Costs
Can You Get Paid for Scrap Metal? What Is Actually Worth Money
5 min read · Updated 2026-09-12
Copper, brass, aluminum, and stainless have real resale value; plain steel appliances and mixed scrap are usually worth just enough to cover the pickup, which is why appliance and metal removal can be free while a mixed junk load is not.
What is actually worth money
Copper, brass, aluminum, and stainless have real resale value; plain steel appliances and mixed scrap are usually worth just enough to cover the pickup, which is why appliance and metal removal can be free while a mixed junk load is not.
Value follows the metal, not the object. Clean copper wire beats a whole washing machine.
- High value: bare copper wire and pipe, brass fittings, radiators
- Moderate: aluminum, stainless steel, catalytic-free auto parts
- Low but haulable: steel appliances, water heaters, filing cabinets, metal furniture
- No value: anything mostly plastic or wood with a little metal in it
Why 'free metal pickup' is a real offer, not a trick
When a load is genuinely all metal, scrap value covers the fuel, labor, and the drive to the yard. That is why an all-metal pickup can be free while the same truckload of couches costs money — the couches cost us a gate fee, the metal does not.
Where honest operators differ from dishonest ones is what happens when the load is half metal and half junk. The right answer is to say so before arriving, not to renegotiate in your driveway.
Selling it yourself
You can absolutely take it to a yard yourself. Florida requires ID and records at scrap facilities, prices change weekly, and you will be paid by weight after the yard sorts it.
Bring it separated if you want the better rate — mixed loads get paid at the lowest metal in the pile.
How scrap cuts a cleanout bill
On a garage or a jobsite cleanout, pull the metal into its own pile. It often turns a $425 job into a smaller one, and in some cases the metal side is free entirely. Send a photo to (561) 345-9808 and we will tell you which part of your pile has value.
Common questions
Do you pay cash for scrap metal?
For loads with genuine value, the metal offsets or eliminates the pickup cost. Straight cash payment depends on the metal type and current yard pricing.
Is appliance removal free?
Often yes when the load is all-metal appliances. Refrigerators and AC units contain refrigerant, which adds a handling requirement.
Do I need ID to sell scrap in Florida?
Yes. State law requires scrap yards to record seller identification and transaction details.
Get a flat price today
All Out Rubbish serves every city in Palm Beach and Broward County. Text one photo and get a flat quote back — same-day pickup costs no extra.