Your Three Main Options
When you want to sell scrap metal in Florida, you essentially have three paths. Each one makes sense in different situations.
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Pros
- Easy to find, many locations
- Accept everything including steel
- No appointment usually needed
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Cons
- Lower prices on specialty metals
- Long wait times at busy yards
- You haul it there yourself
- May grade conservatively on non-ferrous
-
Pros
- Higher prices for specialty metals
- Pickup available — no hauling
- Fast, direct communication
- Commercial accounts available
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Cons
- May not take low-value steel
- Best for non-ferrous materials
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Pros
- Zero effort on your end
- No truck rental or loading
- Works statewide in Florida
- Same-day payment
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Cons
- Minimum quantity typically required
- Need to schedule in advance
For copper, brass, tungsten carbide, and stainless steel, a specialty buyer pays more than a general scrap yard. For bulk steel or iron, a general yard is your best bet. For any non-ferrous metal where you can't transport it yourself, a buyer with pickup service is the easiest and often highest-paying option.
What Pays the Most in Florida?
The metals that generate the most value per pound in Florida right now:
- Tungsten carbide — by far the highest value per pound of any common scrap metal. Cutting inserts, drill bits, and end mills from machine shops are worth significantly more than copper. Most people don't realize this.
- Bare bright copper — stripped, clean copper wire. The benchmark for copper pricing and typically the highest-paying copper grade.
- Brass — yellow and red brass fittings, valves, and plumbing hardware are worth more than most people expect.
- Stainless steel — grades 304 and 316 from food service, medical, or industrial equipment pay well, especially in larger quantities.
If you have a mix of materials and want to know what your specific lot is worth before you commit to selling, text a photo to CRC Buyers at 813-845-4168. We'll break it down by material and give you a quote within a few hours.
Florida-Specific Considerations
Identification Required
Florida law requires scrap metal dealers to collect valid photo ID from sellers. This is standard practice at all buyers statewide. You'll need a valid driver's license or state ID.
Catalytic Converters
Florida has specific regulations around catalytic converter sales due to theft concerns. Sellers are required to provide proof of ownership (title or bill of sale for the vehicle they came from) in most cases. Check with your specific buyer before bringing catalytic converters.
Statewide Coverage
If you're outside a major metro area — rural Central Florida, the Panhandle, Southwest Florida — large scrap yards may be an hour or more away. A pickup service that covers all of Florida (like CRC Buyers) can be significantly more convenient for sellers in these areas.
How to Get the Best Price
- Sort before you call — separated, identified material always gets a better price than mixed loads
- Send a photo — a photo tells a buyer in five seconds what a verbal description takes ten minutes to convey
- Ask about specialty value — general yards often don't tell you when they're underpaying for specialty materials like carbide; a second call to a specialty buyer can reveal a big difference
- Ask about volume pricing — larger quantities often get better per-pound rates, especially with direct buyers
- Set up a recurring account — if you generate scrap regularly (contractor, shop owner), a standing account with a direct buyer gets you consistent pickup and consistent pricing
Why Sell to CRC Buyers?
CRC Buyers is a family-owned Florida scrap metal purchasing company specializing in non-ferrous and specialty metals — copper, brass, tungsten carbide, stainless steel, aluminum, insulated wire, and electric motors.
We offer free pickup anywhere in Florida for qualifying quantities, pay same-day at pickup, and work with everyone from homeowners to commercial machine shops. We respond fast — usually within a few hours of your inquiry.
Call or text 813-845-4168, or fill out the contact form on our homepage.