Average Wire Harnesses Price

Blended rate: local Arizona prices + national trend. As of 2/17/2026.
$1.69/ lb -$0.45 (10.8%)
Use this as a baseline for negotiations. Always call local yards to confirm their rate for your load size.GT = Gross Ton (2240 lbs)
Avg: $1.69
Lowest price $1.55
Highest price$1.80Who pays the most? ⟶
How to read a yard's offer

The min/max range reflects a blended index (local + national data). Your local high may be lower.

  • Low (up to $1.55): Floor price, typically for small loads.
  • Mid ($1.69): A fair deal for standard quantities.
  • High ($1.80+): Top-dollar rate. Offered for large commercial loads or by the most competitive buyers.
52-week price range
Over the past year, prices ranged from $1.35 to $2.99.
Mar '25Jun '25Sep '25Dec '25Today
Market response to COMEX pricing
Spread vs. exchange (180-day avg): ~67.9% (-$3.60/lb). Typical spread for this grade: 40%–51%
⚠️ Local prices haven’t caught up with the exchange yet
Market snapshot
Stable market. Prices have held steady over the past 6 months.
Pricing verified from 2 live board rates today.

Wire Harnesses price reference for Arizona

Scrap yards in Arizona don’t always update their prices in real time. To give you a reliable current value, we use the U.S. national average ($1.67/lb). The secondary metals market tracks exchange moves consistently across the country. Use this national figure as your benchmark when negotiating with local yards. Wire Harnesses prices across the U.S. →

Top Scrap Yards Buying Wire Harnesses Arizona

These are scrap yards in Arizona that recently updated Wire Harnesses prices in our database. Call them to lock in a quote. If your city isn't listed, use the National Index above as a bargaining reference with your nearest buyer.

💼 Scrap yard owners: Post your buy prices and get more customers
By price
By date
Updated 32 days ago

E-Z Money Recycling LLC

Listed as: Wire Harness
1234 S 7th St, Phoenix Get Directions
$1.70 / lb
Updated 32 days ago

E-Z Money Recycling LLC

Listed as: Wire Harness
1234 S 7th St, Phoenix, AZ 85034 Get Directions
$1.70 / lb

Don’t see your scrap yard in Arizona? List it for free.

Hundreds of sellers in your area search for current scrap prices every day. Post your buy prices and start getting calls.

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Wire Harnesses vs. Other Insulated Copper

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.

MCM & Industrial Cable Based on 2 scrap yards
Avg price:$3.80 / lb
Trend (30d): 0.0%
Price analytics
THHN Wire Estimated U.S. prices
Avg price:$3.41 / lb
Trend (30d): -4.5%
Price analytics
#1 Insulated Wire Based on 2 scrap yards
Avg price:$3.40 / lb
Trend (30d): 0.0%
Price analytics
Romex® Wire Based on 2 scrap yards
Avg price:$2.90 / lb
Trend (30d): 0.0%
Price analytics
Coax & Heliax Cable Estimated U.S. prices
Avg price:$2.11 / lb
Trend (30d): +6.5%
Price analytics
Telecom & Data Wire Based on 2 scrap yards
Avg price:$1.75 / lb
Trend (30d): 0.0%
Price analytics
#2 Insulated Wire Based on 2 scrap yards
Avg price:$1.70 / lb
Trend (30d): 0.0%
Price analytics
Computer Wire Based on 2 scrap yards
Avg price:$0.90 / lb
Trend (30d): 0.0%
Price analytics
#3 Insulated Wire (Low Grade) Estimated U.S. prices
Avg price:$0.84 / lb
Trend (30d): -6.3%
Price analytics
Jelly Wire Based on 2 scrap yards
Avg price:$0.80 / lb
Trend (30d): 0.0%
Price analytics
Christmas Lights Based on 1 scrap yards
Avg price:$0.40 / lb
Trend (30d): 0.0%
Price analytics
Armored Cable (BX) Based on 2 scrap yards
Avg price:$0.15 / lb
Trend (30d): 0.0%
Price analytics

Wire Harnesses Historical 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.

Wire Harnesses: Scrap Yard Price vs. World Market (COMEX)

Avg scrap yard price

$1.69
Scrap metal dealers
Spread: -$3.60/lb
vs. exchange

World market price (COMEX)

$5.3003
✓ For 99.9% pure refined metal
💡 Why is the scrap yard price lower than the exchange? The COMEX price is the global benchmark for 99.99% pure refined metal traded in large institutional contracts. The gap between COMEX and what you pocket is the yard’s margin — it covers sorting, cleaning, transport to the mill, and protects them against sudden price drops.

