Get approval before moving the wire
Start with the supplier that issued the invoice. Send the invoice number, item numbers, photos and remaining footage. Ask which lines are approved for return and request written instructions. A general return policy is not approval for your particular reels.
Published electrical supplier policies distinguish unused stock in original packaging from cut wire, customized material and special orders. Some exclude cut wire entirely; others say it may be nonreturnable or subject to charges. Deadlines and trade-account terms also differ. Your purchase agreement and the supplier's written response matter more than a rule someone remembers from another job.
If the supplier sent the wrong product or it arrived damaged, identify that first. An order-error or damage claim is different from returning material because you overordered.
Sort the lot with this decision chart
Compare return options and sale offers for each part of the lot. We buy full reels, partial reels, boxed coils, cut lengths and mixed lots.
| What you have | Ask the supply house | Sale decision |
|---|---|---|
| Unopened stock reel or boxed coil | Is this item within the return window, with acceptable packaging? | Compare approved net credit with an offer |
| Opened reel with unused footage | Do you accept partial reels, and how must footage be documented? | Send photos and estimated remaining footage |
| Unused supplier-cut length | Does your cut-wire exclusion apply even though nothing was installed? | Identify the exact product and footage per piece |
| Special-order cable or custom assembly | Is manufacturer approval needed, or was this sold as nonreturnable? | Send the specifications and photos for an offer |
| Used wire or wire with damage | Is there a warranty or damage claim procedure? | Show the condition in photos so we can make an offer |
| Client-owned material | Who has authority to authorize the return? | Record who is selling and the person releasing the material |
A refused return is not a condition report. Unused cable can be nonreturnable under the order terms. We buy new and used cable, and its condition affects the offer. Show jacket damage, exposure and reel condition clearly in your photos.
Ask these questions about the restocking fee
Before approving a return, get answers to these questions:
- Which invoice lines and quantities are approved?
- What restocking charge applies to each line?
- Are there separate manufacturer, freight or handling deductions?
- Is original outbound freight refundable?
- Will the result be a refund, account credit or exchange?
- When must the material arrive, and when does approval expire?
- Is the quoted credit final or subject to receiving inspection?
Ask whether your account agreement permits a fee waiver. Do not build the comparison around a hoped-for exception. Get the final deductions in writing before arranging transport.
For an account credit, also ask which account receives it and when it will post. A credit your company can use on its next purchase may be useful. A credit issued to a closed project account needs a conversation with purchasing or accounting.
Compare net results, not invoice totals
Use two separate calculations:
- Net return result: approved credit, less restocking charges, nonrefundable freight and your return transport costs.
- Net sale result: written purchase offer, less any seller costs stated in the agreement.
Keep crew time and administrative work beside these figures. Do not deduct the same freight charge twice. Compare the same identified reels and footage in both options, and note any inspection conditions.
Your original invoice documents the purchase. It is not a promise of today's return credit or purchase offer. Wire type, conductor metal, size, footage, readable tags and condition affect a sale. Full reels generally support a stronger offer than short cut lengths. Current demand also matters.
Check the agreed payment method and timing, not just the offer amount. The payment and paperwork guide explains what to confirm before pickup.
Worked example: split one closeout into two routes
This is a hypothetical inventory example, not an actual customer lot or offer. Assume a contractor has two unopened 500-foot stock reels of THHN/THWN-2 and a feeder originally supplied as a 1,000-foot custom cut. The crew used 320 feet of that feeder, leaving one continuous unused length.
| Inventory line | Unused footage | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Two unopened stock reels | 2 × 500 = 1,000 feet | Request return approval for those exact items |
| One remaining feeder length | 1,000 minus 320 = 680 feet | Disclose that it is a partial length from a custom cut |
| Total unused inventory | 1,680 feet | Track each line separately |
If the supplier approves the stock reels but refuses the feeder, compare the stock-reel credit with a purchase offer for those reels alone. Then consider selling the feeder separately. Do not compare credit for 1,000 feet with an offer covering all 1,680 feet.
Document whether the remaining 680 feet is one length or several pieces, since footage per piece affects the offer. There is no universal minimum quantity for purchase review. The partial-reel guide explains why footage per piece matters.
Identify the product before requesting either option
Photograph the reel tag, jacket print, complete reel and any condition concerns. Match the manufacturer item number to the invoice. Do not describe everything as just copper wire.
| Record this | Useful detail |
|---|---|
| Product type | THHN/THWN-2, XHHW-2 or the complete cable designation |
| Conductor | Copper or aluminum; solid or stranded |
| Size | Exact AWG or kcmil marking, not outside diameter |
| Construction | Single conductor, or conductor count and grounding details for cable |
| Length | Original tag length and remaining footage, marked measured or estimated |
| Packaging and condition | Factory seal, readable label, damaged flanges, jacket marks or exposure |
For example, Southwire's copper THHN/THWN-2 specification describes a 600-volt conductor with PVC insulation and a nylon sheath. Color alone does not establish that product identity. Copy the ratings actually printed on your wire.
Use the THHN identification page for building wire and the XHHW-2 page for that feeder designation. Keep MC cable in its own inventory group. If your tag reads 250, 350 or 500 kcmil, preserve that exact size in the list; the 250–500 kcmil guide covers that size range.
Handle Arizona project closeouts by purchase order
SRP's October 2024 announcement described the completion celebration for Eleven Mile Solar System near Coolidge, a solar and battery project in Pinal County. For a solar-and-battery closeout, separate cable ordered to a project specification from standard building-wire stock. Ask whether each line was sold as stock, a custom cut or a special order. The announcement does not identify available surplus or a seller relationship.
Use purchase-order line numbers to keep return requests tied to the original order. For electrical-contractor surplus, keep the purchase order, change-order record and remaining footage together. Record sun exposure, water exposure or jacket damage rather than assuming unused means undamaged.
Confirm the seller and close the inventory record
We confirm who is selling and keep simple paperwork with each purchase:
- Note who is authorized to sell company-owned material and the name of the person releasing it.
- Keep an invoice, purchase order, job closeout paperwork or company letter with the purchase record.
- List the exact reels being returned, sold or retained.
- Save the written authorization and final credit memo, or the purchase terms and release record.
- Remove released footage from the inventory so another crew does not reserve it.
Keep wire for another job only when purchasing can identify a real need for that exact specification and length. For other closeout decisions, use the wire-selling guides.
If a return is refused or the net credit is not useful, request a written offer for your electrical wire and cable. Send photos of new, leftover or used material, and we will make an offer. We pick up anywhere in Arizona.