Ferrous & Scrap Steel Buyers
We buy all ferrous metal — heavy steel, light iron, cast iron, new offcuts, and mixed loads.
About Scrap Ferrous & Steel
Ferrous scrap — steel and iron — makes up the bulk of the volume we process. Whether you're a building contractor with structural steel, a fabricator with new offcuts, a mechanic with old engine blocks, or a homeowner clearing a garage, we take it all. Ferrous pays less per tonne than non-ferrous, but large loads add up fast.
Grades We Accept
RSJ, girders, thick plate (over 6mm).
Clean factory or fabrication offcuts — never used.
Car body panels, thin sheet, domestic appliances.
Engine blocks, brake drums, radiators, manhole covers.
Demolition structural steel, beams, columns.
Mixed ferrous — we'll sort and grade it.
Who Brings Us Ferrous & Steel?
Trade and domestic customers welcome at all three depots.
Ferrous Scrap in the North — Volume, Value, and Grading
Steel is lower per tonne than copper or brass, but large loads still generate significant returns.
Ferrous scrap — steel and iron — is priced by the tonne at a fraction of non-ferrous metal values. But in the North of England, volumes are high. Construction activity across Lancashire, Greater Manchester, and South Yorkshire generates substantial steel arisings: structural sections from demolition, fabrication offcuts from steel shops, light iron from vehicle breakers, cast iron from older building stock. We handle all of it across our three yards.
Steel pricing broadly follows the European steel market, which tracks global iron ore and scrap export prices. Unlike copper, steel prices don't move daily in dramatic swings — but they do drift over months as construction cycles shift. The difference between the top and bottom of the steel price cycle can be 30–40% over a two-year period. If you have a large volume to clear, it's worth a quick call to understand where we are in the cycle.
Our Sheffield yard is particularly well placed for ferrous volumes given South Yorkshire's manufacturing heritage. We deal with engineering shops, construction firms, vehicle dismantlers, and individual householders all week. Sheffield's steel making tradition isn't quite what it was, but the demand for efficient scrap processing hasn't gone anywhere.
Ferrous Grades — Getting the Right Price for Your Steel
Not all steel is the same price. Here's how we grade it.
Heavy steel (HMS 1 / Heavy Melting Steel): Structural sections over 6mm thick — RSJ beams, column sections, plate steel, heavy pipe. This is the top-paying ferrous grade. Demolition contractors and steel fabricators generate most of it. Bring it in mixed sizes — we don't need it cut down.
Light iron: Thinner steel — car bodies, white goods (washing machines, fridges), garden equipment, thin sheet. It's lower in density and typically lower in grade because of the zinc or paint coatings. Still valuable in volume but pay rate is below heavy steel.
Cast iron: Old radiators, engine blocks, manhole covers, Victorian guttering. Dense and heavy, but a distinct grade from steel. We weigh and pay separately.
New steel offcuts (No.1 prepared): Factory offcuts and fabrication drops from steel stockholders or fabrication shops. Clean, uncoated, no attachments — this pays more than demolition steel because it requires less processing. If you're a fabricator, keep your offcuts separate from any old demolition material.
Mixed ferrous — everything thrown in together — gets paid at a blended rate. Sorting takes time but if you have significant quantities of new offcuts, it's almost always worth the effort.
Why QuickStop vs Other Scrap Dealers?
Here's how we compare on the things that matter.
Scrap Ferrous & Steel FAQs
Ready to sell your scrap ferrous & steel?
Drive in to any of our three depots — no appointment, same day payment.
Ready to sell or have a question?