Today’s Lead Scrap Prices in Florida
Real-time analysis of Lead scrap prices in Florida. Track current yard payouts for soft lead, wheel weights, and range scrap against the LME market, use our load calculator, and find the highest-paying scrap yards in Florida.
Lead Scrap Price Trends
over the last 30 daysIn the last month in the Lead category: price is steady for 3 grades.
Current Lead Scrap Prices in Florida by Grade
Lead values are holding steady, with local scrap yards offering from $0.06/lb up to $0.60/lb. Premium Soft Lead (Clean) currently pulls $0.41 to $0.60/lb, while common Wheel Weights (Hard Lead) are trading at $0.06 to $0.16/lb. For mixed loads, Dirty & Scrap Lead averages $0.10 to $0.10/lb.
Where to Sell Lead for Top Payouts in Florida
Live prices from local scrap yards in Florida. Compare offers and find the buyer paying the most.
Scrap X
Edge Metals Recycling
AA Auto Salvage & Recycling LLC
SouthCoast Metal Recycling
USA Scrap Metal & Recycling
Your competitors are already getting customers from here.
Hundreds of people search for the best scrap prices in Florida every day. Add your yard and start capturing those leads.
🚀 List your scrap yard ⟶Price Chart & History
See how local yard buy prices track the exchange (LME). Use this chart to judge whether it's a good time to cash in now or wait for yards to catch up with the latest exchange move.
Lead Scrap Load Value Calculator
Selling a mixed load? Pick the grades below — a weight field appears after you select at least one grade, then the calculator estimates your haul’s value from current average prices in Florida.
Lead Purity Analysis: Payout Percentage by Grade
The exchange price represents pure, refined metal (99.9%+). Each scrap grade contains varying levels of impurities, which require different amounts of processing. The higher the percentage, the more valuable the grade and the closer its payout is to the spot price.
| Grade | Exchange (100%) | Yard Price (per lb) | Grade Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soft Lead (Clean) | $0.86 LME | $0.51 | High Grade•59% |
| Wheel Weights (Hard Lead) | $0.86 LME | $0.11 | Low Grade•13% |
| Dirty & Scrap Lead | $0.86 LME | $0.10 | Low Grade•12% |
📊 What Determines Grade Value:
- Metal Purity:Soft Lead (Clean) is nearly 99% pure, making it the highest value tier compared to hard lead alloys.
- Attachment Weight:Wheel Weights (Hard Lead) often have steel clips attached; yards deduct for this iron contamination or pay a flat 'dirty' rate.
- Processing Hazard: Lead requires specialized handling due to toxicity. Higher safety overhead at the yard can influence the 78.3 market spread.
- Form & Cleanliness: Range Lead can be heavily contaminated with dirt, sand, and copper jacketing, requiring more refining time.
Navigating the Lead Scrap Market in Florida
Lead is one of the densest metals you'll ever haul to the scale, and while it doesn't hit the price peaks of red metal, a heavy load can lead to a solid payday. In Florida, prices are currently ranging from $0.06 to $0.60 per pound. Most yards are looking for Soft Lead (Clean), which includes things like old plumbing pipes, sheet lead from X-ray rooms, and roof flashing. If you're bringing in a mixed bin, keep an eye on the $0.24 average to ensure you're getting a fair shake on your tonnage.
Identifying Your Lead Grades
The biggest challenge with lead is contamination. Dirty & Scrap Lead can include everything from lead-acid battery connectors to painted pipes. If the yard sees too much debris or non-lead attachments, they will drop your ticket price significantly. Range Lead is another specialized category; it's the recovered bullets and shot from firing ranges, often containing a mix of lead, antimony, and copper. Because of the high dirt content, processors usually pay a lower percentage of the LME spot price for this material. If you aren't careful with your sorting, you could see a grading loss of up to $0.41 on a significant haul.
Yard Pro Tip: Use the 'Thumbnail Test' to identify soft lead. Pure, soft lead is so soft you can usually mark it with your fingernail. If the metal is too hard to scratch, it's likely 'Hard Lead' (antimonial lead) or contaminated with zinc, which yards grade at a lower price point.
Veteran Sorting and Prep Guide
- Roofing & Pipes: This is almost always soft lead. Remove any tar, roofing nails, or brass solder joints. Clean, soft lead is the gold standard at the scale.
- Wheel Weights:Wheel Weights (Hard Lead) are a staple for many scrappers. However, be aware that many modern weights are made of steel or zinc. A magnet will catch the steel, but you'll need to look for the 'Zn' stamp to catch the zinc units.
- Ballast & Weights: Lead weights used in sailing or industrial counterweights are often painted. If the paint is thick or covers steel inserts, it will be graded as dirty.
- Safety First: Lead is toxic. Always wear gloves, wash your hands after handling, and never use a torch to cut lead, as the fumes are dangerous. Most yards in Florida prefer lead to be cut with shears or saws.
Market Insights
The Mechanics of Lead Scrap Pricing
Lead prices in Florida are fundamentally driven by the LME (LME) global rates and industrial demand for battery manufacturing. Unlike copper, lead has a high density but lower per-pound value, meaning the market spread—typically around 78.3—can be impacted by transportation costs. Yards adjust daily board prices based on the purity of the grade and local secondary smelter demand.
Maximize Your Lead Payout
- Separate by Hardness — Soft lead (pipes, roof flashing) is worth more than hard lead (wheel weights, cast alloys). Don't mix them or you'll get the hard lead price for the whole load.
- Clip the Weights — If you have the time, removing the steel clips from wheel weights can sometimes bump the grade, though many yards buy them as a flat category.
- Clean the Pipe — Cut off any brass fittings or iron clamps from lead plumbing pipes; leaving them on results in a $0.41 loss on grading.
- Check for Zinc — Modern wheel weights are often zinc. If it doesn't scratch easily with a fingernail or a knife, it's likely zinc, and yards will reject it from a lead pile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do yards pay less for wheel weights?
Wheel weights are made of a harder lead alloy containing antimony. They also have steel clips. The yard has to account for the weight of the steel and the lower purity of the alloy, which is why they pay less than for Soft Lead (Clean).
Can I scrap lead-acid batteries in this category?
No. Lead-acid batteries are a separate category entirely due to the acid and plastic casing. This category is strictly for metallic lead scrap like pipes, flashing, and weights.
Is range lead worth cleaning at home?
Unless you have a smelting setup, it's rarely worth 'cleaning' Range Lead by hand. Yards buy it based on an estimated recovery rate. Just make sure it’s dry; water in a bucket of range lead will result in a heavy weight deduction at the scale.
Lead scrap prices in Florida on the map
The map shows cities in Florida with Lead scrap prices. Click a marker or pick a city in the list below to see Lead prices in that location.