Copper is the conductor, not the wire type
A reel described only as copper could hold branch-circuit wire, a large feeder, grounding wire or a multi-conductor cable. The insulation and listing determine which product it is. We review new and unused copper building wire, feeders and cable as installable material, with its construction intact.
These are common copper products to separate in your inventory. The ratings below describe these constructions, not every cable containing copper.
| Product | Common construction | Listing and rating details to check |
|---|---|---|
| THHN/THWN-2 | Copper conductor with PVC insulation and a nylon sheath | UL 83; common 600 V product. THHN is rated 90°C dry; THWN-2 is rated 90°C wet or dry. |
| XHHW-2 feeders | Stranded copper with cross-linked polyethylene, or XLPE, insulation | UL 44; 90°C wet or dry. Products may be marked 600 V or 1000 V; verify the actual voltage. |
| MC cable | Several insulated copper conductors and a grounding conductor inside metal armor | UL 1569; common 600 V constructions. Aluminum armor does not identify the conductor metal. |
| Bare copper grounding wire | Solid or stranded copper without insulation | Use the reel tag for size and construction. There is no jacket print or insulation voltage rating to read. |
List THHN and THWN-2 reels separately from XHHW-2 feeder wire, even when their sizes match. Use the wire and cable we buy hub to sort other constructions in your lot.
Sizes and ratings to include in your inventory
We buy copper wire in sizes from 14 AWG to 1000 kcmil. That includes 14, 12 and 10 AWG building wire, 8 through 1 AWG, 1/0 through 4/0, and larger kcmil conductors. Keep solid and stranded products separate. List each insulation color or stripe so we can identify matching feeder reels.
For larger lots, record 1/0 through 4/0 wire separately from 250 through 500 kcmil feeders. Include the printed unit with each size. Do not estimate conductor size from the outside diameter, because insulation thickness changes between products.
Our copper review also includes solar PV wire, tray and control cable, welding and DLO cable, and medium-voltage cable rated 5 kV to 35 kV. Send the actual voltage rating for each product. A copper conductor alone tells us nothing about its insulation rating. We also buy aluminum wire, but identify it separately in a mixed lot.
Read the print line and match it to the reel tag
On insulated copper wire, find a readable stretch of the print on the insulation or outer jacket. Typical fields include the manufacturer, type letters, AWG or kcmil size, conductor metal, voltage and temperature rating. Look for a UL listing mark or identification number, plus any footage marks and manufacturing date or lot code. The sequence varies, and not every product shows every field.
A reel tag often adds the catalog number, conductor count, color, original footage and reel number. Photograph that tag together with the print line. If they disagree, report both rather than choosing the one that sounds more favorable. A reel may have been reused for another product.
Do not treat 90°C as a promise about allowable current in an installation. Here, the temperature marking helps identify the insulation. With MC cable, the useful label may be on the coil packaging or an internal binder rather than the armor. Do not dismantle an intact coil just to find it. For bare copper reels, preserve the original tag and show the exposed conductor.
Photos that make a copper lot identifiable
Start with actual photos of your material, not a catalog image. A close-up of one black jacket cannot show whether a lot contains matching copper feeders or several different products.
- Photograph each distinct reel tag straight on, with the size, metal and footage readable.
- Show a complete print-line sequence. Take overlapping close-ups if the text wraps around the wire.
- Include the whole lot, plus each reel's flanges and the wire still wound on it.
- Show an existing cut end if accessible, without cutting or stripping wire for the photo.
- Show cracks, flattened areas, open ends, staining or damaged armor separately.
Give each reel a simple inventory ID and use it in the photo names or list. Record remaining footage per reel and mark estimates as estimates. The original tag length is not the amount left after a pull. Our reel tag and jacket print guide explains how to keep those details together.
What helps or hurts a copper wire offer
We evaluate copper surplus as a usable electrical product. Size, listing, manufacturer, manufacture date, remaining footage and condition all matter. Current demand for that construction and the copper market also affect the review. Copper content alone does not describe the lot's value.
Matching feeder reels with readable identification and useful continuous lengths give us more information than a mixed pile of unidentified cuts. Full reels generally support a stronger offer than short lengths. Partial reels can still qualify, but several separate cuts are not equivalent to one continuous run. Include conductor count and grounding-conductor size for multi-conductor cable.
Missing tags, uncertain footage and unclear storage history make a lot harder to assess. Sun exposure, water and damaged reel flanges matter too. For medium-voltage copper cable, show whether the ends remain sealed. Tell us about suspected damage before the offer review; we do not buy damaged wire.
Arizona jobs that can leave unused copper reels
Intel describes new chip factories and modernization at its Ocotillo campus in Chandler. For sellers with semiconductor project cable, separate building-wire feeders from tray, control and medium-voltage cable. Changed equipment connections, shortened routes and canceled orders can leave unused reels after manufacturing electrical work.
SRP's October 2024 announcement marked completion of the Eleven Mile Solar System near Coolidge in Pinal County, combining solar generation and battery storage. On solar and battery project closeouts, distinguish copper PV wire, insulated feeders and bare grounding reels. These project examples describe electrical-intensive work, not purchases or seller relationships with us.
Selling new copper wire in Phoenix after a commercial job? Keep the unused balance tied to its purchase and job records. We pick up anywhere in Arizona.
Which leftovers qualify for review
New and unused full reels, partial reels, boxed coils and cut lengths still long enough to install can qualify. There is no universal minimum quantity. Send the type, size, remaining footage, packaging and location so we can review the lot.
We do not buy wire pulled out of service, burned, damaged or chopped into short pieces. We also cannot buy material you cannot show you own. For company-owned copper reels, identify the person authorized to approve the sale and retain the purchase or closeout records.
Use Get an Offer to submit the photos and inventory for a written offer. A form request is not a binding offer.
Mistakes to avoid before selling copper surplus
Do not remove insulation or unwind a sound reel into loose lengths. Keep labels attached to their products, and do not combine different sizes or listings into one inventory line. Total footage across a mixed lot is useful only after the individual lengths are listed.
Do not assume every black feeder is the same type or every silver-colored cable contains aluminum conductors. Read the label and flag anything you cannot identify. Preserve end protection and original packaging while the lot is under review, and describe any time it spent exposed outdoors.