How Much is My Scrap Metal Worth?

Published 7 August 2013

Enter your reg for a price

4.6 from 19 Google reviewsAuthorised Treatment Facility, South Croydon

A silver Toyota Avensis loaded on the SSC recovery truck
Toyota Avensis, collected in Kingston

Want to earn some extra cash? Selling scrap metal to an appropriate dealership is a great way of doing so. It can even be a lucrative enterprise if you go about the process properly. In order to help you along the way, Car Scrap Surrey is offering some handy hints and tips that will help you determine how much your scrap metal is worth, as well as get the best rates for your scrap. What will you spend the earnings on?

A rough guide to scrap metal prices

Prices for scrap metal depend on many variables, including the type of metal, type of scrap metal dealers you sell to, and current market prices. Just like the stock market, scrap metal prices are subject to fluctuation, so it’s sometimes difficult to give definitive price listings. However, according to a scrap metal article on eHow, average ballpark figures for different types of metal as at the time of writing are stated at:

  • £920 – £960 per tonne for aluminium
  • £500 – £550 per tonne for zinc
  • £150 – £180 per tonne for steel
  • £145 per tonne for light iron

On MoneySavingExpert.com, a scrap metal seller said, “I scrapped a few things recently. I got £26 in total. I had some aluminium and some steel. I got £170 per tonne for the steel and £700 per tonne for the aluminium. Well worth the trip to the scrap yard I thought.”

Three tips for taking advantage of the best scrap metal prices:

  • Choose the dealers offering the most competitive prices. Call a range of scrap metal dealerships and compare prices.
  • Make sure transactions are transparent. Visit scrap dealerships and take a look at their scrap metal price charts.
  • If you’re scrapping a car, choose a reputable ATF like Car Scrap Surrey, who will absorb the price of having your vehicle delivered. We offer a free car collection service.

Car scrapping: Join the conversation

So, have you recently sold scrap metal to a scrap yard? Well, now’s a time it’s permissible to talk about money! How much did your metals garner? Let us know on Twitter, or on Facebook. You can also get in touch with the Car Scrap Surrey team directly to see how your proceeds compare to our competitive scrap rates.

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Any make, any condition. If it has wheels or it’s metal, we’ll take it.

  • Cars
  • Vans
  • Non-runners
  • MOT failures
  • Crash damage
  • Motorbikes
  • Caravans
  • 4x4s
  • Scrap metal
  • Catalytic converters

What people say about Rick

4.6 from 19 reviews on Google

“Great service, easy, friendly and efficient. I helped an elderly friend to scrap her old car from an awkward location with limited access. The car had a seized clutch so couldn't move under it's own power, or so I thought, but Rick had an impressive trick to get it moving, and it took barely 5 seconds to get it down the drive and straight up onto his flat-bed truck. A sight to behold!!”
Stephen D., Google review
“Professional, Courteous and Quick. Rang on a Monday for a Weds pickup (which suited me), I'm sure pick up could have been same day if I had wanted it. Rick arrived exactly when he said. Good price received and car put onto pick up, V5 all completed and car gone within 5 mins. Rick we a joy to deal with. I would thoroughly recommend Rick and SSC...”
Michael K., Google review
“So impressed with how quickly everything was sorted! We had a lot of scrap metal left over from building work and Ricky was here in a flash. No problem with anything at all, he just took everything. Saved us so much effort than having to go to the dump, and we got some money too!”
Karen M., Google review

Genuine reviews from our Google Business Profile, checked weekly (last updated 23 October 2026). Read all reviews

Got a car to scrap?

Or ring 020 8406 4181 or 07716 551934 – we’re open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.