How do I get rid of scrap metal for free?
Sort it and take it to a public drop-off, where many Virginia localities accept scrap metal at no fee, or schedule a county metal pickup if your county offers one. Chesterfield's convenience centers take clean metal free, and Fairfax includes metal in its free special collections. A scrap yard may even pay you for it.
Free to ask. Local shops send quotes, and you pay only when you book one.
By Kasra Taheri, Founder, LoclisPublished
Researched and drafted with AI, then checked claim by claim against the sources listed below before it was published. Prices and rules change; the dates beside each source say when it was last checked.
Step by step
Read when to stop and call a pro, further down this page, before you start.
Step 1: Sort the metal
Pull out anything that is not metal and split what is left into steel, aluminum, copper and brass, using a magnet to tell steel from the rest.
Step 2: Separate appliances
Set aside refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and dehumidifiers, which need their refrigerant recovered before they are accepted.[5]
Step 3: Empty and clean everything
Drain fluids and take out propane tanks, batteries and anything flammable or electronic; clean, reusable metal is what drop-offs want.[1]
Step 4: Check your locality
Look at your county or city solid waste page for a metal drop-off or a scheduled metal pickup, and read what it accepts and any size limits.[2]
Step 5: Look at buyback prices
If you have copper, brass or aluminum, check a posted buyback price list before you give it away.[3]
Step 6: Schedule or haul it
Book the pickup in advance, or load the metal and take it to the drop-off during its open hours.
Step 7: Set out or unload safely
For a pickup, keep metal in its own pile, away from wires and branches; at a drop-off, put it in the metal box or follow the attendant.[2]
Use a public drop-off or a county metal pickup
The cheapest way to get rid of scrap metal is to sort it and take it where your locality already accepts it, or to book a county pickup. Which one you have depends on where you live in Virginia, so check your county or city solid waste page first.
Chesterfield County is a clear example of a drop-off. Its page says: "There is no recycling fee for scrap metal. A scrap metal box is available at both convenience center locations. Any clean, reusable metal is accepted."[1]
Fairfax County uses scheduled pickups instead. Your service includes 5 FREE special collections per customer, per fiscal year (July 1 - June 30).[2] You must schedule special collections (Freon, brush/limbs, bulk, electronic waste, and metal) in advance.[2] Fairfax's metal category covers appliances and other metal items such as a stove, washers and dryers, metal shelves, bedframes, metal fencing, grills without propane tanks, exercise equipment and a water heater.[2]
Sort before you go
Sorting makes the metal easier to accept and, if you decide to sell it, worth more. Pull out anything that is not metal: rubber, glass, plastic housings, wood handles. Then split what is left into steel, aluminum, copper and brass. A refrigerator magnet tells you the first split: steel is magnetic, aluminum, copper and brass are not.
Empty anything that held fluid, and leave propane tanks, batteries and electronics out of the load. Drop-offs want clean metal, and the other items have their own collection routes.
Check the pickup rules
Pickups come with size and set-out rules. In Fairfax, piles should be separated by type, for example just brush or just metal, not mixed, and are limited to 2 cubic yards, a pile about 6 feet long x 3 feet wide x 3 feet high.[2] Items must be less than 6 feet long.[2] A longer length of fencing or pipe has to be cut down or taken to a drop-off instead. Keep the pile clear of utility wires and tree branches.
Appliances need extra care
Stoves, washers and dryers are plain metal. Anything that cools is different. The EPA says: "Municipalities may also require the refrigerant to be recovered from appliances before they will accept it for pick-up."[5] Where that happens, you would need a professional, such as an employee of an appliance repair shop, to remove the refrigerant.
Some facilities handle it themselves for a fee. Montgomery Regional Solid Waste Authority says: "Individuals will be charged a Freon removal fee of $19 per appliance for any appliances that are not certified as Freon-free."[4] Appliance recycling typically entails recovery of refrigerant and removal of hazardous components followed by shredding of evacuated appliances.[5] Never cut into the sealed system of a refrigerator or air conditioner yourself. For disposal options and cost, see how much appliance removal costs in Virginia, whether a store will take your old appliance and how to dispose of an old washer and dryer.
Free can also mean paid
Some metal is worth money, so check before you give it away. Montgomery Regional Solid Waste Authority's October 2026 buyback list paid $4.28 a pound for Copper No. 1, $1.56 for brass, $0.48 for clean aluminum scrap and $0.035 for steel.[3] The authority accepts all other materials as donations only, and warns that price changes can occur on a daily basis.[3]
Those figures are one authority's list on one date, so treat them as a guide to the pecking order, not a quote. Copper and brass pay far more than steel, so a little sorting can add up, while a load of steel is worth little more than the free disposal.
Stop and call a pro if
- The metal is part of the building. Pipe, wire, ductwork, a water heater or gas appliance still connected, framing, railings bolted to a deck or roofing are not scrap yet. A licensed pro should disconnect or remove them.
- You are not sure whether an appliance still holds refrigerant. Leave the sealed system alone and ask the locality or a repair shop how to have it recovered.
- The pile is too big or too heavy to move safely. A load of engine blocks, tanks, or long steel beams is a job for a hauler with the equipment.
- The metal came from a demolition or a shed teardown. Rusted, sharp or mixed debris is better handled as part of that job.
Getting help in Virginia
If the pile is bigger than a trip or two, read what junk removal costs in Virginia or browse more junk and moving answers. Loclis also lists local haulers under junk and moving.
When you would rather not haul it yourself, describe the load once and local haulers quote it.
Common questions
- Will anyone pick up scrap metal from my house for free?
- In some places. Fairfax County includes metal in its special collections: each customer gets 5 free special collections per fiscal year (July 1 to June 30), booked in advance online or by phone. Outside such programs, a free pickup usually means a scrap hauler who wants the metal, and that is worth it only for a large load of valuable metal.
- Can I get paid for scrap metal in Virginia?
- Often, yes, depending on the metal. Montgomery Regional Solid Waste Authority posts a buyback list; in October 2026 it paid $4.28 a pound for Copper No. 1, $1.56 for brass, $0.48 for clean aluminum scrap and $0.035 for steel. Prices can change daily, so check the current list or call a yard before you load up.
- Do old appliances count as scrap metal?
- They are mostly metal, but refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and dehumidifiers hold refrigerant that must be recovered first. The EPA notes that municipalities may require this before they will take an appliance, and Montgomery's authority charges $19 per appliance not certified as Freon-free. Washers, dryers and stoves have no refrigerant, and Fairfax lists them as metal pickup items.
- Does the metal have to be clean?
- For a drop-off, yes, as a rule. Chesterfield accepts any clean, reusable metal in its scrap box. Empty out fluids, take off non-metal parts and leave out propane tanks, batteries and electronics, which are handled separately.
- What if I only have a little metal?
- Add it to a trip you are already making to a convenience center or recycling drop-off. For one or two items, a county metal pickup is simpler than a special trip, as long as the pile meets its size limits.
Sources
- [1] Convenience Centers, Chesterfield County Waste and Resource Recovery. Checked October 27, 2026.
- [2] Special Pickup, Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services. Checked October 27, 2026.
- [3] Metals Buyback Pricing (October 2026), Montgomery Regional Solid Waste Authority. Checked October 27, 2026.
- [4] Disposal Guide, Montgomery Regional Solid Waste Authority. Checked October 27, 2026.
- [5] Appliance Disposal (Section 608), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Checked October 27, 2026.
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