Where Can I Buy Metal for Welding? (10 Best Places)

Finding suppliers to purchase metals can be difficult for some individuals, depending on where you live.

Many welding suppliers are reserved only for professional businesses and fabricators or have minimum orders, which aren’t always feasible for some.

Thankfully, there are plenty of places to buy metal for welding and fabrication online and locally.

Places:	Quick Overview:
Craigslist	Best place to find metal at a highly affordable price range.
Facebook Marketplace	Best place to buy scrap metals at a low price.
Online Metals	One of the leading metal suppliers online.
Industrial Metal Supply	Best for purchasing high-quality metal supplies.
Weld Metals	Buy ready-to-weld metals online.
Metal Supermarkets	A large product inventory, allowing you to choose a wide range of metals.
Metals Depot	Best place to buy steel online.
Grainger	Wide variety of available products and fast shipping.
Home Depot	Best place to find metal for small welding/metal fabrication projects.
Amazon	Convenient place to find metal for hobbyists and beginners.

Below is a list of the best places to buy metal for welding, fabrication, metal art, and more, explained in detail. This list is based on metal quality, diversity as far as varied locations and inventory, as well as customer service and satisfaction.

1. Craigslist

First on the list is Craigslist. On Craigslist, you can buy or sell anything you want to. Here, you can buy scrap metal from people for very cheap prices.

As long as you clearly state what you are looking for, you should be able to get all types of metal, especially if you are into metal art or would like to fabricate different projects from DIY plans.

By learning how to work Craigslist, you will be able to find all the scrap metal you need in an effective way.

Items on Craigslist are typically much cheaper than the original price as well. This is because the items are typically used, and people are trying to get rid of them.

Once you get used to Craigslist, you will learn how to find all of your metals at a bargain price. All you need to do is look on a regular basis.

Welders love Craigslist because it comes with one great advantage: you can also sell any unused metal that you no longer need.

If you bought some metal and realized you are no longer in need of it, then you can resell it! No money and no metal will go to waste when you use Craigslist.

The potential downside is that you won’t be able to find a specific type of metal, and there’s no guarantee about the condition of the materials.

By the way, have you ever wondered if welding is hard? Check out the guide to learn detailed insights about welding as a career.

2. Facebook Marketplace

So many of you may have thought of this one, but some people overlook scrap metal bed frames, bikes, and other metal items to look for, which you can often get for a low price or even use as a place to find scrap metal for free.

Granted, it’s not new, but depending on your creativity, you can turn some of this scrap metal into simple yard art or other metal items that you can weld and sell for a nice profit.

Our Top Pick For Anywhere Inside the U.S.

3. Online Metals – Buy Metal Online

Third, on the list is Online Metals. Online Metals is the leading eCommerce metal supplier. The company started in 1998, and it is now the world’s leading eCommerce metal supplier.

If you want to shop for your metals online, then check out Online Metals. Their success in the industry is remarkable, as well as their metals.

4. Industrial Metal Supply

Fourth, on the list is Industrial Metal Supply. Here, you can get the highest quality of metal supplies available.

They have locations in Inland Empire, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Phoenix, and Tucson. With all of these locations available, you will surely find the metal you need for your next project if you live in this area of the U.S.

Industrial Metal Supply places an emphasis on customer service. They believe that an active customer support system is the key to a thriving business.

At any of their locations, you will find employees who are willing and want to help. If you ever have questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out. They will answer any questions you have without delay.

Not only do IMS believe in customer support, but they also believe in quality. They never sell sub-par materials and only sell metals that are top quality.

When shopping at Industrial Metal Supply, you can be confident that your welding project will only be done with the best metals available.

According to IMS, they are “the only metal distributor that can service manufacturers, fabricators, and job shops to contractors, maintenance departments, and hobbyists all within hours.” They have been in the metal business for decades and continuously improve their company.

5. Weld Metals

Fifth on the list is Weld Metals. This is an online shop that has a vast inventory. They provide metals that are ready for welding as soon as they are delivered to you.

