Simple ownership paperwork for your wire sale
We confirm who is selling and keep simple paperwork with each purchase. For company surplus wire, we record the owner, the person approving the sale and the name of the person releasing it. The company approving the sale may send a different person to release the reels.
We buy all types of electrical wire and cable, new, unused, leftover or used. Send photos of full reels, partial reels, boxed coils, cut lengths or mixed lots, and we will make an offer. We buy copper and aluminum wire alike.
This guide addresses the ownership part of a sale. Our other wire selling guides cover identification, condition and quantity.
Which records help establish ownership?
Start with records created when the material was purchased, transferred or released after a job. A useful record names the company or individual and describes the wire closely enough to connect it to the lot.
| Record | What it helps show | Details to include |
|---|---|---|
| Supplier invoice | Purchaser, product description and purchased quantity | Current owner of the remaining wire |
| Purchase order | Ordering company, job reference and specified material | Material received and which reels remain |
| Job closeout paperwork | Project connection and treatment of leftover material | Who received ownership or permission to sell |
| Letter on company letterhead | Owner's statement and authorization for the identified lot | Signer's role and the connection to the physical wire |
| Prior bill of sale or transfer record | How material moved from a previous owner to you | Descriptions that match the wire now offered |
Each record can help explain part of the lot's history. For example, an old purchase order for a larger delivery can show the original order. A transfer record can explain how the remaining wire became yours. Send the records you have, keep documents legible and retain the originals.
Who may authorize a company sale?
Someone with authority to sell company-owned material approves the sale. That may be an owner, project manager, purchasing representative or investment recovery representative. Include that person's name and role in the company paperwork.
For electrical contractor leftovers, distinguish contractor-purchased inventory from material supplied by the customer or general contractor. Check the project records to identify the owner of the material remaining at closeout.
A useful authorization letter should include:
- The name of the company that owns the material.
- A description of the lot, with an attached inventory if needed.
- A clear statement authorizing its sale.
- The approving person's name, role, signature and date.
- The name of the person allowed to release the material.
- A company contact who can clarify the authorization.
If your employer transferred the wire to you personally, a written note can document that transfer. Ask the company to identify the leftover wire and confirm that you now own it. This keeps the sale records clear for everyone involved.
Match the paperwork to the actual reels
Prepare one inventory entry per reel, coil or cut length. Record the manufacturer, wire type, conductor size, copper or aluminum, color, estimated remaining footage and any readable product or reel identifier. Use the same item labels in the inventory and photos.
Southwire's handling and storage guidance says the product label should remain secured to its package and legible. Keep existing tags attached. Do not replace a missing manufacturer tag with one taken from another reel.
Photograph the entire lot, each tag and a readable section of conductor or jacket printing. Our reel tag and print-line guide explains what to capture. Note discrepancies instead of silently changing an inventory description to fit an invoice.
For example, XHHW-2 feeder wire should be described using the markings actually present. When listing 250 to 500 kcmil conductors, retain the exact size shown, not just the word "feeder." Photos identify the product; ownership records identify who may sell it.
Worked example: a partial reel at job closeout
This is a hypothetical example, not a past purchase. An Arizona contractor has a partial reel marked 500 kcmil copper XHHW-2 after a project ends. The invoice names the contractor, but the person arranging the sale is a site supervisor.
- Connect the product. Match the invoice description to the tag and print line. Identify the remaining reel on the lot inventory.
- Explain the quantity. Record the remaining footage as an estimate if it has not been measured. An invoice's original footage is not necessarily the footage left.
- Confirm the owner. Check closeout records for any transfer of the unused material to the customer.
- Document approval. Have someone with company authority identify the reel and authorize its sale.
- Identify the release person. Provide the supervisor's name for releasing the material.
The invoice, inventory and authorization now address different questions. If the closeout record assigns the reel to the customer, include the customer's sale approval and the name of the person releasing it. We keep these details with the purchase paperwork.
Simple paperwork for utility and public-project material
A utility name, project sticker or public-agency inventory mark helps tell the material's story. Keep those markings visible. For utility surplus cable, share the current owner's name and sale authorization. Project records can explain how the wire reached you through a subcontract or transfer.
Arizona's Department of Administration publishes separate disposal procedures for state-owned property. If wire belongs to a state agency, use that agency's approved process to document the sale and release. Other public owners may have different procedures.
Arizona projects can also involve several organizations. SRP's October 2024 announcement describes the Eleven Mile solar and battery project near Coolidge in Pinal County. Project records help identify which participant owns a particular reel. For solar PV wire from any such job, share the records connecting the owner, the leftover wire and the person approving the sale.
What to do when records are incomplete
If an invoice is missing, explain that upfront. Look for purchase orders, delivery records, closeout documents or a company letter identifying the lot. If a previous owner supplied the wire, ask for documentation of the transfer.
Tell us about differences in material descriptions, owner names or company contacts. A short explanation or company letter can help connect the records to the wire. We confirm who is selling and keep simple paperwork with each purchase.
Keep markings visible and send honest photos of the lot. Describe where the wire came from and identify any customer-owned material in the records. Clear photos and a readable inventory help us review the material and prepare a written offer.
Checklist before releasing the material
- The owner's name agrees across the records, or any difference is explained.
- The inventory and photos identify the material being sold.
- Remaining footage is distinguished from the original purchased quantity.
- Company approval covers this lot and clearly authorizes a sale.
- The person releasing the material is named.
- Utility, customer or public-owner markings are explained.
- Ownership details are included with the sale paperwork.
Keep copies of the authorization and lot description with your sale records. The payment and paperwork page explains sale documentation and payment terms. Payment method and timing are confirmed in writing before pickup, and at pickup we check the material against the written terms.
Send your available records and lot photos to request a written offer. We pick up anywhere in Arizona.