As electrical wire buyers in California, we buy electrical cable from unused building-wire spools to surplus industrial power reels. California Wire Buyers also buys scrap copper when wire is removed, damaged or unsuitable for reuse. Start with the application below, then confirm the product from its actual markings.
Electrical wire buyers for building and residential stock
Building inventory includes THHN/THWN-2 single conductors, XHHW-2 wire and USE-2/RHH/RHW-2 stock. Residential lots can include Romex-brand NM-B and UF-B cable, plus SER and SEU service-entrance cable. These names are not interchangeable: THHN describes a conductor insulation type, while NM-B describes a cable assembly. Identify the full type string, conductor sizes and metal. A 12/2-with-ground description normally means two insulated 12 AWG circuit conductors plus a grounding conductor, not two total wires. Coils, boxed stock and partial spools all need their own remaining-length information.
Power distribution and feeder cable
For power distribution, we evaluate MC branch and feeder cable, specialty armored cable, aluminum feeder inventory, secondary URD cable and medium-voltage power cable. Record every phase, neutral and ground size rather than calling the whole assembly '4/0 cable.' A 600V secondary URD reel differs from primary underground medium-voltage cable. Shielded MV products may need the insulation level, shielding construction and end-seal condition identified. For armored products, describe interlocked armor, a continuous sheath or an outer jacket if present. Those features help distinguish products that otherwise look alike in a yard photo.
Industrial controls, motors and flexible power
Industrial material includes TC and TC-ER tray cable, control and instrumentation cable, VFD motor cable, welding and DLO cable, and SOOW or related portable cord. Exact construction matters in this group: pair count, individual shields and overall shields can separate similar control products. Welding cable and DLO differ in construction and ratings despite both being flexible single conductors. A portable cord's conductor count is equally important; '10 AWG cord' is incomplete without the number of conductors. Photograph the product name and any TC-ER, PLTC, ITC or other listing actually present.
Renewable-energy conductors and grounding inventory
We review solar PV wire and bare copper or insulated grounding wire as distinct products. Common PV string-wire sizes include 10 and 12 AWG, while larger collector conductors can be copper or aluminum. A solar-project origin does not prove a PV Wire listing or a 2000V rating. Bare copper has no insulation voltage rating, and green insulated wire takes its ratings from its actual type. Include tags for uninsulated reels because there is no jacket legend to identify the product. List tinned copper separately from plain bare copper.
Fire alarm, network and optical cable
Low-voltage and communications lots can contain fire alarm cable, Cat6, Cat6A and related data cable, and fiber-optic cable. Fire alarm markings such as FPLR and FPLP distinguish products; a red jacket does not prove either rating. Category cable needs the exact category, shielding, CMR or CMP marking and conductor material confirmed. Optical cable needs its fiber type, fiber count and indoor or outdoor construction recorded. Unused labeled boxes and protected reels can have product value even when copper recovery is limited or absent. Keep crushed, kinked or water-exposed stock identified separately.
Copper, aluminum and voltage are separate specifications
Conductor size describes metal area, not finished cable diameter. We look for AWG or kcmil (MCM), conductor count and CU or AL identification. Aluminum, copper-clad aluminum and solid copper must not be treated as the same material. A silver-colored conductor can also be tinned copper, so appearance alone is not enough.
Voltage belongs on the inventory as its own field. These are screening distinctions, not installation recommendations:
| Rating shown | Examples you may have | Information still needed |
|---|---|---|
| 600V | THHN/THWN-2, NM-B, SER, some tray cable | Exact type, size, metal and listing |
| 2000V / 2kV | Some PV, DLO and VFD constructions | Actual product rating and additional designations |
| 5kV, 15kV, 25kV or 35kV | Medium-voltage power cable | Insulation level, shield, conductor and condition |
Some families also include 1000V products. Never infer a voltage from the cable name alone, or apply one rating to every designation on dual-rated wire.
What the jacket print tells an electrical cable buyer
A readable legend can identify manufacturer, type, size, conductor metal, voltage, temperature and optional ratings. Photograph enough of the repeated print to capture the complete description. For multiconductor cable, include count and ground information, not just the largest size.
Not every identification is printed on an outer plastic jacket. MC information may be on binder tape, while bare conductors depend heavily on reel tags. Send the original package label when available, especially its complete certification mark. A product standard in a catalog is not proof that an unidentified reel carries that certification.
What to send when the cable type is uncertain
You do not need a finished inventory to show us an unfamiliar cable. Use these details to narrow the identification without making unsupported assumptions:
- A full repeat of the printed legend, including voltage beside each applicable designation.
- The original package label, catalog number and any separate certification label.
- Conductor size and count, including unequal neutral, ground or control conductors.
- Visible CU, AL, alloy or tinned-conductor identification from labels or specifications.
- Armor, shielding and jacket descriptions, with closeups of already exposed ends if available.
- Whether it is unused, previously installed, cut into sections or of unknown history.
- Footage per continuous piece and any available endpoint numbers, with units visible.
- Storage city, package quantity and photos of damaged areas or missing end caps.
Do not strip a jacket merely to answer these questions. Existing documentation and accessible markings may identify the construction without altering the cable.
Local searches, statewide pickup and the scrap option
Searching for 'electrical wire buyers near me' does not mean you must deliver heavy reels yourself. Our California pickup coverage extends statewide, including job sites, warehouses and storage yards. Describe access and loading conditions when discussing the lot.
Wire that cannot be reused may still qualify for our scrap copper buying category. Keep copper separate from aluminum and identify armor or mixed materials. Scrap transactions follow applicable California record-keeping and payment rules; we confirm payment method and timing in writing before collection. This is a general summary, not legal advice, and a purchase review does not certify cable for installation.
Common questions
Does a 600V wire marking tell you the building's voltage?
No. It identifies a product rating, not the operating voltage of the site where the cable was stored or used. Send the complete legend and any additional ratings. We use those markings to identify inventory, not to approve a circuit design or infer the system voltage from a jacket color.
Does aluminum armor mean my MC cable has aluminum conductors?
Not necessarily. Many branch-circuit MC products have copper circuit conductors inside aluminum armor. Larger feeder MC may have copper or aluminum conductors. The conductor metal and armor metal are separate facts, so photograph the original identification and record both. Gross cable weight cannot be treated as the weight of either metal alone.
Why do electrical cable buyers ask about fiber count?
Fiber is identified by optical construction and fiber count rather than AWG conductor size. An OS2 single-mode cable and an OM4 multimode cable are different products even if their reels look alike. Part number, continuous footage, indoor or outdoor construction, damage and traceability determine the reuse review; optical fibers do not supply copper scrap value.