What we buy
Thermoplastic-insulated building wire rated for dry, damp and wet locations, in the constructions that show up on commercial and industrial projects.
- THHN, THWN and THWN-2 in copper and aluminum
- Solid and stranded conductors, #14 AWG through 1000 MCM
- Standard colors: black, red, blue, white, green, brown, orange, yellow, gray, purple
- Machine tool wire, fixture wire and hook-up wire in the same family
- Part-used coils, full reels, spools and cartons
- New surplus, cancelled-project stock and distributor overstock
Why building wire piles up
Estimating rounds up. A contractor buys 1,000 ft reels because that is what the counter stocks, uses 640 ft, and the remainder follows the crew from job to job until it is buried in the trailer or the shop rack. Distributors end up with discontinued colors and short reels that no longer turn on the shelf. Plant maintenance keeps partial spools of every color for years because a 40 ft pull might need one.
None of that is scrap. A partial reel of 4/0 THHN still holds most of its copper, and a sealed reel of #12 in an odd color is still new wire.
What a building wire quote looks like
Details we ask for
- Type
- THHN, THWN, THWN-2, MTW, fixture wire
- Metal
- Copper or aluminum
- Sizes
- #14, #12, #10, #8, #6, #4, #2, #1, 1/0 to 4/0, 250 to 1000 MCM
- Voltage
- 600V class
- Colors
- List quantities per color where they are separate
- Footage
- Tag footage, measured length or reel count
- Condition
- New, unused, partial, sun-faded, jacket damaged
Mixed sizes and colors are fine. List them line by line so the quote reflects the actual load.
Partial reels, cut lengths and short coils
A 60 ft tail on a reel is a very different lot from a sealed 1,000 ft reel, but both can be quoted. Tell us roughly how much is left, whether the tail is still attached to the reel, and whether the end is taped, capped or exposed. Photograph the reel face so the remaining wrap is visible.
Heavily sun-faded, crushed or water-soaked reels are reviewed case by case. Photograph the damage rather than describing the load as good.
Pickup, freight and timing
Building wire moves easily: reels roll, coils lift, cartons stack. Most Minnesota loads are picked up at the shop, the distributor dock or the job-site laydown area once we agree on price and access.
Tell us about dock height, forklift availability, gate hours and whether a trailer can turn around on site. A 4,000 lb feeder reel is not a problem when there is a forklift; it is a problem when it is sitting in a basement.
FAQ
Questions we get from sellers
Do you buy small quantities of THHN?
Small lots are quoted when they are part of a larger pickup or when the conductor size is valuable. A single 100 ft coil of #12 rarely justifies a trip; a shelf of mixed partial reels from a shop often does. Send the list and photos and we will be straight with you.
Does the color matter?
Color affects how easily a reel resells, not whether the copper is worth buying. List colors separately if the quantities differ significantly, and photograph the reel tags.
Can you take wire that was pulled and removed?
Yes, describe it as used and photograph the jacket and the ends. Pulled wire is valued on condition and remaining length, and some of it is not worth moving. We will tell you which parts of the load we can take.