Scrap prices move with global steel markets, seasons and demand. Here is how to time your sale and get the best price.
There is no single perfect day to scrap a car, but there are patterns that push prices up and down throughout the year. If your car is sitting on the drive and you can wait a few weeks, understanding these cycles can put an extra £20 to £80 in your pocket.
The price an ATF (Authorised Treatment Facility) offers you is driven almost entirely by the current steel scrap price. Steel is a global commodity traded on markets in China, Europe and the US. When demand from steel mills rises, the price mills pay scrap dealers goes up, and that increase filters down to the price you are offered for your car.
A typical car contains around 70% steel by weight, so a £10 per tonne swing in global steel prices can move your payout by £5 to £15 depending on the weight of your vehicle.
Construction season kicks in. Steel demand rises, pulling scrap prices up.
Steady demand. Prices stable. A reliable time to scrap if you do not want to wait.
Second seasonal peak. Mills restock before winter production slows.
Construction slows, steel demand drops and scrap prices often dip.
Bottom line: March to May and September to October tend to be the strongest months for scrap prices. December and January are typically the weakest.
If your car has its original catalytic converter intact, it can add significantly to the overall offer. Platinum, palladium and rhodium inside converters are traded separately from steel. Palladium prices in particular have been volatile, and a working cat on a petrol car from 2005 onwards can be worth £30 to £150 on its own. ATFs factor this in when making offers.
Scrap price is paid per tonne, so heavier vehicles always fetch more. A large estate or SUV will consistently outperform a small supermini even when the per-tonne price is identical.
A car with all four wheels, its battery, catalytic converter and main body panels present will receive a higher offer than one that has been stripped. ATFs deduct from the base price for every missing component they cannot sell or recover value from.
Collection is free on most services, but very remote locations occasionally attract a small transport deduction. Using a comparison service like ScrapCarCheck finds licensed ATFs near you so collection cost is minimised.
If your car is taxed, insured and parked legally, waiting a month or two for prices to improve can be worthwhile. If it is off the road, uninsured or costing you storage, the maths usually favours scrapping now. A price rise of £30 rarely covers weeks of SORN hassle or the cost of insuring a car you are not driving.
One thing to avoid: Removing parts to sell privately before scrapping almost always reduces the total you receive. ATFs price the car as a whole unit. Stripping it rarely adds up to more than the reduction in scrap offer.
Our scrap metal price tracker shows the current steel, aluminium and copper price trends updated monthly. You can also get an instant quote now and come back to it — quotes are typically valid for a few days, and you can always get a fresh one when you are ready to proceed.
Enter your reg plate and get free quotes from licensed ATFs near you in under 60 seconds.
Get My Free Quote →The underlying steel price can move daily, but most ATFs update their offer rates weekly rather than daily. You are unlikely to see a meaningful difference by waiting a few days, but waiting a few weeks during a rising market can add to your payout.
Global steel demand has remained broadly stable in 2026. Prices are in line with the long-run average of £150 to £200 per tonne for shredded steel scrap. Check our price guide for current figures.
Yes, but mainly through weight. A heavier car is worth more per unit. Make and model matter more for part-exchange or private sale. In the scrap market, a tonne of Ford is worth the same as a tonne of BMW.
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