Is it common practice for buyers to weigh scrap while it's still wet, and does that unfairly inflate deductions later?
Short answer: Weighing wet material and then applying a moisture deduction afterward is a somewhat different, and arguably more transparent, approach than weighing wet and simply not accounting for the extra water weight at all — the key question is whether the buyer clearly explains and applies a reasonable, disclosed moisture deduction rather than an arbitrary or excessive one, which is worth asking about directly.
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List Free →Why moisture affects weighing at all
Wet or muddy scrap genuinely weighs more than the same material dry, since you’re weighing the water along with the metal — this isn’t inherently unfair on its own, since the extra weight is real, but how a buyer accounts for it in their pricing matters.
The difference between disclosed and undisclosed moisture deductions
A buyer who weighs wet material and applies a stated, reasonable moisture deduction, explained clearly, is being transparent about a genuine factor — a buyer who weighs wet, offers no deduction explanation, but pays noticeably less per kilogram without clear reasoning is harder to assess fairly.
What to ask about before delivering wet or muddy material
Ask directly how the buyer accounts for moisture in their weighing and pricing — a specific, reasonable explanation is a good sign, while a vague deduction with no clear basis is worth questioning, particularly if it seems disproportionate to how wet your material actually is.
How ScrapTrade Makes This Easier
If your material is likely to be wet or muddy, asking a ScrapTrade buyer upfront how they handle moisture in weighing helps you understand the pricing impact before you commit to a delivery.
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