Cast Aluminum Scrap Prices in South Carolina
Current national data shows Cast Aluminum averaging $0.61 per pound. Find the most competitive scrap yards in South Carolina and make sure you are getting the highest payout for your engine blocks and grill castings.
Average Cast Aluminum Price
- Low (up to $0.26): Floor price, typically for small loads.
- Mid ($0.31): A fair deal for standard quantities.
- High ($0.39+): Top-dollar rate. Offered for large commercial loads or by the most competitive buyers.
Pricing verified from 5 live board rates today.
Top Paying Scrap Yards for Cast Aluminum in South Carolina
Don't let the scale beat you by settling for the very first quote you hear. Compare local yard payouts in South Carolina against the national benchmark of $0.61/lb. Always call ahead to confirm their current prices and grading standards before hauling your material across town.
CMC Recycling
CMC Recycling
CMC Recycling
CMC Recycling
CMC Recycling
Your competitors are already here. Is your yard missing from the list?
Hundreds of people search here every day for the best scrap metal prices. Start capturing ready-to-sell leads today.
🚀 List your scrap yard ⟶Cast Aluminum vs. Other Aluminum 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.
Historical Cast Aluminum 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.
Cast Aluminum: Scrap Yard Price vs. World Market (LME)
Avg scrap yard price
World market price (LME)
Cast Aluminum: Spread vs. Exchange — Monthly History
| Period | World price (per lb) | Scrap yard price (per lb) | Spread vs. exchange |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2026 (current) | $1.097176 | $0.55 | -$0.54 (49.4%) |
| February 2026 | $1.2032 | $0.62 | -$0.58 (48.3%) |
| January 2026 | $1.051423 | $0.63 | -$0.42 (40%) |
| December 2025 | $0.982942 | $0.59 | -$0.39 (40.1%) |
| November 2025 | $0.930043 | $0.56 | -$0.37 (39.9%) |
| October 2025 | $0.887584 | $0.53 | -$0.35 (39.9%) |
| September 2025 | $0.86119 | $0.52 | -$0.34 (40%) |
| August 2025 | $0.866703 | $0.52 | -$0.35 (40%) |
| July 2025 | $0.837774 | $0.50 | -$0.33 (40%) |
| June 2025 | $0.802343 | $0.48 | -$0.32 (39.9%) |
| May 2025 | $0.807171 | $0.49 | -$0.32 (39.4%) |
| April 2025 | $0.744003 | $0.45 | -$0.30 (39.9%) |
| March 2025 | $0.878574 | $0.50 | -$0.38 (42.9%) |
| February 2025 | $0.893382 | $0.54 | -$0.36 (40.1%) |
| January 2025 | $0.812942 | $0.49 | -$0.33 (40%) |
| December 2024 | $0.805026 | $0.48 | -$0.32 (40.1%) |
| November 2024 | $0.80919 | $0.49 | -$0.32 (39.9%) |
| October 2024 | $0.84811 | $0.51 | -$0.34 (40.1%) |
| September 2024 | $0.84145 | $0.51 | -$0.34 (40%) |
| August 2024 | $0.838665 | $0.50 | -$0.34 (40.1%) |
| July 2024 | $0.905877 | $0.54 | -$0.36 (40.1%) |
| June 2024 | $0.957757 | $0.57 | -$0.38 (40.1%) |
| May 2024 | $0.995197 | $0.60 | -$0.40 (40.2%) |
| April 2024 | $0.9588 | $0.58 | -$0.38 (40%) |
| March 2024 | $0.916803 | $0.55 | -$0.37 (39.9%) |
| February 2024 | $0.908876 | $0.53 | -$0.38 (41.6%) |
| January 2024 | $0.981155 | $0.59 | -$0.39 (39.8%) |
| December 2023 | $0.992781 | $0.60 | -$0.40 (40%) |
| November 2023 | $0.936113 | $0.56 | -$0.37 (40%) |
| October 2023 | $0.91751 | $0.48 | -$0.43 (47.4%) |
| September 2023 | $0.946997 | $0.50 | -$0.45 (47.4%) |
| August 2023 | $0.930013 | $0.56 | -$0.37 (40.1%) |
| July 2023 | $0.934068 | $0.56 | -$0.37 (39.9%) |
| June 2023 | $0.944237 | $0.57 | -$0.38 (40.1%) |
| May 2023 | $0.9455 | $0.57 | -$0.38 (40.1%) |
| April 2023 | $0.971563 | $0.58 | -$0.39 (40.1%) |
| March 2023 | $1.031729 | $0.62 | -$0.41 (39.9%) |
| February 2023 | $1.081664 | $0.65 | -$0.43 (40.1%) |
| January 2023 | $1.063787 | $0.64 | -$0.42 (39.9%) |
| December 2022 | $1.03949 | $0.62 | -$0.42 (40%) |
| November 2022 | $1.026153 | $0.52 | -$0.51 (49.6%) |
| October 2022 | $0.962755 | $0.58 | -$0.39 (40.1%) |
| September 2022 | $0.9553 | $0.57 | -$0.38 (39.9%) |
| August 2022 | $1.002665 | $0.55 | -$0.45 (45%) |
| July 2022 | $0.932735 | $0.53 | -$0.40 (43.1%) |
| June 2022 | $1.03653 | $0.61 | -$0.43 (41.1%) |
| May 2022 | $1.104181 | $0.61 | -$0.49 (44.4%) |
| April 2022 | $1.12712 | $0.68 | -$0.45 (40%) |
| March 2022 | $1.070248 | $0.64 | -$0.43 (40.1%) |
| February 2022 | $1.12205 | $0.67 | -$0.45 (40%) |
| January 2022 | $1.156365 | $0.52 | -$0.64 (55.1%) |
| December 2021 | $1.092839 | $0.59 | -$0.50 (45.9%) |
| November 2021 | $1.072407 | $0.64 | -$0.43 (40%) |
| October 2021 | $1.051368 | $0.54 | -$0.51 (48.9%) |
| September 2021 | $1.110613 | $0.57 | -$0.54 (48.6%) |
| August 2021 | $1.181813 | $0.71 | -$0.47 (39.9%) |
