Start with these resale checks
We buy electrical wire and cable in all types and conditions. New stock, leftover reels and used wire can all be part of your lot. Product details, condition and footage help us make an offer.
Use this condition chart to sort your lot before making an inventory:
| What you have | Resale review | What to document |
|---|---|---|
| Full reel with intact packaging | Packaging and condition affect the offer | Original tag, print line, condition and seller details |
| Partial reel | Remaining footage affects the offer | Remaining continuous footage and both ends |
| Boxed coil or cut length | Individual lengths affect the offer | Type, size, individual length and packaging |
| Reel with missing identification or unknown footage | Photos and records help identify the product | Purchase records, readable print and length estimate |
| Used wire | Type and condition affect the offer | Print line, footage and photos of the whole lot |
| Wire with damage or mixed lengths | Condition and lengths affect the offer | Clear photos of affected areas and individual lengths |
| Material with seller paperwork to gather | We confirm who is selling | Invoice, purchase order, company letter and release contact |
This is a sorting chart, not approval for installation. Our wire selling guides cover the separate tasks of reading labels, counting footage and documenting a lot.
Identify the product, not just the color
Photograph one complete repeat of the print line and the original reel tag. Compare them before assigning a product name. If the reel was reused, its old tag may describe something else.
Record these fields separately:
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer and product number | Helps match the reel to the correct specification |
| Copper or aluminum | Conductor material changes the product, even at the same size |
| AWG or kcmil size | Identifies conductor size, not the outside jacket diameter |
| Type designation and voltage | Defines the product's ratings and intended uses |
| Color, conductor count and construction | Separates products that cannot be treated as matching reels |
| Manufacturing date or lot code | Helps trace the product and storage history |
For example, Southwire's THHN/THWN-2 copper wire specification describes 600-volt wire with PVC insulation and a nylon sheath. THHN covers dry locations up to 90°C; THWN-2 covers wet or dry locations up to 90°C, or 75°C when exposed to oil. Preserve the complete designation rather than shortening every label to THHN.
Do not infer XHHW-2 feeder wire from a black jacket. For 250 to 500 kcmil conductors, copy the printed size instead of guessing from thickness.
UL's marking guide explains that the complete listing mark on the tag, reel or smallest container identifies listed wire and cable. A surface UL symbol is supplemental. Keep original labels, and do not transfer one reel's label to another.
Report continuous footage per reel
A full-reel quantity is not necessarily the footage still present. An original tag stays on a partial reel after wire is removed. Mark your inventory as original quantity, measured remainder or estimated remainder.
Worked example, not a minimum: An unused reel originally contained 1,000 feet. Job records show that one continuous 650-foot length was removed, with no other cuts. The calculated remainder is 350 feet. List it as an unused partial reel, 350 feet based on issue records, then disclose that the remaining length has not been independently measured.
If records are incomplete, do not repeat the original 1,000-foot tag as your current quantity. The reel footage guide explains ways to estimate what remains.
Keep separate cut lengths separate in the list. Several pieces do not become one continuous installation length when their footage is added together. Footage per reel and the number of matching reels affect the offer. We buy short lengths and mixed lots too. There is no universal minimum; send the type, size, packaging, footage and location for review. See the guidance on partial reels and cut lengths.
Inspect cable and packaging separately
An intact wrapper can hide damage. A broken flange can threaten otherwise unused cable. Check both without unwinding a heavy reel just to take pictures. Cable and reel condition affect the offer.
- Photograph both flanges, the center opening and any cracked or missing boards. Note loose hardware and unstable packaging.
- Look at accessible outer wraps for cuts, punctures, crushed areas, sharp kinks or exposed conductor.
- Check for water marks, corrosion, chemical residue or evidence that equipment contacted the cable.
- Photograph both cable ends and any end caps. Report missing seals and known exposure before anyone reseals them.
- Show each reel's condition clearly, including any concerns within a mixed lot.
Southwire's handling guidance calls for airtight cable-end seals and resealing after cuts to prevent water entry. This deserves particular attention on medium voltage cable. A wet-location rating does not remove the need to protect open ends during storage.
A photo inspection is not an electrical test. If you have factory test reports for the reel, include them, but do not present an old report as proof that later handling caused no damage.
Judge age through storage history
Age and storage history affect the offer. Southwire states that its products have no defined shelf life when stored appropriately and kept undamaged. That is not a universal expiration rule for every manufacturer or permission to ignore storage recommendations.
Write down when the material was purchased, how it was protected and whether it was moved, cut or exposed to water. State what is unknown. An invoice date may help explain possession, but it is not necessarily the manufacturing date.
If colors have faded or water exposure is unknown, describe that beside the affected reel, not in a general note for the lot. Brand, current demand and the copper and aluminum markets also affect an offer, even when two reels look equally clean.
Keep Arizona exposure in the condition report
For an Arizona contractor, record outdoor sun exposure separately from whether a product carries a wet-location rating. Southwire recommends indoor storage for its building wire to reduce color fading, including THHN/THWN-2 and XHHW-2. Its guidance also calls for protection from standing water, chemicals and heat-generating equipment.
Do not turn a conductor's operating temperature rating into an assumed storage limit. Follow the particular manufacturer's storage guidance and describe actual exposure. A sunlight-resistant marking also does not prove a reel has avoided mechanical damage or water entry.
Arizona has combined solar and battery projects, including Eleven Mile near Coolidge, described in SRP's October 2024 announcement. For your own project closeout, list PV wire and solar cable by their actual markings, separate from building wire and other cable. Do not assume everything from a solar site has the same listing.
Match ownership records to the material
We confirm who is selling and keep simple paperwork with each purchase. Gather an invoice, purchase order, job closeout paperwork or letter on company letterhead that goes with your inventory.
Include the name of the person releasing the material. For company-owned wire, that can be the owner, project manager, purchasing contact or investment recovery contact with authority to sell it. Our payment and paperwork guide explains this simple step and the records we keep.
Build a photo set that answers the remaining questions
Before submitting, check that your photos and inventory show:
- The whole lot with each reel clearly identified.
- A readable original tag and complete print line for each distinct product.
- Both flanges and accessible cable surfaces.
- End seals and close-ups of any condition concerns.
- Footage per reel or piece, with estimates labeled as estimates.
- Storage history, location and matching ownership records.
Keep the original packaging and avoid unnecessary cutting or rewinding. Send the documented lot for a written offer. We pick up anywhere in Arizona.