Wire Harnesses: Spread vs. Exchange — Monthly History

Analyst take: This month’s average spread between scrap yard prices and the world market for Wire Harnesses is 67.9%. That’s in line with the typical range for this grade (65%–71%). Local yards are offering fair market rates. Check offers in your area ↑
PeriodWorld price (per lb)Scrap yard price (per lb)Spread vs. exchange
March 2026 (current)$5.764324$2.91-$2.85 (49.5%)
February 2026$5.880136$3.02-$2.86 (48.7%)
January 2026$5.894887$3.54-$2.36 (40%)
December 2025$5.497742$3.30-$2.20 (40%)
November 2025$5.064033$3.04-$2.03 (40%)
October 2025$5.050242$2.83-$2.22 (44%)
September 2025$4.662367$2.61-$2.06 (44.1%)
August 2025$4.477984$2.34-$2.13 (47.6%)
July 2025$5.482645$3.29-$2.19 (40%)
June 2025$4.883233$2.93-$1.95 (40%)
May 2025$4.686194$2.81-$1.87 (40%)
April 2025$4.654267$2.79-$1.86 (40%)
March 2025$4.919484$2.95-$1.97 (40%)
February 2025$4.558107$2.24-$2.32 (50.8%)
January 2025$4.269774$2.56-$1.71 (40%)
December 2024$4.157855$2.50-$1.66 (40%)
November 2024$4.199383$2.52-$1.68 (40%)
October 2024$4.431839$2.66-$1.77 (40%)
September 2024$4.292683$2.58-$1.72 (40%)
August 2024$4.121839$2.47-$1.65 (40%)
July 2024$4.375242$2.22-$2.16 (49.4%)
June 2024$4.491083$2.31-$2.18 (48.6%)
May 2024$4.75471$2.44-$2.31 (48.6%)
April 2024$4.363717$2.62-$1.74 (40%)
March 2024$3.983645$2.39-$1.59 (40%)
February 2024$3.801776$2.28-$1.52 (40%)
January 2024$3.811306$2.29-$1.52 (40%)
December 2023$3.871226$2.32-$1.55 (40%)
November 2023$3.720817$2.23-$1.49 (40%)
October 2023$3.600864$2.12-$1.48 (41.2%)

Wire Harnesses 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.

DateAvg price (per lb)ChangeRange (Low/High)
2/17/2026$1.70 / lb+$0.25$1.70 - $1.70
10/4/2025$1.45 / lb+$0.10$1.45 - $1.45
8/24/2025$1.35 / lb+$0.30$1.35 - $1.35
2/21/2025$1.05 / lb+$0.10$1.05 - $1.05
7/24/2024$0.95 / lb-$0.30$0.95 - $0.95
6/21/2024$1.25 / lb-$0.10$1.25 - $1.25
5/26/2024$1.35 / lb+$0.15$1.35 - $1.35

Cash In on the Auto Shop Floor: Scrapping Wire Harnesses

If you're pulling engines, crushing cars, or running an auto repair shop in Arizona, those massive bundles of wiring under the hood and behind the dash are a major source of scrap value. Wire harnesses are graded differently than standard residential electrical wire because they contain a lower copper recovery percentage due to the thick plastic connectors, tape, corrugated tubing, and occasional fuse boxes attached. Our data shows that yards are currently paying anywhere from $1.55 for heavily contaminated bundles up to $1.80 for well-prepped harnesses, with a national average hovering around $1.69.

Yard Pro Tip: To get the highest tier pricing for wire harnesses, you must remove the heavy "brain boxes" (ECUs/PCMs) and the large, blocky plastic fuse relays. A few small plastic connectors at the end of the wires are expected, but leaving a heavy 3-pound plastic fuse box attached drops your recovery percentage significantly, and the scale master will knock your price down to the $1.55 range or even reclassify it as low-grade communication wire.

The Teardown: Stop Losing Money on Copper Recovery

Scrapping wire is a numbers game based entirely on how much copper the refinery can extract after burning or chopping the plastic away. The biggest mistake scrappers make is mixing clean, high-recovery wire with bulky automotive harnesses. If you throw standard #2 Insulated Wire (like extension cords or Romex with the outer jacket removed) into a gaylord box full of bulky Wire Harnesses, the buyer will pay you the cheaper harness rate for the whole box. That lazy mistake can cost you roughly $0.20 per pound in lost profit.

ConditionWhat It IncludesPayout Expectation
Clean Prepped HarnessWires only, small connectors okay. No fuse boxes or thick corrugated looming.Near $1.80
Standard HarnessSome looming, small relays, tape intact.Around $1.69
Dirty / MixedHeavy fuse boxes, ECUs attached, heavily caked in grease.Downgraded to $1.55

Keep your automotive wire strictly separated from your residential scrap. If you have thicker, single-strand electrical wire, sort it as #1 Insulated Wire. If you have thin, multi-strand wire with a high plastic-to-copper ratio (like computer cables), that falls into #3 Insulated Wire (Low Grade), which currently trades much lower, typically around $0.60 to $1.20/lb.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do wire harnesses pay less than #2 insulated wire?

It comes down to copper recovery. A standard automotive wire harness has a lot of "dead weight" from thick plastic connectors, electrical tape, and corrugated tubing. Refineries expect a much lower percentage of actual copper yield from a harness compared to standard residential or commercial wiring.

Should I strip the wire in an automotive harness?

Generally, no. Automotive wire is usually very thin, stranded copper. Attempting to strip it manually is incredibly time-consuming and rarely worth the labor. It is much more profitable to just snip off the heavy plastic ends, sell it at the $1.69 rate, and let the yard's industrial wire chopper handle the rest.

How do local yards price my wire?

Scrap yards base their insulated wire prices on the COMEX spot price for pure copper, minus their processing costs and the assumed recovery rate of the specific wire grade. Typically, buyers offer about 67.9% below the spot price for standard copper grades, adjusting further down for the heavy plastic weight on automotive harnesses.