Renovation Scrap Metal Removal: $11 Contractor Pickup

Renovation scrap metal removal in Indianapolis costs a flat $11 per stop through Indy Pickup 1111 — the Home of the $11 Pick Up. Old ductwork, copper pipe, water heaters, metal doors, conduit, and wire all ride for the $11 base fee, with same-day and next-day pickups across the Indianapolis metro.

Last updated: September 2026

Every remodel produces the same pile. Torn-out ductwork leaning against the garage. A water heater that’s been sitting in the truck bed for a week. Copper stubs, old valves, a bent storm door, a coil of stripped wire nobody wants to trip over. It’s not trash — it’s metal, and metal has value — but it’s in the way, and your dumpster space is too expensive to waste on it.

Most Indianapolis contractors handle that pile one of two ways. They burn half a day running it to a scrap yard, or they pay a junk removal franchise $99 to $500+ to make it disappear. There’s a third option, and it costs $11.

Indy Pickup 1111 runs scrap metal and appliance pickups across the Indianapolis metro for an $11 flat base fee per stop. We’re a local family business — licensed, bonded, and insured — with 2,173 Google reviews at 4.9 stars, and repeat customers are one of the loudest themes in them. This guide covers exactly what qualifies from a renovation site, what doesn’t, and how the math works out for HVAC techs, plumbers, remodelers, and property flippers.

What Renovation Scrap Metal Does Indy Pickup 1111 Haul for $11?

The rule is simple: if the majority of an item’s weight is metal, it qualifies for the $11 base fee. On a renovation site, that covers most of what you tear out. Old ductwork, copper and steel pipe, metal doors and frames, conduit, wire, metal fixtures, and water heaters are all picked up for a flat $11 per stop — no per-item charge, no weight charge.

Here’s how the common renovation tear-outs break down:

One stop, one fee. If your crew stages the ductwork, the pipe, and the water heater together, that’s still $11 total — not $11 each. Freon-bearing equipment (furnaces, AC units, refrigerators) carries a published $25 surcharge on top of the base fee because of the reclamation handling, so those come to $36. Every surcharge is published upfront; there’s no on-site renegotiation.

The full list runs longer than most contractors expect — motors, sump pumps, appliances from kitchen remodels, even whole piles of mixed metal odds and ends. Check the complete $11 pickup items list, or read our breakdown of exactly what qualifies for the $11 scrap metal pickup if you’ve got something unusual on the trailer.

Keep your job sites clean. $11 scrap metal pickup, same day across the Indianapolis metro — ductwork, pipe, water heaters, and every metal tear-out in one stop. Book your $11 pickup →

What Construction Debris Doesn’t Qualify for the $11 Pickup?

Honest answer: the $11 fee is for metal, not for general construction debris. Drywall, wood framing, concrete, roofing shingles, insulation, and mixed demo waste don’t qualify — there’s no scrap value in them, and hauling them is a different business with different economics. If a truck promises to take your whole mixed demo pile for $11, be suspicious.

That said, you’re not on your own with the rest of the pile. Indy Pickup 1111 quotes trash and debris hauling as separate per-job work — the $11 base fee is included in the quote — and full property cleanouts for flips and rentals are priced the same way. For a gut job where you’re deciding between a dumpster, city heavy-trash service, and private haulers, our Indianapolis recycling and bulk pickup guide walks through every option. And if the non-metal load is big enough, see our paid services page for what a quoted job looks like.

The practical move on most remodels: separate the metal as you demo. Two piles — metal for the $11 stop, everything else for the dumpster. You’ll cut dumpster tonnage, and the metal pile costs almost nothing to clear.

Contractor Economics: Why $11 Beats a DIY Scrap Run

General contractors bill $50 to $150 per hour (HomeAdvisor, 2026). A scrap yard run — load the truck, drive across town, wait in the scale line, unload, drive back — eats two hours minimum, often three with Indianapolis traffic. That’s $100 to $300 of billable time spent to collect very little. Light iron — the grade that covers sheet steel, water heaters, and appliances — was posted at $110 per gross ton, about five cents a pound, on one yard’s public board in September 2026 (Rockaway Recycling, 2026). A 500-pound renovation pile is roughly $25. The math only works if your time is worth nothing, and no contractor’s time is worth nothing.

Two exceptions worth naming. First, if you’re sitting on a large load of clean, sorted copper — say a full repipe’s worth — run it to the yard yourself. Sorted copper is real money, and we’d rather tell you that than pretend otherwise. Our guide to which scrap metal is worth money breaks down when self-hauling pays. Second, if the load is mostly non-metal debris, the $11 stop isn’t the right tool — get a job quote instead.

For everything in between — the mixed steel, the ductwork, the water heater, the pile that isn’t worth a trip but is very much in the way — the $11 stop wins on pure arithmetic. The scrap has commodity value at scale even when it doesn’t at the individual-load level. The recycled materials industry generates over $116 billion in annual economic activity and supports 534,500 American jobs (Recycled Materials Association, 2017). As Robin Wiener, then president of ISRI (now the Recycled Materials Association), put it: “The recycling industry is an economic force and must have a strong voice in conversations related to international trade and fiscal policies in Washington.” Your ductwork is a small piece of a very large machine — which is why we can afford to come get it for $11.

