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Scrap lead prices

Lead is dense, so it builds weight fast — a modest amount of roofing flashing is worth weighing in. Here are today’s live per-kilo rates for lead and lead-bearing scrap.

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Lead scrap prices by grade

All 2 Lead grades, highest first.

Scrap lead prices per kilo
GradePrice per kgChange
Lead Scrap£1.23▼ -0.11%
Lead Acid Batteries£0.25▼ -0.11%

What moves the lead price

Lead tracks the LME lead contract. The market is dominated by battery manufacturing, which consumes the majority of world lead output, so automotive demand and battery recycling rates drive the price more than construction does.

Lead recycling is unusually efficient — a very high share of lead in use is recycled — which keeps secondary supply steady and the market comparatively less volatile than copper.

Grade separation is simple but strict: clean soft lead sits well above battery lead, because batteries carry acid, plastic casing and antimony alloying that all have to be processed out.

Understanding lead grades

Lead scrap is the clean grade: roofing sheet, flashing, pipe and cable sheathing, free of mortar, felt, nails and paint. Buyers call this soft lead, and it is where nearly all the value sits.

Lead is often still found on older properties as flashing around chimneys, valleys and parapets, and it is dense enough that even a modest quantity is worth handling properly.

Lead-acid batteries are graded and priced separately. They contain recoverable lead but also sulphuric acid and a plastic case, both of which require licensed processing — which is why they pay considerably less per kilo than clean lead.

Getting a better price for your lead

  • Keep clean roofing lead well away from batteries. They are entirely different grades and mixing them costs you the difference.
  • Scrape off mortar, felt and bitumen — buyers deduct for anything that is not lead.
  • Lead is dense, so even small amounts are worth weighing in. A few sheets of flashing carries real weight.
  • Handle with gloves and wash your hands afterwards. Lead is toxic and readily absorbed.

Scrap lead price questions

Everything you need to know about the product and billing.

Clean soft lead — roofing sheet, flashing and pipe — trades well above battery lead. The live table above shows today’s exact rates for each. Lead’s density means a small physical quantity carries meaningful weight, so it is usually worth weighing in.

Yes, though at a much lower rate per kilo than clean lead. A battery contains recoverable lead but also sulphuric acid and a plastic casing that need licensed processing, and that cost is reflected in the price. Never open or drain a battery yourself.

Only if it is yours or you have documented authorisation from the owner. Lead theft from roofs is a serious and heavily policed offence, so buyers scrutinise roofing lead closely. You will need photographic ID, and legitimate sellers are expected to be able to account for where the material came from.

Yes. Anything that is not lead is either deducted as weight you will not be paid for, or drops the material out of the clean grade entirely. Scraping off mortar, felt and bitumen before weighing in is quick and pays for itself.

Our lead prices are refreshed every trading day. Scrap prices track the underlying metal on the London Metal Exchange, which moves continuously, so a price quoted a week ago is rarely the price you will be paid today. Always check on the day you plan to sell.

The prices here are the rates buyers on ScrapBays are paying for clean, correctly sorted material. If your load is mixed, contaminated, still attached to other materials, or below a buyer's minimum weight, it will be graded down. Sorting and cleaning before you sell is the single biggest thing in your control.

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