| July 2021 | $1.106519 | $0.66 | -$0.44 (40%) |
| June 2021 | $1.065053 | $0.64 | -$0.43 (40.1%) |
| May 2021 | $1.079274 | $0.65 | -$0.43 (39.9%) |
| April 2021 | $1.063943 | $0.53 | -$0.53 (50.2%) |
| March 2021 | $1.038232 | $0.62 | -$0.41 (39.9%) |
| February 2021 | $0.997864 | $0.55 | -$0.44 (44.6%) |
| January 2021 | $0.975019 | $0.56 | -$0.41 (42.1%) |
Cast Aluminum 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 | $0.39 / lb | -$0.12 | $0.39 - $0.39 |
| 5/24/2025 | $0.51 / lb | +$0.10 | $0.51 - $0.51 |
| 3/28/2025 | $0.41 / lb | -$0.08 | $0.41 - $0.41 |
| 2/29/2024 | $0.49 / lb | +$0.21 | $0.49 - $0.49 |
| 10/31/2023 | $0.28 / lb | -$0.02 | $0.26 - $0.29 |
| 9/30/2023 | $0.30 / lb | +$0.05 | $0.30 - $0.30 |
| 11/27/2022 | $0.25 / lb | -$0.15 | $0.25 - $0.25 |
| 8/12/2022 | $0.40 / lb | — no change | $0.40 - $0.40 |
| 7/6/2022 | $0.40 / lb | -$0.06 | $0.40 - $0.40 |
| 5/20/2022 | $0.46 / lb | +$0.10 | $0.40 - $0.51 |
| 1/29/2022 | $0.36 / lb | +$0.04 | $0.32 - $0.45 |
| 1/8/2022 | $0.32 / lb | -$0.10 | $0.32 - $0.32 |
| 12/31/2021 | $0.42 / lb | +$0.14 | $0.42 - $0.42 |
| 10/28/2021 | $0.28 / lb | — no change | $0.28 - $0.28 |
| 9/25/2021 | $0.28 / lb | -$0.21 | $0.28 - $0.28 |
| 4/22/2021 | $0.49 / lb | +$0.24 | $0.38 - $0.59 |
| 4/21/2021 | $0.25 / lb | -$0.20 | $0.25 - $0.25 |
| 2/26/2021 | $0.45 / lb | +$0.19 | $0.36 - $0.53 |
Heavy Hits: Cashing in on Cast Aluminum
If you are pulling apart old lawnmowers, BBQ grills, or engine blocks, you are likely sitting on a pile of Cast Aluminum. Unlike extruded or sheet aluminum, cast has been poured into a mold, giving it a rougher texture and a heavier feel. Right now, national buyers are paying anywhere from $0.55 for dirtier, unprepared loads up to $0.70 per pound for perfectly clean material. Across the board, our data shows a national average of $0.61 per pound. To get that top tier pricing in South Carolina, you have to put in the prep work before you hit the yard.
Keep It Clean: Prepping Your Cast Scrap
The scale doesn't lie, and neither does the magnet. The biggest mistake scrappers make is leaving steel bolts or rubber gaskets attached to their cast material. If you toss an engine block with steel valves still inside onto the scale, yards will slap you with a heavy 'irony aluminum' downgrade. Furthermore, sorting matters. If you accidentally mix higher-paying grades like Aluminum 5052 (Plate) in with your cast bin, you are leaving money on the table—expect to lose around $0.64 per pound just for being lazy with your sorting.
Yard Pro Tip: Cast aluminum is brittle because of its manufacturing process. If you aren't sure if a piece is cast or extruded, hit it with a hammer. If it bends, it isn't cast. If it cracks or shatters, you've got cast aluminum. Also, always run a strong neodymium magnet over every single piece. Hidden steel bolts in grill bases or car parts will instantly downgrade your entire load.
Here is how yard buyers typically classify your haul:
| Material Condition | Yard Expectation |
|---|---|
| Clean Cast Aluminum | Zero steel, no plastic, no rubber gaskets. Usually broken down engine parts, clean grill bases, or cast pots. Pays the top national rate. |
| Dirty / Irony Cast | Contains steel screws, bolts, heavy grease, or non-aluminum attachments. Takes a massive price cut at the pay window. |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much are yards paying for cast aluminum right now?
Nationally, clean cast aluminum averages $0.61 per pound. However, local prices depend heavily on the LME market, and buyers usually set their payouts roughly 68.9% below the spot price to account for their own freight, shredding, and processing margins.
What is the difference between cast and other aluminum grades?
Cast aluminum is molded, making it more brittle and porous than structural or rolled aluminum. Because of its specific alloy mix, it is priced differently than grades like $0.30 to $0.70/lb or $0.72 to $0.87/lb. Always keep these grades separated in your truck so you don't get shortchanged.
Why did my cast aluminum get downgraded?
The number one reason for a downgrade is steel contamination. A single steel bolt or a rubber handle left on a cast aluminum pan will force the yard buyer to grade the whole container as dirty material. Take the extra five minutes to strip it clean before you weigh in.
Cast Aluminum scrap prices in South Carolina on the map
The map shows cities in South Carolina with Cast Aluminum scrap prices. Click a marker or pick a city in the list below to see Cast Aluminum prices in that location.