Today’s Bare Bright Copper Scrap Prices in Michigan
Bare Bright Copper is the absolute holy grail of the scrap yard, currently averaging $4.80 per pound nationwide. Find out exactly what local yards in Michigan are paying and how to prep your wire to ensure you hit that top-tier scale price.
Average Bare Bright Copper Price
- Low (up to $3.80): Floor price, typically for small loads.
- Mid ($3.90): A fair deal for standard quantities.
- High ($4.00+): Top-dollar rate. Offered for large commercial loads or by the most competitive buyers.
Pricing verified from 3 live board rates today.
Top Paying Scrap Yards in Michigan
Don't let your premium wire get downgraded just because you pulled up to the wrong scale. Below is a list of buyers in Michigan actively grading and pricing Bare Bright Copper. Always call ahead to lock in your rate, as prices fluctuate daily based on the COMEX and local yard inventory.
RJ Industrial Recycling
Al's Scrap Metals
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🚀 List your scrap yard ⟶Bare Bright vs. Other Copper Grades
The #1 rule at scrap yards: if you mix grades, they’ll weigh everything at the lowest rate. See the price gap below — if you have higher-value metal, always sort and weigh each grade separately to avoid leaving money on the table.
Bare Bright Copper Price Trends
This chart shows where the market is headed. If the line is climbing, prices are rising — you might get a better deal in a few days. If it’s dropping, don’t wait: sell today before yards lower their buy prices further.
Bare Bright Copper: Scrap Yard Price vs. World Market (COMEX)
Avg scrap yard price
World market price (COMEX)
Bare Bright Copper: Spread vs. Exchange — Monthly History
| Period | World price (per lb) | Scrap yard price (per lb) | Spread vs. exchange |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2026 (current) | $5.764324 | $4.18 | -$1.59 (27.6%) |
| February 2026 | $5.880136 | $4.25 | -$1.63 (27.8%) |
| January 2026 | $5.894887 | $4.06 | -$1.83 (31.1%) |
| December 2025 | $5.497742 | $3.94 | -$1.55 (28.3%) |
| November 2025 | $5.064033 | $3.71 | -$1.35 (26.7%) |
| October 2025 | $5.050242 | $3.61 | -$1.45 (28.6%) |
| September 2025 | $4.662367 | $3.42 | -$1.24 (26.6%) |
| August 2025 | $4.477984 | $3.30 | -$1.18 (26.4%) |
| July 2025 | $5.482645 | $4.03 | -$1.45 (26.4%) |
| June 2025 | $4.883233 | $3.59 | -$1.29 (26.4%) |
| May 2025 | $4.686194 | $3.45 | -$1.24 (26.4%) |
| April 2025 | $4.654267 | $3.42 | -$1.23 (26.4%) |
| March 2025 | $4.919484 | $3.62 | -$1.30 (26.4%) |
| February 2025 | $4.558107 | $3.31 | -$1.25 (27.4%) |
| January 2025 | $4.269774 | $3.15 | -$1.12 (26.3%) |
| December 2024 | $4.157855 | $3.06 | -$1.10 (26.4%) |
| November 2024 | $4.199383 | $3.09 | -$1.11 (26.4%) |
| October 2024 | $4.431839 | $3.26 | -$1.17 (26.4%) |
| September 2024 | $4.292683 | $3.16 | -$1.13 (26.4%) |
| August 2024 | $4.121839 | $3.10 | -$1.02 (24.9%) |
| July 2024 | $4.375242 | $3.26 | -$1.12 (25.6%) |
| June 2024 | $4.491083 | $3.31 | -$1.19 (26.4%) |
| May 2024 | $4.75471 | $3.50 | -$1.26 (26.4%) |
| April 2024 | $4.363717 | $3.21 | -$1.15 (26.4%) |
| March 2024 | $3.992069 | $2.94 | -$1.05 (26.4%) |
Bare Bright Copper Scrap Price History — Daily Data
A day-by-day market snapshot in exact numbers. Every day we aggregate buy prices from local scrap yards, recording the average, low, and high. Use this table to track real price movement over recent days.
