Clean Aluminum Sheet Scrap Prices in California
National averages for Clean Aluminum Sheet are currently sitting at $0.63 per pound. Find top-paying scrap yards in California and maximize your payout by keeping your load free of steel.
Average Clean Aluminum Sheet Price
- Low (up to $0.60): Floor price, typically for small loads.
- Mid ($0.83): A fair deal for standard quantities.
- High ($1.05+): Top-dollar rate. Offered for large commercial loads or by the most competitive buyers.
Pricing verified from 2 live board rates today.
Where to Sell Clean Aluminum Sheet in California
Check the list of local scrap yards in California below to find the best rates. While the national average is $0.63/lb, local buyers adjust prices daily based on market conditions and the volume you bring. Always call ahead to confirm the scale price before making the drive.
TM Scrap Metals Inc.
Greener Recycling
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🚀 List your scrap yard ⟶Compare Clean Aluminum Sheet vs. Other 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.
Clean Aluminum Sheet Price Trends & History
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.
Clean Aluminum Sheet: Scrap Yard Price vs. World Market (LME)
Avg scrap yard price
World market price (LME)
Clean Aluminum Sheet: Spread vs. Exchange — Monthly History
| Period | World price (per lb) | Scrap yard price (per lb) | Spread vs. exchange |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2026 (current) | $1.097176 | $0.89 | -$0.20 (18.6%) |
| February 2026 | $1.2032 | $1.00 | -$0.20 (16.8%) |
| January 2026 | $1.051423 | $0.86 | -$0.19 (17.8%) |
| December 2025 | $0.982942 | $0.81 | -$0.17 (17.8%) |
| November 2025 | $0.930043 | $0.77 | -$0.16 (17.7%) |
| October 2025 | $0.887584 | $0.76 | -$0.12 (14%) |
| September 2025 | $0.86119 | $0.71 | -$0.15 (17.7%) |
| August 2025 | $0.866703 | $0.72 | -$0.15 (17.2%) |
| July 2025 | $0.837774 | $0.69 | -$0.15 (17.9%) |
| June 2025 | $0.802343 | $0.66 | -$0.14 (17.6%) |
| May 2025 | $0.807171 | $0.66 | -$0.14 (17.8%) |
| April 2025 | $0.744003 | $0.61 | -$0.13 (17.7%) |
| March 2025 | $0.878574 | $0.72 | -$0.16 (17.7%) |
| February 2025 | $0.893382 | $0.74 | -$0.16 (17.7%) |
| January 2025 | $0.812942 | $0.67 | -$0.14 (17.7%) |
| December 2024 | $0.805026 | $0.66 | -$0.14 (17.5%) |
| November 2024 | $0.80919 | $0.67 | -$0.14 (17.7%) |
| October 2024 | $0.84811 | $0.70 | -$0.15 (17.6%) |
| September 2024 | $0.84145 | $0.69 | -$0.15 (17.9%) |
| August 2024 | $0.838665 | $0.69 | -$0.15 (17.7%) |
| July 2024 | $0.905877 | $0.75 | -$0.16 (17.7%) |
| June 2024 | $0.957757 | $0.79 | -$0.17 (17.6%) |
| May 2024 | $0.995197 | $0.82 | -$0.18 (17.8%) |
| April 2024 | $0.9588 | $0.79 | -$0.17 (17.7%) |
| March 2024 | $0.916803 | $0.75 | -$0.16 (17.7%) |
| February 2024 | $0.908876 | $0.75 | -$0.16 (17.6%) |
| January 2024 | $0.981155 | $0.81 | -$0.17 (17.7%) |
| December 2023 | $0.992781 | $0.82 | -$0.18 (17.8%) |
| November 2023 | $0.936113 | $0.77 | -$0.17 (17.6%) |
| October 2023 | $0.91751 | $0.76 | -$0.16 (17.7%) |
| September 2023 | $0.946997 | $0.78 | -$0.17 (17.6%) |
| August 2023 | $0.930013 | $0.77 | -$0.16 (17.7%) |
| July 2023 | $0.934068 | $0.77 | -$0.16 (17.6%) |
| June 2023 | $0.944237 | $0.78 | -$0.17 (17.6%) |
| May 2023 | $0.9455 | $0.78 | -$0.17 (17.8%) |
| April 2023 | $0.971563 | $0.80 | -$0.17 (17.6%) |
| March 2023 | $1.031729 | $0.85 | -$0.18 (17.6%) |
| February 2023 | $1.081664 | $0.89 | -$0.19 (17.7%) |
| January 2023 | $1.063787 | $0.88 | -$0.19 (17.7%) |
| December 2022 | $1.03949 | $0.85 | -$0.18 (17.8%) |
| November 2022 | $1.026153 | $0.84 | -$0.18 (17.7%) |
| October 2022 | $0.962755 | $0.79 | -$0.17 (17.7%) |
| September 2022 | $0.9553 | $0.77 | -$0.18 (19%) |
| August 2022 | $1.002665 | $0.82 | -$0.18 (17.7%) |
| July 2022 | $0.932735 | $0.77 | -$0.16 (17.7%) |
| June 2022 | $1.03653 | $0.85 | -$0.18 (17.8%) |
| May 2022 | $1.104181 | $0.90 | -$0.20 (18.3%) |
| April 2022 | $1.12712 | $0.93 | -$0.20 (17.8%) |
| March 2022 | $1.070248 | $0.88 | -$0.19 (17.6%) |
| February 2022 | $1.12205 | $0.92 | -$0.20 (17.6%) |
| January 2022 | $1.156365 | $0.95 | -$0.20 (17.7%) |
| December 2021 | $1.092839 | $0.90 | -$0.19 (17.5%) |
| November 2021 | $1.072407 | $0.88 | -$0.19 (17.7%) |
| October 2021 | $1.051368 | $0.86 | -$0.19 (17.8%) |
| September 2021 | $1.110613 | $0.85 | -$0.26 (23.1%) |
| August 2021 | $1.181813 | $0.97 | -$0.21 (17.7%) |
| July 2021 | $1.106519 | $0.91 | -$0.20 (17.7%) |
| June 2021 | $1.065053 | $0.88 | -$0.19 (17.7%) |
| May 2021 | $1.079274 | $0.89 | -$0.19 (17.7%) |
| April 2021 | $1.063943 | $0.76 | -$0.30 (28.3%) |
