Brass is mostly copper, so its scrap price moves with COMEX copper. Here is what yards typically pay per pound by grade today.
Estimated scrap yard payout at today's market price. Yards set their own rates daily.
Typical yard payouts based on copper content. Clean, sorted brass earns the top of the range.
Yellow brass typically brings about $3.35–$4.15 per pound and red brass about $4.02–$4.82, because brass prices follow copper ($6.692/lb today).
Brass is yellow-gold and non-magnetic; copper is reddish-pink. Red brass and bronze look more copper-colored. If a magnet sticks, it's brass-plated steel and worth far less.
Yes. Steel screws, handles or valve stems turn a piece into 'dirty brass', which pays noticeably less. A magnet helps find hidden steel.