| Date | Avg price (per lb) | Change | Range (Low/High) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/17/2026 | $4.00 / lb | +$0.70 | $4.00 - $4.00 |
| 1/17/2026 | $3.30 / lb | -$0.46 | $3.30 - $3.30 |
| 12/19/2025 | $3.76 / lb | +$0.19 | $3.72 - $3.80 |
| 12/6/2025 | $3.57 / lb | -$0.18 | $3.57 - $3.57 |
| 12/5/2025 | $3.75 / lb | +$0.35 | $3.75 - $3.75 |
| 10/13/2025 | $3.40 / lb | -$0.07 | $3.40 - $3.40 |
| 10/6/2025 | $3.47 / lb | +$0.22 | $3.47 - $3.47 |
| 8/27/2025 | $3.25 / lb | -$0.05 | $3.25 - $3.25 |
| 8/26/2025 | $3.30 / lb | +$0.05 | $3.30 - $3.30 |
| 2/16/2025 | $3.25 / lb | — no change | $3.25 - $3.25 |
| 2/6/2025 | $3.25 / lb | -$0.15 | $3.25 - $3.25 |
| 8/5/2024 | $3.40 / lb | +$0.55 | $3.40 - $3.40 |
The Gold Standard: Cashing in on Bare Bright Copper
Bare Bright Copper is the undisputed king of the scrap yard. We are talking about clean, unalloyed, uncoated, and untinned bare copper wire that is thicker than 16 gauge—roughly the thickness of a standard pencil lead. Yards are currently paying anywhere from $4.50 to $5.07 per pound for this premium grade. If you show up with perfectly stripped THHN or Romex wire, this is the price bracket you are aiming for. When hauling Michigan, remember that the scale master's word is final, so your material needs to look flawless.
Stripping and Sorting Without Losing Your Shirt
A lot of scrappers shoot themselves in the foot right at the sorting bin. If you leave even a speck of insulation, a brass connector, or try to sneak in oxidized wire, the buyer will instantly bump you down to #1 Copper or even #2 Copper.
Yard Pro Tip: When stripping THHN or heavy gauge wire, keep it perfectly straight and do not let it sit out in the rain or humidity. Even a tiny bit of surface oxidation (turning dark or green) gives a picky scale master an excuse to downgrade your Bare Bright to #1 Copper. Store it in sealed gaylord boxes or heavy-duty bags indoors until you are ready to haul.
Mixing your pristine bare bright with inferior grades, or trying to sell it unstripped alongside Christmas Lights? That lazy mistake will cost you roughly $4.42 per pound at the scale. Separation is where the real money is made.
Compare Before You Dump
Knowing the spread between grades keeps your operation profitable. Right now, our national data shows #1 Copper is sitting around $4.40 to $4.85/lb, while #1 Insulated Wire is fetching $2.40 to $3.90/lb. Do the math on your stripping time before you commit the labor—sometimes the insulation weight pays out better if the spread is tight, but Bare Bright usually reigns supreme.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my stripped wire get downgraded from Bare Bright?
If your wire is thinner than 16 gauge (like fine extension cord or communication wire), has a tin coating, or shows any signs of burning or oxidation, yards will not grade it as Bare Bright. It must look like a freshly minted penny to get that top $4.80 average payout.
How do market exchanges affect the payout?
Scrap yards base their daily payouts on major commodities markets like the COMEX. Typically, the price you get at the scale for premium copper is about 26.4% below the spot price to account for the yard's processing, storage, and freight costs.
Should I burn my wire to get the bare copper price?
Absolutely not. Burning wire ruins the metallurgical properties of the copper, turning it black, brittle, and covered in ash. Buyers will severely downgrade burnt wire to #2 Copper or lower, costing you heavy profits. Always mechanically strip it to keep it bright and shiny.
Bare Bright Copper scrap prices in Michigan on the map
The map shows cities in Michigan with Bare Bright Copper scrap prices. Click a marker or pick a city in the list below to see Bare Bright Copper prices in that location.