Clean Aluminum Price Today: $0.613/lb
Current US scrapyard prices for Clean Aluminum average $0.613/lb, typically trading between $0.500 and $0.748/lb across 16 reporting facilities. Review physical grading criteria, preparation tips to prevent scale downgrades, and regional price spreads nationwide.
What counts as Clean Aluminum
Clean aluminum is unpainted, uncoated sheet and plate with no steel attached. Litho printing plates, flat sheet, and 3003 or 5052 sheet often fall in this group. Paint, oil, or steel fasteners push it into the lower painted or mixed grades.
Estimate your scale payout
Calculate the estimated cash payout for your Clean Aluminum based on current low, average, and high scrapyard scale rates.
Clean Aluminum Price Trend (12 Months)
12-month historical price chart showing seasonal peaks, scale price momentum, and wholesale exchange benchmark spreads (LME Aluminum) for Clean Aluminum.
Clean Aluminum Prices by State
Compare average Clean Aluminum prices across reporting US states to identify regional price spreads and local buyer demand.
| State | Average Price | Typical Range | Reporting Yards | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | $0.720/lb | $0.500 – $0.970 | 4 | State Rates → |
| Kentucky | $0.515/lb | $0.500 – $0.570 | 2 | State Rates → |
| Pennsylvania | $0.633/lb | $0.550 – $0.700 | 2 | State Rates → |
| West Virginia | $0.500/lb | $0.450 – $0.550 | 2 | State Rates → |
| Arizona | $0.850/lb | $0.750 – $1.00 | 1 | State Rates → |
| Florida | $0.795/lb | $0.750 – $0.840 | 1 | State Rates → |
| Georgia | $0.600/lb | $0.550 – $0.650 | 1 | State Rates → |
| Michigan | $0.410/lb | $0.410 – $0.410 | 1 | State Rates → |
| Missouri | $0.600/lb | $0.600 – $0.600 | 1 | State Rates → |
| Ohio | $0.550/lb | $0.550 – $0.550 | 1 | State Rates → |
| Oklahoma | $0.860/lb | $0.770 – $0.950 | 1 | State Rates → |
| Tennessee | $0.740/lb | $0.740 – $0.740 | 1 | State Rates → |
| Wisconsin | $0.700/lb | $0.700 – $0.700 | 1 | State Rates → |
How to get the best price for Clean Aluminum
Follow these scrapyard grading standards and preparation tips to ensure your Clean Aluminum meets top-tier scale specifications without deductions.
Remove steel rivets, hinges, screws, and rubber trim.
Keep painted siding, gutters, and trim in a separate pile.
Foil, pie tins, and very thin gauge do not qualify as clean sheet.
Turnings and shavings are a separate, lower-paying form.
How it compares with similar grades
It usually sits between clean extrusion (higher) and painted sheet or cast (lower).
Frequently Asked Questions
Common answers on scrap metal grading standards, scale payout rules, sorting methods, and scale ticket calculations.
What is clean aluminum worth per pound today?
Clean Aluminum averages $0.613/lb nationally as of Oct 8, 2026. That is about 44.5% of the LME Aluminum price.
What is the difference between clean aluminum and similar grades?
It usually sits between clean extrusion (higher) and painted sheet or cast (lower).
Why is my scrap yard paying a different price for clean aluminum?
The figure here is a national average of prices posted by US scrap yards. Each yard sets its own price based on nearby mill demand, freight, how much you bring, and how it grades your load. Most reports fall between $0.500 and $0.748 per pound. Call two or three yards and ask what grade they would pay for your clean aluminum.
What qualifies as clean aluminum sheet?
Clean aluminum sheet must be free of paint, enamel coating, steel rivets, screws, rubber, and heavy oil. Printing litho plates and bare aluminum roofing sheet are typical clean sheet grades. If it is painted, it is graded as painted siding or mixed aluminum.
Why does clean aluminum pay more than cast aluminum?
Clean sheet aluminum is made of higher-purity wrought alloys (like 3003 or 5052) that melt cleanly with minimal slag. Cast aluminum contains high levels of silicon, iron, and mixed alloying metals that make it brittle and harder for smelters to refine.