Aluminum material we buy
We buy all types of aluminum electrical wire and cable, new, unused, leftover or used. That includes full and partial feeder reels, wire remaining after a pull, packaged coils, cut lengths and mixed lots. List each length in your inventory. Footage per length helps us review the lot and affects the offer.
Compact 8000-series aluminum feeders, aluminum service entrance cable and quadruplex assemblies belong in this review. We also buy copper, but list copper and aluminum separately when a job has both. The wire and cable we buy hub covers the other product families in a mixed closeout.
Send photos of your aluminum wire and we will make an offer. We confirm who is selling and keep simple paperwork, such as an invoice or company letter, plus the name of the person releasing company inventory.
Common constructions and listings
Aluminum identifies the conductor metal. It does not identify the insulation, cable assembly or permitted use. These are common products you may find in a feeder closeout. Ratings must match the actual reel, not just a similar product in a catalog.
| Product | Construction to identify | Listings and ratings to check |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminum XHHW-2 single conductor | Compact stranded 8000-series aluminum with cross-linked polyethylene, or XLPE, insulation | UL 44; 90°C wet or dry; products marked 600 V or 1000 V |
| Aluminum SER service entrance cable | Insulated phase and neutral conductors, a bare grounding conductor and an overall jacket | UL 854 assembly; commonly 600 V; individual conductors may carry XHHW-2 or THHN/THWN markings |
| Aluminum mobile home feeder, or MHF | Four plexed insulated conductors, including an identified neutral and green insulated ground; conductor sizes may differ | Check RHH/RHW-2 or USE-2 markings; the Southwire specification lists UL 44 and UL 854, 600 V and a 90°C direct-burial application |
Southwire's aluminum XHHW-2 specification identifies AA-8176 alloy within the 8000 series and compact stranding. Do not assign that alloy to every aluminum reel. Use the tag, product number or manufacturer's specification to confirm it.
Quadruplex means four conductors assembled together. It is not interchangeable with SER, and it does not by itself prove a building-wire listing. Keep quadruplex URD cable identified separately from jacketed service cable and mobile home feeder. SER is not permitted underground, even in a raceway, under the restriction cited in Southwire's specification.
Sizes, conductor metal and voltage
Include aluminum feeders from 4/0 through 750 kcmil, not just the largest reels. Sizes such as 250, 300, 350, 400, 500, 600 and 750 kcmil appear in aluminum XHHW-2 product tables. Our overall buying range extends from 14 AWG to 1000 kcmil across wire types, but that does not mean every aluminum construction comes in every size.
For smaller service and feeder material, use the 1/0 through 4/0 size page. Larger closeouts may fit the 250 through 500 kcmil group or the 600 through 1000 kcmil group.
List each conductor size in a cable assembly, including the neutral and grounding conductor. Report 600 V or 1000 V exactly as marked. Aluminum is not a size-for-size substitute for copper; do not label a reel by the copper size it was intended to replace.
Read the insulation print and reel tag together
On single conductors, the print is on the insulation. On jacketed cable, inspect the outer jacket as well. The typical fields to look for are the manufacturer, type letters, AWG or kcmil size, aluminum designation, voltage, temperature rating and UL listing information. Additional marks may show sunlight resistance or cable-tray suitability.
Photograph a complete repeat of the print rather than one isolated word. For XHHW-2 feeder wire, retain the full type designation, including the final 2. Do not shorten it to XHHW in an inventory if the material says XHHW-2.
The reel tag may add a stock number, alloy, conductor count, original footage and manufacturing or lot information. Look for footage marks and a date code on the wire, but do not assume every product uses the same format. Send an unclear code as photographed rather than guessing the date. The reel tag and print-line guide explains how those records work together.
Original tag footage is not remaining footage after a pull. If you have two sequential footage marks on the same continuous length, report both and explain how you estimated what remains. Keep estimates labeled as estimates.
Photos that make aluminum reels easier to review
Send actual photos of your material, not catalog images. We need to connect each marking to the reel it describes.
- Photograph the complete lot so we can see how many reels and coils are included.
- Take a readable close-up of each different reel tag and its product number.
- Show the full insulation or jacket print, with size, aluminum designation and ratings in focus.
- Show an already exposed end if accessible, including conductor count and neutral or ground identification. Do not strip intact cable for a photo.
- Photograph reel flanges, loose outer wraps and any damaged or weathered areas. Include protective end coverings where present.
Attach an inventory with footage per reel, whether it is full or partial, and the Arizona pickup location. Use Get an Offer to send those details. There is no universal minimum quantity; the type, length, packaging and location let us review the lot.
What helps or hurts an aluminum feeder offer
Long continuous runs and several matching reels make a feeder lot easier to reuse. Matching size alone is not enough. Separate reels by insulation type, voltage, manufacturer and condition, and note which lengths belong to the same purchase or job.
Readable tags and documented footage reduce uncertainty. Keep the manufacture date available, along with an invoice, purchase order or job closeout record for our simple purchase paperwork. If a reel was transferred onto different packaging, explain that instead of presenting the replacement tag as the original.
Condition affects the offer. Split insulation, crushed cable, broken reel flanges, water exposure and heavy sun exposure need clear disclosure. Keep remaining aluminum feeders protected while they await review. Do not cut a long run into smaller coils merely to simplify handling. The written offer depends on the actual product, footage, condition and current demand for it, as well as aluminum market conditions.
Arizona jobs that can leave unused feeder reels
Residential and multifamily electrical closeouts are a practical place to check for unused aluminum service cable and feeders. Census data through FRED show 31,651 housing units authorized in Maricopa County in 2025. That is housing authorization activity, not completed homes or a count of available wire reels. For homebuilder and multifamily surplus, separate jacketed SER from underground feeder assemblies before making the inventory.
Solar and battery construction is another source of potential feeder leftovers. SRP's October 2024 completion announcement identifies the Eleven Mile Solar System near Coolidge in Pinal County, combining solar generation and battery storage. On solar and battery project closeouts, identify whether unused aluminum material is a building feeder, an underground assembly or a differently listed solar cable.
Overorders, revised routes and lengths remaining after installation can leave leftover material on these types of jobs. The project sources do not establish that a named project used a particular aluminum product or has wire for sale. We pick up anywhere in Arizona.
Mistakes to avoid before selling
Do not split a plexed assembly or remove an overall jacket to sort its conductors. Keep the neutral and ground with the assembly. Do not infer a burial rating from black insulation or a building-wire listing from a familiar nickname.
Include new, unused, leftover and used wire in your photos and inventory. Note the footage and condition for each reel or length. Keep purchase records with the inventory for our simple paperwork, along with the name of the person releasing the material.