Copper is one of the most valuable scrap metals you can collect, with clean bare bright copper fetching around $5 per pound and even lower grades pulling in $4 to $5 per pound. You can find it in household appliances, old plumbing, electrical wiring, HVAC systems, and construction debris. Knowing where to look and how to prepare what you find makes a significant difference in what you actually get paid.
Household Appliances
Washing machines, dishwashers, dryers, freezers, and refrigerators all contain copper in their coils, internal wiring, circuit boards, and motor windings. Electric motors alone contain copper windings that scrap yards will buy, though whole motors fetch a lower price (roughly $0.43 per pound) compared to stripped copper wire ($4.85 per pound). If you have old appliances heading to the curb or sitting in a garage, they’re worth disassembling before disposal.
Smaller electronics and power tools also contain copper wiring, though in smaller quantities. Extension cords, phone chargers, and old computer power supplies all have copper inside their insulated cables. The copper adds up faster than most people expect once you start collecting.
Plumbing and Pipes
Older homes often have copper supply lines running to sinks, bathtubs, and water heaters. If you’re doing a renovation or know someone who is, the removed pipes can be some of the cleanest, highest-grade copper you’ll find. Clean copper tubing with no fittings, solder, paint, or insulation qualifies as #1 copper, which is near the top of the pay scale.
Pipes with solder joints or some oxidation drop to #2 grade but are still worth collecting. Remove non-copper fittings before you bring pipes to a yard. Copper fittings attached to copper pipe can change the grading because of the solder between them, so cutting around joints and separating clean sections from soldered ones will get you a better price per pound.
HVAC Systems and Air Conditioners
Air conditioning units and furnaces are among the richest sources of scrap copper. The evaporator coils and condenser coils inside these systems are made of copper tubing, and the refrigerant lines connecting indoor and outdoor units are copper as well. A single residential AC unit can yield several pounds of copper.
Be aware that some states have specific laws around scrapping HVAC components. In Tennessee, for example, scrap dealers cannot pay cash for AC evaporator coils or condensers, and sellers may need to show they’re a licensed HVAC contractor or permitted business. Check your local regulations before hauling AC parts to a yard, since these rules exist to deter theft and vary by state.
Electrical Wiring
Romex (the standard wiring inside residential walls), old knob-and-tube wiring, and heavy-gauge service entrance cables are all copper. Renovation and demolition projects generate the most wiring scrap, but you can also find it in discarded extension cords, appliance cords, and leftover wire from electrical jobs.
Insulated copper wire with 75% copper recovery scraps at around $3.80 per pound, while stripped bare bright wire brings roughly $5 per pound. That price gap makes stripping worthwhile when you have a decent volume. A manual wire stripping tool costs relatively little and clamps to a workbench, letting you pull insulation off quickly. Motorized stripping machines handle higher volumes but cost more upfront. For small amounts, a utility knife works, though it’s slower and requires care to avoid nicking the copper (or yourself).
One critical rule: never burn insulation off copper wire. It’s illegal in many places, releases toxic fumes, and leaves a residue on the copper that actually lowers its grade and value.
Construction and Demolition Sites
Home renovations are one of the best opportunities to accumulate copper quickly. Old wiring pulled from walls, removed plumbing, radiators, and even decorative hardware like doorknobs can all contain copper or copper alloys like brass. If you do remodeling work yourself or know contractors, ask about taking the scrap off their hands. Many are happy to let someone else haul it away.
Demolition of older buildings tends to produce the most copper because homes built before the 1980s used copper plumbing more extensively than modern construction, which often uses plastic piping. Commercial buildings being gutted can yield heavy-gauge electrical wire and large-diameter copper pipe.
Other Places to Look
Copper shows up in places people overlook. Old roofing materials, gutters, and downspouts on older homes are sometimes copper. Brass fixtures (faucets, valves, hose fittings) are a copper alloy and scrap at around $2 per pound. Alternators from junked cars contain copper windings. Even the thick grounding rods driven into soil near electrical panels are solid copper.
Garage sales, estate sales, and curbside pickup days can also turn up copper. People discard old pots, decorative items, and broken appliances without realizing the metal inside has value.
How Copper Grading Affects Your Payout
Scrap yards grade copper into tiers, and the cleanliness of your material determines which tier you land in.
- Bare bright: The highest grade. This is uncoated, unalloyed copper wire (at least 16 gauge thick) that’s been stripped of all insulation. It must be free of paint, solder, and tarnishing, with no more than very slight patina. Copper pipe does not qualify for this grade. Expect around $5 per pound.
- #1 copper: Clean, uncoated copper including bus bars, wire at least 1/16 inch in diameter, and copper tubing with no fittings or solder. Light traces of oxidation are acceptable. Clean copper pipe and wire both fall here, around $4.85 per pound.
- #2 copper: This is the “dirty” grade. It includes copper with solder, paint, coatings, or moderate oxidation. Wire thinner than 1/16 inch, pipe with fittings still attached, and oxidized tubing all land in this category. Minimum copper content should be 94 to 96%. Expect around $4.70 per pound.
The price difference between grades means a little prep work pays off. Sorting your copper by type and condition before you arrive at the yard speeds up the grading process and prevents a lazy bulk assessment that undervalues your cleaner pieces.
Preparing Your Copper for the Best Price
Pre-sort everything. Keep bare bright wire separate from insulated wire, and clean pipe separate from soldered pipe. Mixing grades together means the whole batch gets priced at the lowest grade in the pile.
Strip insulation from wire when practical. Remove non-copper fittings from pipes. Clean off any dirt or debris. If copper alloys like brass are mixed in with your pure copper, separate them, since alloys require a different recycling process and get priced differently.
When you bring your load to a scrap yard, most states require a valid photo ID, and some have holding periods before you receive payment. Call ahead to confirm what documentation you need and whether the yard accepts the specific items you have. Prices fluctuate with the commodities market, so checking current local rates before making a trip helps you know whether you’re getting a fair offer.