Scrap Metal Calculator

Estimate the scrap value of any metal load. Enter the weight, pick the metal and grade, and optionally select a city for region-specific rates. Updated daily from international metal markets.

Prices last updated: · Source: metalpriceapi

Estimated payout
$53.19 – $71.97
Mid estimate: $62.58 AUD
Show calculation
spot $17.8796/kg
× payout rate 70%
× regional adjustment 1.00
× 5kg
= $62.58 mid (±15%)

Estimates only. Actual yard offers vary by load size, day-to-day demand, and material quality. Read our methodology for details.

How this calculator works

The calculator uses the same formula as the rest of this site: 

spot price (AUD/kg) × grade payout rate × regional adjustment × weight

Spot prices come from international metal markets (LME copper, aluminium, zinc, nickel, lead) via daily API fetches. Brass is derived from copper and zinc (67/33 alloy). Stainless is derived from nickel plus a fixed chromium adjustment. Steel uses a tracked reference value because pure scrap steel doesn't trade as a single LME contract.

Grade payout rates are the percentage of spot that Australian yards typically pay for each grade — 78% for bare bright copper at the top, 12% for light steel at the bottom. These rates come from surveys of published yard rate cards, reviewed quarterly.

Regional adjustments account for transport costs to smelters and ports. Sydney is the benchmark (1.00×); remote cities like Darwin and Alice Springs sit around 0.72–0.78×.

Things this calculator doesn't account for

  • Yard-to-yard variation. Two yards in the same city can pay different rates on the same day.
  • Load size effects. Large loads (above ~100kg) often qualify for premium rates above the published figures. Small drop-offs (below the yard's minimum weight) may pay below published rates.
  • Grade reassessment. What you bring as "bare bright" might be graded #1 at the yard if it has any tarnish. Our calculation assumes yard-side grading.
  • Daily intraday movement. Metal prices move every trading day. We refresh once daily.
  • Demand variation. A yard with full bins of copper will pay less than one waiting for stock. We can't see this.

For a full walk-through of the formula, see our methodology.

Use cases

The calculator is most useful when:

  • You're cleaning out a workshop or garage and want to know if a trip to the yard is worthwhile
  • You've separated metal from a renovation or demolition and want to estimate the load value before transport
  • You're checking a yard's quote against an independent estimate
  • You're comparing the value of selling now versus waiting for prices to move

For pre-built estimates of common household items, see What is it worth.