Run the numbers on your last scrap run. Two hours of drive-and-wait time versus one $11 stop your crew never has to think about. Schedule a pickup →

How Do Contractors Schedule a Remodel Scrap Pickup?

The process was built for people who are already on a ladder when the phone rings. Booking is text-based, pickup is contactless, and nobody on your crew has to stand around waiting for a truck. Here’s the whole system:

1. Stage the metal outside or in the garage. Not on the road or curb — driveway, side yard, or garage is perfect. Disconnect anything plumbed or wired.
2. Text or call (317) 350-1111, or book online. Send photos if the load is unusual — the online form takes up to 4. During business hours you’ll typically hear back within the hour.
3. Pay the $11 at booking. The base fee is prepaid, and any freon surcharges are confirmed before the truck rolls. Cancel with more than 2 hours notice for a full refund.
4. Get back to work. The crew arrives in the scheduled window and loads everything. You don’t need to be on site — most contractor pickups happen while the crew is at a different job.

Same-day and next-day service covers the core Indianapolis metro — Greenwood to Carmel, Avon to New Palestine — which means the pickup fits inside your project timeline instead of stretching it. Flippers and remodelers working Fountain Square, Broad Ripple, Irvington, or the Greenwood side all book the same way. See how it works for the full walkthrough.

For trades generating scrap weekly — HVAC changeout season, anyone? — the repeat pattern is the point. Text, stage, done, every Friday. Commercial accounts and recurring job-site service run through our commercial pickup page. Repeat customers show up all over our 2,173 Google reviews — people on their second or third pickup, some who have had us out several times. That’s the business model working as intended.

Where Does the Renovation Scrap Metal Go After Pickup?

The U.S. generated 600 million tons of construction and demolition debris in 2018 — more than double the municipal solid waste stream (EPA, 2018). The metal slice of that stream is the part that never needs a landfill, and it’s the part we built the business on.

Everything we collect is processed for recycling through our salvage yard operation on Stanley Avenue — the same vertically integrated setup behind our scrap metal recycling operation in Indianapolis and our $11 appliance and scrap pickup service. Your ductwork becomes furnace feedstock for new steel; the copper goes back into the supply chain. Renovation cleanup in Indianapolis doesn’t get more direct than that: the metal leaves your site and enters the recycling market, not a landfill cell.

One more thing contractors ask us about: dead work trucks. If there’s a van or pickup on its last legs behind your shop, our sister company Cash Car Heroes pays cash for junk vehicles with free towing — separate service, same family business, same yard.

Metal pile growing on your current job? Text a photo to (317) 350-1111 and it's gone by tomorrow — $11, contactless, recycled. Get it picked up →

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Indy Pickup 1111 pick up renovation scrap metal?

Yes. Renovation scrap metal removal is core service territory: ductwork, copper and steel pipe, water heaters, metal doors and frames, conduit, wire, and metal fixtures are all covered by the $11 flat base fee per stop. Items need to be staged outside or in the garage, and same-day or next-day service is typical across the Indianapolis metro.

Can contractors use the $11 pickup for job sites?

Absolutely — HVAC techs, plumbers, remodelers, general contractors, and property flippers are regular customers. Book by text at (317) 350-1111 or online, prepay the $11, and the pickup happens contactless while your crew works elsewhere. Contractors running weekly scrap volume can set up recurring service through the commercial program.

What renovation materials qualify for the $11 pickup?

Anything where the majority of the item’s weight is metal: ductwork, pipe, wire, conduit, metal doors, garage doors, railings, fencing, cast iron fixtures, standard water heaters, motors, and appliances from kitchen or laundry remodels. Freon-bearing equipment — furnaces, AC units, refrigerators — qualifies with a $25 surcharge, for $36 total.

Do you pick up old furnaces and AC units from remodels?

Yes. Furnaces, AC units, and condensers are picked up for $36 — the $11 base fee plus a published $25 freon surcharge that covers refrigerant handling. Units must be disconnected before the truck arrives and staged outside or in the garage. The surcharge is confirmed at booking, so the price never changes on site.

Do you take drywall, wood framing, or concrete?

Not under the $11 fee — that price is for metal, which has recycling value. Drywall, lumber, concrete, shingles, and mixed demo debris are quoted as separate hauling jobs, with the $11 base fee folded into the quote. For a full gut job, request a per-job quote or compare dumpster and city options first.

How fast can you get to a job site in Indianapolis?

Same-day and next-day pickups are typical in the core service area, which runs Greenwood to Carmel and Avon to New Palestine. During business hours, booking requests usually get a response within the hour. Speed is the single most common theme across our 2,173 Google reviews at 4.9 stars.

Does someone need to be on site for the pickup?

No. Pickups are contactless: stage the metal outside or in the garage, and the crew loads it during the scheduled window whether anyone’s there or not. Most contractor pickups happen while the crew is at another job. You’ll get scheduling texts and a heads-up when the driver is en route.