Weld Metals is an excellent place to purchase your metal, no matter your skill level. Customers who are just starting welding and professionals all shop here, and customer service will cater to any of your needs.

6. Metal Supermarkets

Sixth, on the list is Metal Supermarkets. They have ninety locations all across North America, and you can also purchase from them online. They all provide delivery and pickup for your convenience.

Metal Supermarkets has a large inventory with thousands of metal types, shapes, and grades. They are the world’s largest supplier of small-quantity metals, making it a great place to purchase your welding metals.

Metal Supermarkets prioritize speed and convenience. They want you to begin your projects immediately, so they ensure your order is prepared and delivered as soon as possible.

They do not believe in waiting, which is very convenient for customers. If you need metal quickly, then this is the place for you.

The employees at Metal Supermarkets are highly skilled and can offer help in all areas. If you do not know which metals to use for welding, just ask them, and they can help you.

The associates are knowledgeable and can provide assistance in any way that you may need. All you need to do is ask, and they will be happy to help.

Even if you cannot find what you are looking for, they can help you look, and they can search their stock in other locations as well.

Check out the top 21 metal working tools list. It will give you a good idea of what accessories and supplies you need for your projects.

7. Metals Depot

Seventh, Metals Depot is a great place to purchase steel online.

At Metals Depot, you can purchase hot rolled steel, stainless steel, tool steel, and cold finish steel, as well as other metals. They will ship the steel directly to your warehouse or workshop so you can begin welding as soon as you get the steel.

If you wish to purchase steel from Metal Depot, click here to go to their website.

8. Grainger

Eighth on the list is Grainger. Grainger has seemingly infinite amounts of products; they have over 1.5 million products. All of these are, of course, not for welding, but many of them are.

When shopping here, you can be sure that you will find exactly what you need and more. If you need help finding exactly what you are looking for, then you can reach out for support at any of their 250 branches.

We have been ordering from Grainger for many years for all sorts of metal on small projects and many other things. Their shipping is fast, and you usually get what you want within a few days. Grainger is top-notch!

9. Metal Supply Near Me – Home Depot

Ninth, if you happen to be working on a welding job that’s not too large and need a piece of angle iron, round tube, flat bar, or another piece of metal for welding? Have you ever thought of Home Depot? Does Home Depot sell metal?

Most Home Depots carry metal for welding and other small DIY fabrication projects requiring steel.

Home Depot sells a variety of round rods, tubing, angle iron, flat bar, expanded metal, C-channel, square tubing, and more.

It has a limited selection, but for most small jobs, it will probably be just fine for what you need. You can order online or in-store from Home Depot.

If you have a Home Depot near you, go check it out sometime. The picture above is from our local Home Depot store.

While discussing welding accessories, it’s also highly recommended that you read this guide on the best all-around welding rods. It will help you pick the right welding rod for your projects.

10. Amazon

Tenth believe it or not, you can even buy quite a bit of a variety of metal from Amazon.

Granted, you are not going to be buying steel in mass quantity from them, but for the hobbyist or a beginner just starting out, you could actually purchase metal for some projects at not too bad of a price if you don’t need a lot, especially if you have a prime membership.

List of just some metal available to purchase online from Amazon.

• A36 Hot Roll steel is in varied sizes metal angle iron, check it out.
• Unpolished (Mill) round and square tubing in different sizes and thicknesses.
• 1018 Carbon Steel round rod unpolished (Mill) finish in different lengths and thicknesses.

If you are not sure what the difference is between A36 and 1018 steel, be sure to check out our complete article A36 vs 1018 for an in-depth look at these different types of steel.

Metal Welding Practice Coupons

Amazon also has some fun, simple, and inexpensive welding practice kits or coupons you can buy. These are great beginner welding gifts for those just starting out or wanting to practice on a different type of metal.

If you have a friend or other family member who is a welder and are ever looking for different gifts be sure to check out all of our list of gifts for welders, or even some of our metal fabrication project plans!

Amazon Affiliates Disclaimer.