Scrap Metal Removal Cost in Long Beach, CA

Most people pay $80–$250. Updated for 2026.

Metal is the one category in Long Beach, CA that can pay for part of its own removal. Old railings, radiators, bed frames, water tanks, gutters and machinery all have a resale value at a scrap yard.

That is why scrap sits at the bottom of the price table: the crew is not only paying to dispose of your load, they are selling part of it.

A pile of scrap metal — pipes, sheet offcuts and a cast-iron radiator — on a concrete floor.

Scrap Metal Removal in Long Beach: what actually moves the price

With 40% of homes detached and 40% in buildings of five or more, Long Beach sits right on the line where scrap metal removal stops being a driveway job and starts being a carry. A photo settles which one yours is.

At roughly 8,898 residents per square mile, Long Beach keeps trucks busy on short routes. That density is why scrap metal removal quotes here tend to cluster: pros are competing on the same streets on the same day.

The median Long Beach home dates to 1958. Housing of that vintage sets the practical limits on scrap metal removal — doorway widths, stair turns and whether there is a basement in the picture at all.

450,901

Residents (2024)

51

Square miles of land

8,898

People per square mile

Local figures: U.S. Census Bureau — Long Beach city. Checked 2026-08-21.

Scrap Metal Removal in Long Beach: where the city stops and a hauler starts

The free route in Long Beach has hard edges, and they are the reason people end up paying: Twelve special collections a calendar year for each city-serviced account, and up to eight large items — or twenty-five bags, bundles or boxes — on each one. Two of the free pickups may be used on the same day. No additional cost for the twelve yearly collections, though a regulatory fee may be charged for items needing special handling.

Past those limits the city is not an option at all — not slower, not pricier, simply unavailable. That is the line a hauler exists for, and it is worth knowing exactly where it sits before you start carrying anything.

Collection in Long Beach is run by City of Long Beach Environmental Services Bureau. Below is what they will take, straight from their own rules — and where each route runs out.

Booked bulky pickup

Anything oversized. The city calls it a Special Collection and it has to be booked before the items go out. Twelve special collections a calendar year for each city-serviced account, and up to eight large items — or twenty-five bags, bundles or boxes — on each one. Two of the free pickups may be used on the same day. No additional cost for the twelve yearly collections, though a regulatory fee may be charged for items needing special handling. Submit the online Special Collection request or call (562) 570-2876. Items go out at your regular collection spot by 6 a.m. on the confirmed day, and not before it. Nothing may exceed 72 by 48 inches; bundles stay under 48 inches and 40 pounds, bags under 25 pounds. Appliances, televisions, computer monitors and tires ride on a separate truck and must be kept apart from the rest — refrigerators and freezers need their doors removed or taped shut, and tires are limited to five per pickup at up to sixteen inches. Large glass — tabletops, mirrors, windows — has to be wrapped in cardboard or heavy plastic or it is left behind and has to be rebooked. Do not stack anything on top of a mattress, do not put sharp items in plastic bags, and remember that crews cannot come onto private property.

Checked against the operator’s own page on 2026-09-15. Source

Ferrous, non-ferrous and why it matters

Steel and iron — anything a magnet sticks to — are worth relatively little by weight. Copper, brass and aluminium are worth several times more. A load of copper pipe and a load of old steel shelving are not the same proposition, and separating them yourself can turn a small bill into no bill at all.

When it becomes free, and when it does not

A clean, heavy, easily accessible load of metal is often collected at no charge because the scrap covers the trip. A light load mixed with plastic, timber and upholstery is not scrap, it is junk with metal in it, and it is priced accordingly. The difference is sorting.

Typical scrap metal removal cost

$80 – $250

A national range, not a quote. Your actual prices come from local pros bidding on your job.

How JunkerClub works in Long Beach

Post your job

Describe what needs to go and add a photo. It takes a minute and costs nothing.

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Local pros in Long Beach bid on your job from your photos — no site visit.

Pay your pro directly

Pick the offer you like. You pay your pro directly when the job is done — cash or card, no platform markup.

Scrap Metal Removal pricing breakdown

Service Typical market price JunkerClub estimate
Small mixed metal load $100 – $170 $80 – $140
Half truck of clean scrap $180 – $300 $145 – $245
Full load, mixed with other junk $350 – $550 $280 – $450

Estimates only. The final price depends on how much there is, how easy it is to reach, and what the pro quotes.

How we build these ranges — and why a real quote can land outside them →

FAQ

Scrap Metal Removal in Long Beach — common questions

How much does scrap metal removal cost in Long Beach?

Most people pay $80–$250. That is a national range for scrap metal removal, not a quote — your real price comes from local pros bidding on your photos, and it moves with volume, stairs and how far the item has to travel to the truck.

Will anyone take my scrap metal for free?

If it is clean, heavy and easy to load, quite possibly. Say plainly in the job description what the metal is and roughly how much — a crew that can see a worthwhile load will quote accordingly, and some will collect for nothing.

Are appliances counted as scrap?

Partly. A washing machine is largely steel and prices like scrap; anything with refrigerant needs certified recovery first and prices like an appliance. Fridges, freezers and air conditioners fall in the second group even though they look like the first.

Should I strip the copper out myself?

Only if it is genuinely easy and safe — separated copper and brass do improve what you are offered. Do not cut into anything still connected, and never strip wiring by burning it; that is illegal nearly everywhere and dangerous besides.

How quickly can it be picked up?

It depends on how many pros cover your area. On our first jobs the first quote arrived within one to three days, and we email you the moment one comes in. Once you pick a pro you choose the date and time window; same-day or next-day pickup is possible when a crew has room on the truck.

What does JunkerClub charge me?

Nothing. Posting a job and collecting quotes is free, and you pay your pro directly when the work is done. The pro pays the platform a small fee only when they win the job — it never gets added to your price.

Do I have to carry it outside myself in Long Beach?

No — the crew does the lifting and loading, and that labour is most of what you are paying for. In Long Beach the stock is split — 40% of homes are detached and the rest are attached or in larger buildings — so two addresses on the same street can carry very differently. The median home here was built around 1958; single-width staircases are common in that stock and lifts are rare. Say which floor it is on and whether there is a lift when you post the job; that is the part that moves the quote. Housing figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau.

What makes a junk removal quote in Long Beach different from the national average?

Access and housing type, mostly. In Long Beach, 40% of homes are detached and the city runs at about 8,898 residents per square mile — the housing stock is split between houses and larger buildings, so two addresses on the same street can price very differently. Renters occupy 59% of occupied homes here, which also shapes when the work happens. The prices on this site are national ranges; the number you actually pay comes from local pros bidding on your photos. Housing figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau.

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