| March 2021 | $1.038232 | $0.85 | -$0.18 (17.7%) |
| February 2021 | $0.997864 | $0.82 | -$0.18 (17.7%) |
| January 2021 | $0.978155 | $0.81 | -$0.17 (17.6%) |
| December 2020 | $0.912668 | $0.75 | -$0.16 (17.6%) |
| November 2020 | $0.788713 | $0.65 | -$0.14 (17.6%) |
| October 2020 | $0.748797 | $0.62 | -$0.13 (17.8%) |
| September 2020 | $0.74391 | $0.61 | -$0.13 (17.6%) |
| August 2020 | $0.681152 | $0.56 | -$0.12 (17.5%) |
| July 2020 | $0.682474 | $0.56 | -$0.12 (17.7%) |
| June 2020 | $0.707093 | $0.58 | -$0.13 (17.8%) |
| May 2020 | $0.667345 | $0.55 | -$0.12 (17.8%) |
| April 2020 | $0.655233 | $0.54 | -$0.12 (17.8%) |
| March 2020 | $0.63179 | $0.52 | -$0.11 (17.7%) |
| February 2020 | $0.865779 | $0.71 | -$0.15 (17.6%) |
| January 2020 | $0.878045 | $0.72 | -$0.16 (17.8%) |
| December 2019 | $0.923988 | $0.74 | -$0.18 (19.6%) |
Clean Aluminum Sheet 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 | $1.05 / lb | +$0.20 | $1.05 - $1.05 |
| 10/24/2025 | $0.85 / lb | +$0.10 | $0.85 - $0.85 |
| 8/29/2025 | $0.75 / lb | +$0.05 | $0.75 - $0.75 |
| 9/29/2022 | $0.70 / lb | -$0.35 | $0.70 - $0.70 |
| 5/25/2022 | $1.05 / lb | +$0.25 | $1.05 - $1.05 |
| 5/21/2022 | $0.80 / lb | +$0.10 | $0.80 - $0.80 |
| 9/19/2021 | $0.70 / lb | +$0.25 | $0.70 - $0.70 |
| 4/17/2021 | $0.45 / lb | +$0.15 | $0.45 - $0.45 |
Maximizing Your Payout for Clean Aluminum Sheet
If you're hauling aluminum siding, lawn furniture frames, gutters, or light roofing to the yard, you're dealing with Clean Aluminum Sheet. Across the US, scale prices are currently ranging from $0.55 up to $0.72 per pound, with the national average hovering at $0.63. But don't expect the top tier payout if your load is contaminated. Scrap yards are strict—clean means entirely free of steel, heavy plastics, rubber, and other non-aluminum metals.
The Scrapper's Guide to Prepping Aluminum Sheet
To get that clean price, you need to put in the prep work. Aluminum sheet is notoriously lightweight, so volume and cleanliness are everything. Leaving screws or brackets attached is the fastest way to get bumped down to an 'irony' or breakage rate, which pays significantly less at the scale.
- Keep it Clean: Ensure no steel rivets or screws remain. Paint is usually acceptable for sheet grade.
- Strip the Extras: Gutters and siding must be stripped of steel hangers, brackets, and thick weatherstripping.
- Don't Mix Cast: Keep heavier die-cast pieces out of your sheet load.
Yard Pro Tip: Always run a strong magnet over your aluminum sheet, especially around seams, corners, and joints. Steel rivets, screws, and brackets are often painted over and hide easily. Snipping off a few steel bolts can instantly bump your payout from a low-paying irony rate back up to the clean sheet price. Don't let the scale beat you over two ounces of hidden steel.
Don't Mix Up Your Alloys
Aluminum sheet is generally made from alloys like 1100, 3003, or 3105. If you throw it in the same gaylord box as heavier, specialized alloy grades, you're costing yourself cash. For example, mixing up your clean sheet with Aluminum 5052 (Plate) could result in a loss of about $0.65 per pound because the yard will just pay the lowest common denominator rate for the mixed load. Keep it separated from Aluminum 6061 Structural and Aluminum 3003 if you have enough weight. For context, heavy structural aluminum is currently paying $0.72 to $0.87/lb, so keep those loads distinctly separate.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the commodities market affect clean aluminum sheet prices?
Scrap aluminum prices closely track the LME. Currently, clean aluminum sheet scale prices run about 17.7% below the spot price. When global manufacturing demand shifts, local buyers adjust their scale payouts almost immediately to protect their margins.
Can aluminum sheet have paint on it?
Usually, yes. Painted siding, gutters, and trim still count as Clean Aluminum Sheet at the vast majority of yards, as long as there is no steel, foam insulation, or thick plastic attached. Always verify with buyers in California to ensure they don't have special rules for heavy tar or extreme paint coatings.
What is the current average payout?
Right now, our data shows the national average is $0.63 per pound. Expect local variations depending on export demand, how much weight you bring, and your relationship with the yard scale master.
Clean Aluminum Sheet scrap prices in California on the map
The map shows cities in California with Clean Aluminum Sheet scrap prices. Click a marker or pick a city in the list below to see Clean Aluminum Sheet prices in that location.