How do I get my scrap yard’s yard records in order before selling?

Begin by listing what a buyer needs to see: what comes in, who brings it, what goes out and who buys it. Pull the logs for each, and check that the quantities line up with the books. A yard whose daily records, scale tickets and bank deposits agree is far easier to trust than one where they differ.

Walk the yard and note what is there. Sort stock by type and condition, and mark anything that is slow-moving or sold already. Gather equipment records for scales, loaders, balers and shears, including repairs and ownership. If anything on site belongs to someone else, such as a customer’s bin or a supplier’s container, document it.

Tidy the paper on suppliers and customers. Buyers will ask which accounts matter most and how long they have lasted. Prepare your records so they can be shown without exposing private information about others until the right moment. Your lawyer and accountant can tell you what to share, in what order, and under what confidentiality. Set up a single folder, paper or digital, with an index, so each answer to a buyer takes minutes rather than days. Orderly records also show the yard has been run with discipline.

Key takeaways

• Make purchase logs, weigh records and bank deposits agree.
• Walk the yard and list stock by type, condition and ownership.
• Ask your lawyer what to share and when, under confidentiality.