Scrap Metal Removal Cost in Seattle, WA
Most people pay $80–$250. Updated for 2026.
Local view of our Scrap Metal Removal cost guide — national ranges, what moves them, and every city we cover.
Metal is the one category in Seattle, WA 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.
Scrap Metal Removal in Seattle: what actually moves the price
With 38% of homes detached and 51% in buildings of five or more, Seattle 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.
Seattle runs at about 9,298 people per square mile. Dense service areas mean more pros within range of your address, and more bids is the mechanism that brings a scrap metal removal price down.
56% of occupied homes in Seattle are rented, and month-end is when that shows: scrap metal removal bookings cluster around move-out weekends, so a midweek slot is usually the cheaper one.
Residents (2024)
Square miles of land
People per square mile
Local figures: U.S. Census Bureau — Seattle city. Checked 2026-08-21.
Scrap Metal Removal in Seattle: where the city stops and a hauler starts
The free route in Seattle has hard edges, and they are the reason people end up paying: The large-item category covers anything bigger than 2 ft by 2 ft by 2 ft, and nothing may exceed 300 pounds, eight feet in height or four feet in diameter. $31 per large item — furniture, appliances and TVs bigger than 2 ft by 2 ft by 2 ft — with older refrigerators and freezers priced separately. One battery pickup a year is free; further ones carry a small charge.
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 Seattle is run by Seattle Public Utilities. Below is what they will take, straight from their own rules — and where each route runs out.
Booked bulky pickup
Anything that does not belong in the garbage or the home recycling — the city calls it Special Item Pickup and collects it on demand. The large-item category covers anything bigger than 2 ft by 2 ft by 2 ft, and nothing may exceed 300 pounds, eight feet in height or four feet in diameter. $31 per large item — furniture, appliances and TVs bigger than 2 ft by 2 ft by 2 ft — with older refrigerators and freezers priced separately. One battery pickup a year is free; further ones carry a small charge. Schedule online or call Seattle Public Utilities on (206) 684-3000. The pickup happens on your next regular garbage day after it is booked, so nothing goes outside before you have the confirmation. Items stand on a flat, level surface with no stairs, easy to reach from the street, and out by 7 a.m. on the collection day — covered if it is raining. Refrigerator and freezer doors with latches have to come off or be tied shut. The large-item list runs to appliances, refrigerators, freezers, stoves, dishwashers, dryers, washing machines, air conditioners, trash compactors, TVs, monitors, computers, furniture, dressers, cabinets, tables, chairs, sofas, and mattresses and box springs. Smaller awkward things — household batteries, lightbulbs, styrofoam blocks, empty camping propane canisters, small electronics — go in their own capped categories, and used cooking or motor oil needs no appointment at all: sealed jugs with your address on them go out on the regular collection day.
Checked against the operator’s own page on 2026-09-19. 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 Seattle
Post your job
Describe what needs to go and add a photo. It takes a minute and costs nothing.
Compare quotes
Local pros in Seattle 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 →
Scrap Metal Removal in Seattle — common questions
How much does scrap metal removal cost in Seattle?
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 Seattle?
No — the crew does the lifting and loading, and that labour is most of what you are paying for. In Seattle the stock is split — 38% 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 1974; 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 Seattle different from the national average?
Access and housing type, mostly. In Seattle, 38% of homes are detached and the city runs at about 9,298 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 56% 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.
Keep reading
- Junk removal in Seattle, WA
- Couch & Sofa Removal cost in Seattle
- Mattress Disposal cost in Seattle
- TV & Electronics Disposal cost in Seattle
- Appliance & Refrigerator Removal cost in Seattle
- Garage Cleanout cost in Seattle
- Apartment & Tenant Cleanout cost in Seattle
- Construction Debris Removal cost in Seattle
- Hot Tub Removal cost in Seattle
- Furniture Removal cost in Seattle
- Refrigerator Disposal cost in Seattle
- Estate Cleanout cost in Seattle
- Hoarding Cleanout cost in Seattle
- Yard Waste Removal cost in Seattle
- Shed Removal & Demolition cost in Seattle
- Piano Removal cost in Seattle
- Exercise Equipment Removal cost in Seattle
- Office Furniture Removal cost in Seattle
- Carpet Removal cost in Seattle
- Water Heater Removal cost in Seattle
- Trash & Junk Hauling cost in Seattle
- Basement Cleanout cost in Seattle
- Storage Unit Cleanout cost in Seattle
- Foreclosure & Eviction Cleanout cost in Seattle
- Tire Disposal cost in Seattle
- Above-Ground Pool Removal cost in Seattle
- Swing Set & Playground Removal cost in Seattle
- Fence Removal cost in Seattle
- Deck Removal cost in Seattle
- Bulk Trash Pickup cost in Seattle
Scrap Metal Removal prices nearby:
Where the city stops in Seattle:
Your junk's last stop.
Free quotes from local pros — no site visit.
Post your job in 2 minutes →Spotted something wrong or out of date on this page? Tell us — we check and fix it.