Sell Your Surplus Wire & Cable
Every job ends with wire left on the spool, and copper prices being what they are, those leftovers are worth real money. We buy surplus wire and cable from contractors, distributors, and plants — full spools, partial spools, and cut lengths, as long as there's usable footage.
Text a photo of the spool tag (or the cable jacket printing) plus a rough footage estimate to (951) 903-9804, and we'll price it same day.
Wire and cable we buy
Building wire is the volume item — THHN/THWN in the common sizes, especially 500s, 750s, and other large copper feeders where the money concentrates. We also buy MC cable, SER/SEU, tray cable (TC), SO cord, and medium voltage cable (5kV–35kV, EPR or XLPE) in reusable lengths.
New surplus on full reels brings the best prices — a cancelled project's worth of 600 MCM copper is a serious check. But partial spools and clean cut lengths above about 50 feet are absolutely sellable, and even shorter copper goes at recovery pricing.
- THHN/THWN copper building wire — #12 through 1000 MCM
- Large copper feeders: 350, 500, 750, 1000 MCM
- MC cable, SER, tray cable, SO cord
- Medium voltage cable, 5kV–35kV, reusable lengths
- Full reels, partial spools, and cut lengths 50'+
Reusable beats scrap — usually by a lot
The scrap yard pays for copper weight, period. We pay for usable wire, which is worth more than its copper content because the next contractor buys it instead of paying distributor prices. The break-even question is length and condition: long runs on spools sell as wire; short tangles sell as scrap. We'll tell you honestly which pile is which — and we buy both piles.
Aluminum feeder (XHHW AL, SER AL) counts too. Lower per-pound than copper, but big aluminum reels still add up.
For contractors cleaning out the yard
That row of half-used spools behind the shop grows every year and turns into dead capital. Once or twice a year, pull it into daylight, take pictures of the tags, and send us the batch. One truck, one check, and your yard breathes again. Combine it with your old breaker and switch shelf and make it a real payday — we buy it all in one pickup.
What wire and cable are worth
Wire is the one category where weight genuinely matters, because copper content sets the floor. But the ceiling is set by reusability: full, unopened reels of current-spec cable are worth well above copper value, because a contractor can pull it tomorrow without questions.
Gauge, conductor material, insulation type, and voltage class determine which market a reel belongs to. Large-gauge copper feeders and MV cable carry the most value per foot. Partial reels still sell, but the price gap between a full labeled reel and a tangle of cut lengths is wide, and it is worth keeping reels intact.
| Full unopened reels, current spec | Highest — well above copper value |
|---|---|
| Partial reels, labeled | Strong; keep the reel and label |
| Large-gauge copper feeders | High per-foot value |
| MV cable, 5–35 kV | Specialized demand; note voltage class |
| Aluminum conductor | Priced separately from copper |
| Cut lengths and tangles | Closer to copper value |
Preparing wire and cable for sale
Photograph the reel tags. Gauge, conductor count, insulation type, and voltage rating are printed there, and they determine which buyer wants it. If a tag is gone, the print on the jacket usually carries the same information.
Do not cut reels down. Full and near-full reels are worth more intact, and cutting converts a reusable product into scrap copper. Estimate remaining footage where you can — reel side markings or a rough measurement is fine.
Keep copper and aluminum separated, and keep MV cable separate from building wire. Mixed loads get priced conservatively because we cannot verify what is underneath.
- Photograph reel tags or jacket printing
- Keep reels intact; do not cut for handling
- Estimate remaining footage per reel
- Separate copper from aluminum
- Keep MV cable separate from building wire
Before you scrap anything, send one photo
Scrap is priced by weight. Used electrical equipment is priced by what the next facility needs, and those two numbers are rarely close. A scrapyard has no reason to tell you that the item in your hand keeps a plant running somewhere.
There is no cost to finding out. Text photos to (951) 903-9804 — labels and nameplates if you can get them, wide shots if you cannot — and you will have a real number, usually the same day. If the honest answer is that your lot is only worth scrap, we will tell you that too, and you have lost nothing but a text message.
Common questions
What's the minimum length you'll buy?
As reusable wire, roughly 50 feet and up for feeder sizes. Shorter pieces still sell as recovery copper — we buy those by weight.
Do you buy aluminum wire too?
Yes — XHHW aluminum feeders and SER aluminum, on reels or in coils. Per-pound value is lower than copper but big reels are still worth the call.
How do I estimate footage on a partial spool?
Give us the spool tag info and a photo showing how full it is — we've priced thousands of partials and can estimate from the photo. Close enough is fine for the quote.
Do you handle the loading?
Yes. Reels and pallets, we bring the truck and the muscle. Local sellers can also drop at our Corona yard for same-day payment.
Is it better to sell wire to a scrapyard?
For tangled cut-offs, often yes, and we will say so. For full or near-full reels of current-spec cable, no — those are reusable product and worth considerably more than their copper weight.
Do you buy aluminum conductor?
Yes, priced on its own terms rather than as discounted copper. Tell us the gauge and insulation type and keep it separated from copper reels.
Related pages
Ready to sell? Call or text (951) 903-9804 or email photos to sellelectricalequipment@gmail.com.
Got equipment to sell?
Call or text us photos. We'll give you a price and take it from there.