Copper is one of the most valuable and widely recycled metals in the scrap industry. Whether you are a plumber clearing out old pipe, an electrician with leftover wire, an HVAC contractor removing old systems, or a homeowner doing a renovation, MOME Metals Recycling pays top dollar for all grades of copper scrap in Fort Myers and throughout Southwest Florida.
Copper maintains strong market demand because it is endlessly recyclable without losing its physical or chemical properties. Recycled copper requires up to 85 percent less energy to produce compared with mining virgin ore, making it one of the most environmentally responsible metals to recycle. At MOME Metals, we grade your copper accurately and pay based on current COMEX market rates every day.
We purchase every grade of copper scrap. Here are the most common types and what qualifies for each category.
The highest-paying copper grade. Clean, uncoated, unalloyed copper wire that is 16 gauge or thicker. No solder, no paint, no corrosion. Stripped from insulated wire or leftover from electrical installations. This is the gold standard of scrap copper.
Clean copper pipe, tubing, bus bars, and clippings free of solder, paint, coatings, and corrosion. Must have no fittings or attachments. Commonly sourced from plumbing tear-outs and clean HVAC tubing. Pays just below bare bright rates.
Copper with some contamination including solder joints, paint, light corrosion, or minor attachments. Pipes with fittings still attached, painted copper gutters, and lightly corroded tubing all fall into this grade. Still pays well above most other metals.
Thin-gauge copper including sheet copper, copper flashing, gutters, downspouts, and decorative copper. This category covers copper that is lighter in weight per surface area compared to pipe and tubing. Common in roofing and architectural applications.
All sizes and types of copper pipe from residential and commercial plumbing. Type M, L, and K pipe in any condition. Graded as #1 if clean and free of solder, or #2 if fittings and solder are present. Bring it in any length.
All types of insulated copper wire including THHN, Romex, extension cords, communication cable, and appliance wire. Paid by weight based on estimated copper recovery percentage. Stripping the insulation upgrades your wire to bare bright pricing.
Copper prices are driven by global commodity markets and change every business day. At MOME Metals, we update our buy prices each morning based on current COMEX rates. This means you always receive a fair, market-driven payout when you sell copper to us.
Because prices fluctuate daily, we encourage you to call ahead for a current quote before bringing in your load. Our team can also help you estimate the grade and approximate value of your copper over the phone.
Call for Today's Copper Prices
Prices change daily based on market conditions. Call 239-334-1191 for an up-to-the-minute quote on all copper grades.
A little preparation goes a long way. Follow these tips to get the best possible price for your copper scrap.
Removing insulation from thicker gauge wire (10 AWG and above) upgrades it from insulated wire pricing to bare bright pricing, which can double or triple your payout per pound. Use a wire stripper tool for the best results. For thinner wire, the labor may not be worth the difference.
Cutting off brass fittings, steel clamps, and solder joints from copper pipe upgrades your material from #2 to #1 grade. Separate brass fittings and sell them as their own category. A hacksaw or reciprocating saw makes quick work of this.
Keep bare bright separate from #1, #1 separate from #2, and insulated wire in its own pile. Mixing grades means everything gets paid at the lowest grade in the batch. Five minutes of sorting at home can mean significantly more money in your pocket.
Removing paint, heavy corrosion, grease, and tar from copper can upgrade your material by one full grade. Heavily contaminated copper that could be #1 if cleaned will otherwise be graded as #2, costing you money on every pound.
This is one of the most common questions in scrap recycling, and the answer depends on several factors. For thicker wire such as 10 AWG, 8 AWG, 6 AWG, and larger, stripping is almost always worthwhile. The copper recovery rate on thick wire is high, and bare bright copper typically pays two to three times more per pound than insulated wire.
For thinner wire like 14-gauge Romex or communication cable, the math is different. Thin wire has a lower copper-to-insulation ratio, and the labor required to strip it may not justify the price difference. If you have large volumes, a mechanical wire stripper can make thin wire profitable to strip. For small quantities of thin wire, selling it insulated is usually the better call. Our team at MOME Metals can advise you on current spreads between insulated and bare bright pricing anytime you call.
Copper is one of the easiest metals to identify because of its distinctive characteristics. Knowing how to spot copper and distinguish it from similar-looking metals will help you sort your scrap correctly and get paid the right price.
Clean copper has a distinctive reddish-orange hue. Weathered copper develops a green patina called verdigris. Scratching the surface of a questionable piece will reveal the characteristic copper color underneath any corrosion.
Copper is noticeably heavier than aluminum, zinc, and most other common metals. A piece of copper pipe will feel significantly heavier than a similar-sized piece of aluminum or steel conduit.
Copper is non-magnetic. If a magnet sticks to your material, it is not copper. This simple test instantly distinguishes copper from ferrous metals like steel and iron that may appear similar when corroded.
Plumbing systems (pipe and fittings), electrical wiring (residential and commercial), HVAC systems (refrigerant lines and coils), roofing materials (flashing and gutters), and decorative fixtures and hardware.
Brass is a copper alloy with a yellowish color. Copper is reddish-orange. Brass is also slightly harder and produces a ringing sound when dropped on concrete, while copper produces a duller thud.
Bronze is a copper-tin alloy that appears darker and more brownish than pure copper. Bronze is often found in marine hardware, statues, and bushings.
Some items appear to be copper but are actually steel with a thin copper coating. The magnet test reveals these instantly. If a magnet sticks, it is copper-plated steel and is worth far less.
Copper recycling delivers significant environmental and economic benefits. Choosing to recycle your copper instead of sending it to a landfill is one of the most impactful decisions you can make with scrap metal.
Recycling copper uses up to 85 percent less energy than extracting and refining copper from virgin ore. That translates directly into reduced carbon emissions and lower environmental impact.
Copper can be recycled indefinitely without any loss of quality or performance. The copper in your old plumbing could become new electrical wire, then new plumbing again, endlessly.
Every ton of copper recycled is a ton that does not need to be mined. Copper mining involves significant land disruption, water use, and chemical processing that recycling avoids entirely.
Copper consistently ranks among the highest-paying scrap metals. Recycling your copper puts real money in your pocket while supporting a circular economy that benefits the entire supply chain.
Specialized pricing for all types of insulated wire and cable including THHN, Romex, communication, and industrial cable.
Learn MoreView current pricing for all metals we buy including copper, aluminum, brass, steel, stainless, and more.
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Learn MoreBring your copper scrap to MOME Metals Recycling for fast, accurate grading and same-day payment. Walk-ins welcome during business hours. Call ahead for current prices or to discuss large loads.