Estimate what yellow brass, red brass, shells, radiators, mixed brass, or bronze could be worth after accounting for weight and preparation.
Common faucets, fixtures, valves, and hardware with no significant nonmetal attached.
Mostly metal, sorted by grade, with obvious steel, plastic, rubber, and loose debris removed.
Sort bronze, red brass, yellow brass, shells, and radiator material before you go. Remove loose steel, plastic, rubber, and obvious nonmetal where it is safe and practical.
These are U.S. national average estimates, not a cash offer. Scrap yards set their own grades, deductions, minimum weights, and identification rules. Call before processing a large load.
Find a nearby scrap buyerSpent brass casings are a separate preparation and acceptance question from plumbing fixtures or mixed yellow brass. Select the shell category when estimating, use actual weight, and ask the buyer for its casing rate. Casings made from steel or aluminum should not be counted as brass.
For example, 20 pounds of accepted brass casings at an entered $2 per pound would be $40 before deductions. That example rate is not a current quote. A buyer may grade the load differently or decline casings altogether, so call before hauling or spending time on preparation.
Ask whether the yard accepts your material, how it must be sorted, and what packaging it requires. Live ammunition is not ordinary scrap; keep it separate and contact an appropriate local disposal program for instructions. For an accepted spent-casing load, compare the final payout and deductions rather than the headline brass price alone.
See the brass shell casing recycling guide for buyer questions, shell-grade quotes, and the boundary between spent casings and ammunition disposal.
We updated common reference prices on 9/23/2026 using public U.S. yard boards. Local yards set their own payouts by grade and buyer. See current prices.
The calculator begins with RecycleFind's current sampled U.S. yard-price reference for brass. It converts kilograms when needed, then adjusts the starting rate for the material's preparation level. The range gives room for the local yard's grading and market conditions.
Brass is not always yellow. Separate bronze and red brass when you can, and do not assume every fitting is brass. A magnet can help identify attached steel, but it cannot identify the brass alloy itself.
Weigh the accepted, sorted spent brass casings and multiply by the buyer's quoted casing rate. Do not assume the yard will use its clean yellow-brass rate. Confirm the accepted material and preparation requirements before bringing a load.
No. Acceptance and preparation policies vary. Contact the recycler first and follow its instructions for spent casings. Keep live ammunition separate and do not treat it as ordinary scrap brass.
Brass value depends on the alloy, cleanliness, and local yard demand. Clean yellow and red brass are generally graded separately from mixed brass, shells, brass radiators, and bronze. Check a local buyer's price and grading rules before selling.
Yellow brass commonly contains more zinc and is used in fixtures and hardware. Red brass has more copper and is often found in valves and plumbing fittings. Yards may pay different rates, so keep the grades separate when possible.
Yes, when it is safe and practical. Steel screws, plastic handles, rubber, and other attachments can lead to a lower grade or a weight deduction. Ask the yard what level of preparation it expects for your material.
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