Red Brass Scrap Price Today
National average and per-state rates. Last updated Nov 10, 2026.
What is Red Brass?
Common scrap sources: brass water meter.
How to prep Red Brass
Prep guidance for items that contain Red Brass:
- Brass Water Meter: Verify legal ownership before selling — water utilities prosecute meter theft aggressively and yards routinely report suspicious sales to local police under municipal ordinance. Remove the glass register face and plastic flow indicator; the cast red-brass body is the entire value. Bring documentation if available.
Red Brass — 90-day price history
What drives the Red Brass market
Most Red Brass flows through the scrap market because of valves, pumps, and marine fittings. Yard inflow comes mainly from industrial valve replacement and pump rebuilds, which sets the pace of what hits the scale each week. That ties the price closely to activity in industrial plumbing and marine fitting. A typical example of what comes in is industrial valve bodies and pump housings, which yards see across many tickets a week. On the consumer side, recovered Red Brass feeds industrial valves and marine fittings. Anyone selling Red Brass regularly will see that posted rates move with the broader commodity benchmark plus the rhythm of industrial plumbing and marine fitting, with each yard's volume and downstream relationships then setting where they land inside that band.
How Red Brass grades differ on the price board
The price gap between Brass grades comes from contamination, attached parts, and recovery yield. Red Brass sits at the top of the scale; it is sold as remelting for valves and high-strength fittings. On the other end, Yellow Brass pays less because of attached steel parts and rubber gaskets. Trimming off steel stems, rubber seats, and any chrome plating at home is the simplest way to land in a cleaner grade.
Frequently asked about Red Brass
- How is Red Brass weighed and paid?
- Yards weigh material on a public scale and pay by the pound. The posted rate on the day you bring it in is what applies — calling ahead is the safest way to confirm.
- How are yard prices for Red Brass different from the spot price?
- Spot is the wholesale benchmark. Yards pay a fraction of spot to cover sorting, shipping to a downstream mill or refiner, and their own margin. The fraction varies by grade and by how much volume the yard moves.
- Will I get a higher price if I sort or clean my Red Brass?
- Yes — removing steel stems, rubber seats, and any chrome plating before bringing material in usually lands you in a cleaner grade on the price board. Even an hour of prep work at home can move the ticket up.
- Do all yards buy Red Brass?
- Not always. Some yards focus on auto salvage, others on industrial scrap. The yard search filters by accepted material, so you can quickly see who in your area takes Red Brass.
- What lowers the price a yard pays for Red Brass?
- The main deductions come from attached steel parts and rubber gaskets. If the material has visible steel stems, rubber seats, and any chrome plating, the yard either downgrades the ticket or applies a flat deduction.
- Why does Red Brass pricing change from week to week?
- Posted yard rates for Red Brass follow underlying commodity benchmarks plus a yard-specific margin. When the benchmark moves, posted prices catch up within a couple business days at the typical yard.
What does Red Brass go into?
Common items that contain Red Brass. Click any item to see its full value breakdown.
Find yards near you that buy Red Brass
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Compare other Brass grades
Red Brass Prices by State
Local market context and yards buying red brass in each state.