machine $18-$22 average weight of 200 lbs.
  • Dryer $8-$10 average weight of 100 lbs.
  • Refrigerator with top freezer $16-18 average weight with the compressor taken out 175 lbs.
  • Side by side refrigerator $24-$28 average weight with the compressor removed 250 lbs.
  • Ovens and ranges $11-$18 average weight of 125 lbs.
  • Full-size Gas BBQ $16-20 average weight of 180 lbs.
  • Cast iron bathtub $30-$40 average weight over 300 lbs.

How to make more money at the scrap yard?

In order to get the best bang for your metal, make sure you do research on what you have and going the rates. Try to separate your metal before heading to the junkyard to avoid any confusion. You will come to find that not all scrap yards are created equal.

If you do it often enough, you’ll find one that needs your needs. Some scrap yards are more helpful than others where they can even help you unload your metals and give you top dollar. This is where legitimate local scrap yard reviews come in handy.

Find a scrap yard near you that has good reviews for verified users. You can use our scrap yard search tool for this. Good luck getting paid for your metals at your local scrap yard.

More ideas to earn money besides scrapping

If you are looking for more ways to make money, here are some of my favorite ideas:

Brian Meiggs
Brian Meiggs
Brian is the founder of Gigs Done Right and has tried every side hustle under the sun. His mission with Gigs Done Right is to share valuable information regarding the gig economy to everyone from beginners looking to start a side hustle, to veteran gig workers trying to expand their empire. He teaches people just like you how to make money in the gig economy and has been featured in Business Insider, Yahoo! Finance, NASDAQ, Discover, and more. He normally shares the latest news, videos, and topics for gig workers so they can earn more money in the gig economy.

3 COMMENTS

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

3 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Chuck B.
Chuck B.

Everything is very open with a very clear clarification on finding a scrapyard near me, even the search tool was super helpful.
It was really informative. Thanks for sharing!

Niya
Niya

If anyone looking to scrap your car or sell your scrap metal in UAE we can help. We always give the best possible price. Contact our team today!!!