Scrap Yard Near Me: Find Local Scrap Yard & Selling Tips

Find scrap yards in your city that will pay you cash for your scrap metal by using our junkyard local tool.

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Find scrap yards in your city that will pay you cash for your scrap metal by using our junkyard local tool below.

Scrap Yard Near Me Tool

Finding a scrap yard near you is easier than ever thanks to our junkyard location tool.

Stop wondering ‘how can I find a car junkyard near me?’ – Simply put in your zip code and find the best local scrap yards in your area according to real Google reviews.

Find Scrap Yard Near Me Open Now:

Want to find a scrap yard metal drop-off facility with good reviews? A few taps on your smartphone and you can be on your way by using these best scrap yards:


Note: This tool works best if you’re in the United States.

What is a Scrap Yard?

A scrapyard is a recycling center that buys and sells scrap metal. Scrapyards are effectively a scrap metal brokerage.

Scrap yards typically buy any base metal; for example, iron, steel, stainless steel, brass, copper, aluminum, zinc, nickel, and lead would all be found at a scrapyard.

Scrapyards will often buy electronics, appliances, and metal vehicles as they make money by reselling their accumulations of metals either to refineries or larger scrap brokers.

If you are looking for a scrap yard near you that will pay you money for your metals or appliances, then keep these tips in mind.

Get the Most Cash at Your Local Scrap Yard

A wrecking yard, scrapyard or junkyard is the place where you can buy and sell metal, cars, or scrap metal parts and sell them for money. Basically, you're getting cash for scrap metal. Wondering how to get the best bang for your metals, here are some tips for you scrappers.

1. Do Your Research

Before your next trip to the scrap yard do your research. Be sure to know what the value of your metal is or appliance is worth. For example here are some the average prices for common appliances:

Appliance

Average Price

Average Weight

Washing Machine

scrap yard near me

$18 – $22 200 lbs
Dryer

scrap yard near me

$8 – $10 100 lbs
Refrigerator with Top Freezer

scrap yard near me

$16 – $18 175 lbs
Side by Side Refrigerator

scrap yard near me

$24 – $28 250 lbs
Ovens and Ranges

scrap yard near me

$11 – $18 125 lbs
Full-Size Gas BBQ

scrap yard near me

$16 – $20 180 lbs
Cast Iron Bathtub

scrap yard near me

$30 – $40 300 lbs

2. More Scrap, More Bargaining Power

Essentially, the more appliances, scrap metal, or material that you bring to your local scrap yard the more bargaining power you will have.

If you bring more than the regular Joe with a pickup truck full of scrap than the scrap yard owner will definitely want your business (and pay you more).

Next time you go to the scrap yard, make sure, you're bringing enough ammo so that you can get the best bang for your buck.

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Keep in mind, there is no minimum or maximum amount of metal you can bring in, the scrap yards near you will buy any amount.

3. Separate Metals by Type

Sort aluminum, steel, copper, etc. into separate boxes.

You'll make more money by separating the metal by types. Here is an example of how avid scrappers separate their metals:

4. I Call a Scrap Yard Near Me to Check Prices Before

Don't assume that the biggest scrap yard will have the best prices.

Sometimes the larger scrap yards have more expenses and that is shown in their payout prices.

You may benefit from a smaller scrap yard who receives less business, as you can make more money.

Just do your research, and take 30 minutes to call different scrap yards near you to check scale prices.

5. Copper and Aluminum Makes it Worth it

Your best bet is bringing copper and aluminum to your local scrap yard.

Take a look at this scrap yard scale pricing at a Scrap Yard in Pittsburgh, PA:

6. Use a Truck

If you don't have a pickup truck, I wouldn't use your personal vehicle if it's newer or nice.

I wouldn’t use a nice car unless you are just taking in high-value copper wire and other more expensive metals, and even then you don’t want to scratch up your car.

You should save up a decent sized load and then borrow a friends truck, or…get a small tow hitch and smaller trailer to pull behind your car to take the metal in.

But that’s just a temporary solution. Long run you want to get a little pickup truck to do the hauling.

Selling Scrap Metal for Cash is Easy!

I respect this hustle!

So there is money to be made. I would suggest starting selling appliances as well and you won’t have any problem paying for that truck!

Once you get the truck and you're doing this daily, weekly or even monthly you'll be able to earn some money on the side.

It's a great side gig to earn money.

If you're looking for other ideas to make money check out our list of 39 proven strategies to make money fast.

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Brian Meiggs
Hi, I’m Brian Meiggs! I’m a personal finance expert and founder of My Millennial Guide, here to help you build real wealth. With a background in finance, I’ve spent years guiding people on smart, practical ways to grow their money. For stock market beginners, I recommend Acorns. It’s a simple way to start investing with just your spare change, helping you steadily grow your portfolio over time without the need to actively manage it. And if you’re interested in real estate, check out Arrived and Fundrise. I use both myself—they make it easy to start investing in property without needing huge upfront capital. These platforms are perfect for anyone looking to add real estate to their investments for passive, long-term growth. I believe these tools are great for building a balanced investment portfolio, combining stocks and real estate for a solid approach to wealth-building. You can trust this advice—my work has been featured in major publications like Business Insider, Entrepreneur, The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo Finance, NASDAQ, Discover, Fox News, and MSN Money.

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