Grade Separation
Bare bright, #1, #2, and insulated wire are separated by color, form, and coating before anything is weighed — because each grade prices differently.
TRANSPARENT GRADING • ITEMIZED SETTLEMENT • FAST PAYMENT
HOW WE GRADECOPPER SCRAP
Most copper sellers have one fear: that their wire disappears onto a scale and comes back as a low number they cannot argue with. Here is the exact process Ironcrest uses to grade your copper — bare bright, #1, #2, and insulated — what the settlement report shows, and how you get paid.
Visual Grading FirstMagnet TestingOpen WeighingItemized SettlementFast Payment
THE PROCESS, STEP BY STEP
No black box. Here is how your copper gets valued.
Every lot follows the same documented path from first photo to final payment. You always know where your material is in the process and how the number was built.
Magnet Testing
A magnet sweeps every batch to catch steel and copper-clad impostors. If it sticks, it is not solid copper — and it never drags down the grade of your real copper.
Weigh & Settle
Each grade is weighed in the open on a calibrated digital scale and priced against current copper markets. You get an itemized report, then payment.
THE GRADES, PLAINLY SAID
What each grade means for your number
- BARE BRIGHT — Clean, uncoated, unalloyed copper wire thicker than a pencil lead. The top grade.
- #1 COPPER — Clean copper tubing, busbar, and heavy uncoated wire. No paint, no solder, no heavy tarnish.
- #2 COPPER — Painted, soldered, or smaller-gauge material. Still real copper, priced a step below #1.
- INSULATED WIRE — Priced by copper recovery: thick heavy cable grades far above thin communication wire. Romex, THHN, and house wire are the most common.
- BRASS & BRONZE — Separated out, never mixed into your copper. They price on their own markets.
- IMPOSTORS OUT — Copper-clad steel and aluminum caught by the magnet test are removed before weighing, so they never dilute your copper price.
OPENWeighing in the open
You can watch the scale. Nothing is graded behind closed doors.
ITEMIZEDLine-by-line report
Every grade, every weight, every deduction shown separately.
FASTPaid on the spot
Check, wire, or cash once the material is weighed and graded.
BEFORE YOU BRING ANYTHING
What to send for an accurate quote
A quote is only as good as the information behind it. Send these and the number you get will hold.
- PHOTOS — The overall pile plus close-ups of wire ends, jacket printing, and any pipe or fittings.
- WEIGHT — Your best estimate. A bathroom-scale guess is fine; we verify on arrival.
- LOCATION — City and state, so pickup or freight can be planned.
- SOURCE — Demo tear-out, rewire, remodel, or shop cleanout, if you know it.
FROM PHOTOS TO PAYMENT
Four steps, same every time.
Send Photos & Details
Photos, estimated weight, your location, and what the material is. The more detail, the firmer the quote.
Get a Firm Quote
A real number based on your grades, current copper markets, and logistics. Call for today's number — markets move.
Drop Off or Schedule Pickup
Small lots mail in with instructions. Local sellers drop off or get pickup. Bigger lots get freight arranged.
Grade, Settle & Get Paid
Material is graded, magnet-tested, and weighed in the open. You receive the itemized settlement report, then payment.
WHY SELLERS SWITCH
Sold copper before? Then you know the frustrations.
- Graded down without explanation. Some yards call everything #2 and move on. Your bare bright is weighed as bare bright, on its own line.
- Insulated wire guessed, not graded. Some buyers eyeball the jacket and name a number. We grade insulated wire by actual copper recovery.
- Slow payment. Some buyers pay on their schedule. You are paid on the spot once the material is weighed and graded.
- You haul it yourself. Some buyers expect you to deliver everything. On bigger lots, we arrange the freight so you never haul it yourself.
- Their scale, their word. Some operations weigh behind the counter. Our local and on-site deals are weighed in the open.
- Mixed lots punished. Some buyers downgrade the whole pile for one bad piece. We separate grades and price each one fairly.
THE IRONCREST STANDARD
Every lot, every time
One direct contact, a firm quote, grade-separated weighing in the open, an itemized settlement report, and fast payment. No minimums: a bucket or a truckload gets the same honest grading.
- SONNY JOHNS — 312-880-8174, the person who answers.
- DOCUMENTED — Quote, grades, weights, settlement, payment. All in writing.
- NO MINIMUMS — Every bucket counts, every lot graded the same.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Asked by sellers holding copper.
How do scrap yards test copper?
Ironcrest tests copper in the open: visual identification by color and form, a magnet test to rule out steel and copper-clad impostors, and weighing by grade on a calibrated digital scale. Bare bright, #1, #2, and insulated wire are separated and weighed as their own categories, and the itemized settlement report shows every weight and the market basis used that day.
What grade is my copper wire?
Bare bright is clean, uncoated, unalloyed copper wire thicker than a pencil lead — the top grade. #1 covers clean copper tubing, busbar, and heavy uncoated wire. #2 covers painted, soldered, or smaller-gauge material. Insulated wire is graded by how much copper is inside the jacket: thick heavy cable grades far above thin communication wire. Send a photo and you will get your grade with the quote.
Do you pay more for stripped wire?
Stripped wire prices higher than insulated because there is no jacket weight to account for — but stripping is only worth your time on thick, high-recovery wire. Ironcrest buys insulated wire as-is too, so you never have to strip anything to sell. If you are unsure whether stripping pays on your lot, ask when you send photos.
How do I know I am getting a fair price?
You get an itemized settlement report showing the weight of each copper grade and the market basis used that day. Every deduction is listed separately. If any line does not make sense, ask and it gets explained before you are paid, not after.
Can I watch the weighing?
Yes. Local and on-site deals are weighed in the open on a calibrated digital scale. Mailed-in lots are documented on the settlement report with every weight shown.
How fast do I get paid?
Fast. Local pickups and drop-offs are paid within 24–48 hours once the material is weighed and graded. No waiting on a yard line or a broker chain.
Who buys copper scrap near me?
Ironcrest buys copper scrap from sellers across the United States, with local pickup in the Chicago area and arranged freight or mail-in options nationwide. One call to 312-880-8174 covers quotes, grading, logistics, and payment.
START WITH PHOTOS
See what your copper is really worth.
Send photos, an estimated weight, and your location. You will get a firm quote and the full grading process explained before you commit to anything.