Methodology
How we calculate prices
Every price on this site is an estimate calculated by us, not a price observed at a scrap yard. 6 metals follow a daily commodity spot-price feed multiplied by a fixed ratio; steel and cast iron are fixed figures with no live feed. City pages show the national benchmark.
Prices last updated: November 10, 2026
1. Metals with a live feed
Once a day a scheduled job fetches spot prices in Canadian dollars per kilogram from MetalpriceAPI (metalpriceapi.com) (last successful fetch: November 10, 2026). If the first provider fails, a second provider (Metals.Dev) fills the gap; if both fail, the last successful prices are reused. Each metal's scrap benchmark is:
scrap benchmark (CAD/kg) = spot price (CAD/kg) × fixed ratio
The ratios were set on August 23, 2026 so that each benchmark started at the level shown below, and have been held constant since. The benchmark therefore follows the movement of the spot price, not a new survey of yards. To stop a bad feed day from swinging prices, any single daily move is capped at 12%.
| Metal | Follows | Ratio | Starting level (August 23, 2026) | Benchmark now | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper | copper spot price | 46.2% | $8.40/kg | $8.25/kg | November 10, 2026 |
| Aluminum | aluminum spot price | 40.7% | $1.65/kg | $1.58/kg | November 10, 2026 |
| Brass | a 65% copper / 35% zinc blend of the copper and zinc spot prices spot price | 38.5% | $5.20/kg | $5.12/kg | November 10, 2026 |
| Lead | lead spot price | 75.4% | $1.80/kg | $1.83/kg | November 10, 2026 |
| Stainless Steel | nickel spot price | 5.6% | $1.20/kg | $1.16/kg | November 10, 2026 |
| Zinc | zinc spot price | 40.7% | $1.95/kg | $1.96/kg | November 10, 2026 |
2. Metals without a live feed
There is no spot-price feed for steel and cast iron. Their benchmarks are fixed figures set by this site; the daily job does not change them. Their pages say they are not covered by a live source, and they have no price-trend chart.
3. Cities
We have no source of city-level scrap prices, so each city page shows the national benchmark, with selling notes for that city. We do not show a local premium or discount, because we could not back one up.
4. Grades
Each metal has grade ranges (for example bare bright, No.1 and No.2 copper). The ranges were set by this site and, for metals with a live feed, move each day by the same percentage as the metal's benchmark. Grade ranges for steel and cast iron are fixed.
5. Price history and trends
Trend charts show the benchmark over time: historical spot prices (from MetalpriceAPI), multiplied by the same fixed ratios, plus one new point each day. Metals without a live feed have no chart. Market-update articles are generated from this history.
6. Price submissions
Visitors can submit what a yard paid them. Submissions are stored for review and do not change the published prices yet.
What we do not guarantee
The benchmarks are estimates for orientation only. They are not offers, and no yard is bound by them. Actual prices depend on the yard, the grade and cleanliness of your material, the size of the load and the day's market. Spot-price feeds can be delayed or wrong. Always confirm with the yard before you go. Found a mistake? Report it here.
Questions about the method
Are these the prices scrap yards pay?
No. They are benchmark estimates calculated by this site. Yards set their own buying prices, which vary by yard, grade, load size and day, so always call ahead.
Where do the prices come from?
6 metals are calculated each day from a commodity spot-price feed (MetalpriceAPI (metalpriceapi.com)), multiplied by a fixed ratio per metal. Steel and cast iron have no live feed and are fixed figures set by this site.
Why is my city's price the same as the national price?
We have no city-level price source yet, so city pages show the national benchmark rather than an invented local difference.
How often are prices updated?
A scheduled job fetches spot prices once a day and rebuilds the pages. Each price page shows the date it was last updated; the latest update was November 10, 2026.