Brass Scrap Prices in Walsall & Birmingham: How to Get the Best Rate

September 17, 2026

Brass is one of the most common metals our customers bring in, but it is also one of the most misunderstood. Two sellers can arrive with the same weight of brass and leave with very different payments, simply because of how the metal was sorted. If you sell brass in Walsall, Birmingham or Solihull, here is how brass prices are set and how to make sure you get the top rate for every kilo.

Why Brass Prices Change From Week to Week

Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, so its price follows the copper and zinc markets closely. When copper rises, brass usually follows, and when copper eases, brass prices dip too. Demand from foundries and exporters, exchange rates and the overall supply of scrap in the region also play a part.

That is why we update our brass scrap prices daily. If you have a large quantity, it is worth checking our scrap metal prices page over a few days before you sell. Our guide what affects scrap metal prices in the West Midlands goes into the market factors in more detail.

The Brass Grades That Decide Your Price

Scrap yards pay different rates for different grades of brass. The cleaner and more consistent your brass, the more it is worth:

Clean (honey) brass – solid yellow brass with no steel, plastic, rubber or other metals attached. This earns the best brass price.
Mixed brass – brass with some attachments, plating or mixed grades together. Still valuable, but paid at a lower rate.
Brass taps and valves – often chrome-plated or fitted with steel spindles and plastic handles. Stripping these off can move them up a grade.
Gunmetal – a copper-rich alloy found in older valves, pump bodies and heavy fittings. It usually pays more than standard brass, so keep it separate.
Brass turnings and swarf – offcuts from machining. Keep them dry and free of oil and steel swarf.

5 Ways to Get More for Your Scrap Brass

Sort before you sell. Keep clean brass, mixed brass and gunmetal in separate bags or buckets.
Remove attachments. Steel screws, plastic handles, rubber washers and lead solder all pull your brass down a grade.
Don’t mix brass with copper. Copper is worth more on its own. See our copper scrap prices to compare.
Use a magnet. Brass is non-magnetic. If a magnet sticks, there is steel inside or attached. Our guide on how to identify different types of scrap metal explains more.
Sell to a non-ferrous specialist. A specialist yard grades your brass properly instead of paying a general “mixed scrap” rate.

Selling Brass in Walsall

Many of our brass customers are plumbers, heating engineers and maintenance teams from Walsall, Willenhall and Darlaston. Our yard at Lawden Road, Birmingham B10 is around 30 minutes from Walsall via the M6, and we pay by instant bank transfer while you are on site. Find out more on our scrap metal merchants Walsall page, or check the latest copper and brass prices for Walsall.

Selling Brass in Birmingham and Solihull

If you are based in Birmingham, we are just off the A45 Coventry Road near St Andrew’s. Solihull sellers can reach us in around 20 minutes along the same road. See our scrap metal merchant Solihull page for details.

What to Bring When You Sell

Under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013, scrap metal can’t be paid for in cash. Bring valid photo ID, such as a driving licence, and your bank sort code and account number. We weigh everything in front of you and pay by bank transfer straight away.