Copper wire scrap price in Ontario today
What Ontario scrap yards are paying per pound for copper wire today, by grade, in Canadian dollars. Checked October 29, 2026; updated every weekday morning.
Insulated copper wire (heavy, 70%+), typical Ontario yard price
$5.33/lb
Range $4.69 – $5.97/lb · Canadian dollars
Copper wire prices by grade
| Grade | Typical price | Range | Since yesterday |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insulated copper wire (heavy, 70%+) Thick cable such as service entrance and welding leads. | $5.33/lb | $4.69 – $5.97 | no change |
| Insulated copper wire (light, Romex, cords) House wire, extension cords, appliance cords. | $3.36/lb | $2.86 – $3.86 | no change |
| Bare bright copper Clean, shiny, uncoated wire thicker than a pencil lead. | $8.13/lb | $7.64 – $8.62 | no change |
| #1 copper Clean pipe and heavy wire, no solder, paint or fittings. | $7.85/lb | $7.38 – $8.32 | no change |
| Electric motors Whole motors, any size. Larger motors pay more per pound. | $0.70/lb | $0.59 – $0.80 | no change |
Wire is paid on how much copper is left once the insulation is gone. Heavy cable is mostly copper and pays close to #2 copper; house wire and cords are a third to half copper and pay accordingly. Stripped, clean wire jumps to the bare bright or #1 price.
Where the number comes from
These are estimates, not quotes. We take the London Metal Exchange cash price for copper (2026-10-28: US$14,676 per tonne), convert it at the Bank of Canada rate (1.4036 CAD per USD), and apply the share of that price Ontario yards typically pay for each grade. The shares were set against what GTA, Hamilton and London yards were posting in October 2026 and are listed on the about page.
Your yard may pay more or less. Big, clean, sorted loads and regular sellers get the top of the range; small or dirty loads get the bottom. Call two yards before a big trip.
Questions people ask
Is it worth stripping copper wire?
For heavy cable, usually yes: stripped wire moves from the insulated price to bare bright or #1, often more than double per pound. For thin cords and Romex, the time rarely pays unless you have a big pile or a stripping machine.
What's the difference between bare bright and #1 wire?
Bare bright is clean, unalloyed, unplated copper wire with no tarnish, at least 16 gauge. #1 is clean copper that's slightly oxidized or thicker material like bus bar and clean pipe.
Do yards take communication and data cable?
Most do, at a low grade, because there's little copper in it. Coaxial and Cat5/Cat6 cable pay well below house wire.
Other metals
- Copper $7.85/lb
- Aluminum $1.68/lb
- Brass $5.20/lb
- Steel and iron $330/tonne
- Stainless steel $0.65/lb
- Car batteries and lead $0.34/lb