Scrap copper prices in Ontario today
What Ontario scrap yards are paying per pound for copper today, by grade, in Canadian dollars. Checked October 28, 2026; updated every weekday morning.
#1 copper, typical Ontario yard price
$7.82/lb
Range $7.35 – $8.29/lb · +$0.06 since yesterday · Canadian dollars
Copper prices by grade
| Grade | Typical price | Range | Since yesterday |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bare bright copper Clean, shiny, uncoated wire thicker than a pencil lead. | $8.10/lb | $7.61 – $8.59 | +$0.07 |
| #1 copper Clean pipe and heavy wire, no solder, paint or fittings. | $7.82/lb | $7.35 – $8.29 | +$0.06 |
| #2 copper Pipe with solder joints, paint or light corrosion; thin wire. | $7.45/lb | $6.93 – $7.97 | +$0.06 |
| Insulated copper wire (heavy, 70%+) Thick cable such as service entrance and welding leads. | $5.31/lb | $4.67 – $5.95 | +$0.05 |
| Insulated copper wire (light, Romex, cords) House wire, extension cords, appliance cords. | $3.35/lb | $2.85 – $3.85 | +$0.03 |
| Copper/brass radiators Older car and truck rads. Must be free of steel tanks. | $3.71/lb | $3.34 – $4.08 | +$0.03 |
Copper is the metal most people take to the yard first, and the one where sorting matters most. Bare bright and #1 copper pay close to the exchange price; anything with solder, paint or insulation drops a grade.
Where the number comes from
These are estimates, not quotes. We take the London Metal Exchange cash price for copper (2026-10-27: US$14,625 per tonne), convert it at the Bank of Canada rate (1.4038 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 scrap copper going up or down?
Copper follows the London Metal Exchange price, which moves every day. The table above shows the change since yesterday. Bigger swings usually follow news from China, the biggest buyer, and from the US dollar, since copper is priced in dollars.
How do I get #1 instead of #2?
Cut off every fitting, valve and solder joint and keep the clean pipe separate. A single soldered joint in a bundle can drop the whole bundle to #2. Strip insulation off heavy cable; it's worth it for a big pile but not for a few feet.
Do yards pay for insulated wire?
Yes, but on recovered copper weight. Heavy cable (service entrance, welding leads) is mostly copper and pays well. Romex, extension cords and appliance cords are a third to half copper by weight and pay accordingly.
Other metals
- Aluminum $1.67/lb
- Brass $5.18/lb
- Steel and iron $330/tonne
- Stainless steel $0.65/lb
- Car batteries and lead $0.34/lb