Brass Scrap Prices in Canada: What's Moving the Market

Brass is a copper alloy, so its price is closely correlated with copper. When copper rises, brass typically rises with it — though not always at the same rate.

Brass vs copper pricing

A yard pays for the copper content in brass, less a processing margin for the alloy. Yellow brass (roughly 70% copper) typically pays around 55-65% of the bare bright copper price. Red brass (higher copper content) pays proportionally more.

Plumbing upgrade cycle

Canada's aging housing stock is driving significant plumbing replacement activity. As homeowners replace old copper and brass plumbing with PEX, significant volumes of brass fittings are entering the scrap stream. This has kept supply healthy in most Canadian cities.

Municipal infrastructure replacement

Water main and valve replacement programs in many Canadian cities also generate substantial volumes of brass valves and fittings. Commercial buyers often target these jobs directly.

For residential sellers

Yellow brass prices are at reasonable levels. If you have a significant quantity of brass plumbing fittings, now is a reasonable time to sell. Separate red brass from yellow brass for the best possible return.