Closing a site, replacing a production line, or clearing years of accumulated redundant metal and machinery is a big job. Done well, it's quick, safe, fully documented, and turns waste into a payment. Done badly, it stalls operations and leaves you legally exposed. Here's how a proper clearance should run.
01. Site survey and quotation
Everything starts with a visit. We assess what's on site — the metals and grades present, machinery and plant, access for vehicles, and any hazards. From that we give you a clear quotation: what we'll pay for the recoverable metal, and how the clearance will be carried out. A quote given without seeing the site is a guess; insist on a survey.
02. Planning and scheduling
A good clearance works around your operations, not against them. We agree timing, the sequence of removal, and how to keep disruption to a minimum — particularly important if part of the site is still running. For larger jobs this is staged over several collections.
03. Safe disconnection and removal
Machinery often needs to be safely isolated and disconnected before removal. Heavy items are dismantled and handled with the right equipment. Throughout, the priority is the safety of everyone on site and protecting the parts of the building you're keeping.
Always check that whoever clears your site is a licensed waste carrier. If they aren't, you can remain legally responsible for where your waste ends up. Ask for the registration number and verify it.
04. Sorting and weighing
Recovered material is separated by metal type and grade — ferrous, copper, aluminium, brass, stainless, cable, and so on. Accurate, transparent weighing is what determines your payment, so it should be documented and auditable, not estimated on the back of a hand.
05. Documentation and payment
You should leave the job with a complete paper trail:
- Waste transfer notes recording what was removed and by whom.
- Weighbridge tickets for the material collected.
- A clear statement of payment based on those weights and agreed prices.
That documentation isn't just good practice — it's your evidence that the waste was handled legally under your duty of care.
Planning a clearance?
We carry out fully licensed factory and industrial site clearances across the UK, with proper documentation and competitive payment for your metal.
Arrange a Site Survey →General guidance only. Specific clearances may involve hazardous materials or permits beyond standard scrap handling — we'll advise on your particular site during the survey.