Estimate what your aluminum could be worth by grade, weight, and condition before you take it to a recycling center.
Empty cans, kept separate from other aluminum.
No meaningful deduction applied.
Separate cans, sheet, cast pieces, extrusions, wheels, and radiators. Remove steel, rubber, plastic, glass, fluid, and nonmetal attachments when practical. Ask your local yard which preparation steps change its grade.
This is a planning estimate, not a purchase offer. Yard prices vary by region, volume, alloy verification, contamination, and market conditions. Call before loading a large quantity.
Find a local recycling centerReference prices refreshed Aug 24, 2026 from sampled public U.S. yard boards. Local payouts vary by grade and buyer. See current prices.
A load of aluminum is not one commodity. Cans, extrusions, cast parts, sheet, wheels, and radiators have different processing costs and often receive different prices. Sorting before you go helps you understand the estimate and can make the check-in process easier.
Some items that look like aluminum contain copper, steel, plastic, or fluids. Do not use this calculator for aluminum and copper radiators. Keep mixed-metal items separate and ask the yard for its current grading rules.
Aluminum scrap value depends on the grade, alloy, cleanliness, and local buyer. Clean extrusions and wheels generally bring more than mixed or dirty aluminum. This calculator uses August 2026 U.S. national average prices, but your local payout can differ.
Clean architectural extrusions, clean wheels, and properly sorted alloys can earn more than mixed sheet or dirty aluminum. Aluminum and copper radiators are a separate mixed-metal grade and should be kept apart from aluminum-only radiators.
Usually, yes. Removing steel, rubber, plastic, glass, fluids, and nonmetal parts can help a buyer grade your load as cleaner aluminum. Confirm the requirements with your chosen yard before spending significant time on preparation.
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