If you want to sell 12 AWG wire in California, we buy labeled surplus spools, partial reels and scrap copper. We also buy 14 and 10 AWG stock, including branch-circuit cable, solar wire and unused job leftovers.
Sell 12 AWG wire by product, not gauge alone
A spool of single-conductor THHN is different inventory from a coil of 12/2 MC or a box of 12/2 NM-B. The gauge identifies each specified conductor's metal area. It does not tell us conductor count, armor, jacket, listing or how much cable remains.
These common sizes turn up in contractor shops, residential closeouts, commercial tenant improvements and solar work. We distinguish unopened stock from opened but unused remnants, and both from previously installed material. Keeping those conditions separate makes a mixed branch-wire lot easier to evaluate.
Use our AWG and kcmil size reference for the broader scale. On this page, the buying details stay focused on the small building-wire sizes that often fill shelves, carts and leftover-wire bins.
Area chart for 14, 12 and 10 AWG conductors
The circular-mil figures are rounded geometric values. They describe conductor area, not copper recovery percentages, outside cable diameter or circuit capacity. Product examples vary by manufacturer and catalog number.
| Size | Approx. circular mils | Typical construction | Familiar surplus types |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 AWG | 4,107 | Solid or stranded copper | THHN, NM-B, MC, control cable |
| 12 AWG | 6,530 | Solid or stranded copper | THHN, NM-B, MC, PV, pump cable |
| 10 AWG | 10,383 | Solid or stranded copper | THHN, NM-B, MC, PV wire |
Solid conductors are familiar in residential cable and some small single-conductor building wire. Stranded versions appear in raceway wire and many flexible or industrial constructions. Neither description replaces the printed cable type.
A strand bundle may look wider than a solid conductor of the same nominal size because of spaces between wires. Fine strands also do not increase the nominal AWG area. Report what the manufacturer supplied rather than guessing size from how thick the exposed end looks.
What small-gauge packages usually contain
Single-conductor building wire
Small THHN and THWN-2 spools commonly hold 500 ft originally. Larger original put-ups can be 1000 ft or 2500 ft. Describe the current footage separately from the tag's original length, especially when several partly used spools share one carton.
List factory colors individually. Black, red and blue are common commercial assortments; brown, orange and yellow also appear. White, gray and green matter as distinct inventory colors. Do not infer system voltage from a color assortment.
Armored and residential cable
Branch MC cable coils commonly include 12/2, 12/3 and 10/2 constructions. Typical packages include 250 ft coils and 1000 ft reels. Keep the wrapper or original identification; useful MC markings may be on binder tape under the armor.
Romex-brand NM-B is a Southwire product; other manufacturers also supply NM-B. Familiar leftovers include 14/2, 12/2, 12/3 and 10/2 with ground. Our NM-B and UF-B buying page explains why similar sizes with different sheaths should be listed separately.
Solar and control stock
For 10 and 12 AWG PV wire, capture the PV marking and actual voltage. A red or black jacket does not establish PV certification. Keep USE-2-only product separate from cable actually marked PV WIRE.
Control cable often contains 14 or 12 AWG conductors in a larger assembly. We need the full conductor count, shield information and part number. A many-conductor control reel should not be entered as an equivalent footage of loose branch wire.
Condition and color assortment shape surplus value
These sizes are common, so exact condition can matter more than a familiar gauge number. A full labeled spool offers clearer traceability than an unmarked coil. An opened spool can still be unused, but tell us about damaged insulation, tangled winding or missing labels.
Mixed colors are not automatically a problem. The useful inventory is a clear count by size, type, color and footage. Do not combine several partial spools into a claimed full spool unless continuous length and identity can be verified.
Parallel reels need their own description. Record the number of conductors sharing the package and each conductor's available length. A reel with one shortened wire is different from a complete, equal-length set, even when the remaining colors appear full.
Dry, protected storage supports traceability but does not prove fitness for installation. Buyers and end users must verify the actual product and condition. Keep original packaging, listing information and storage details together instead of relying on a clean outer layer alone.
Small insulated scrap is a different calculation
We also buy used, pulled-out and cut copper in these gauges. Small insulated wire generally carries more nonmetal material relative to its copper than larger conductors of comparable construction. Extra sheathing and MC armor change the recoverable share further.
Our copper wire grading guide explains why loose THHN, sheathed cable and armored cable should not be treated as identical scrap. Separate unused stock from bins of short pieces. Also identify aluminum armor or bonding components so they are not counted as copper.
We follow California record-keeping and payment requirements for covered scrap transactions. Seller identification and lawful ownership information may be required; payment terms are confirmed in writing. This is a general legal summary, not legal advice.
Photos and counts for a branch-wire offer
For this size group, an organized shelf photo plus close-ups is more useful than one photo of a mixed pile. Match every label image to its spool or cable package.
- Count 14, 12 and 10 AWG packages separately, then break out colors.
- Photograph THHN/THWN-2 print with the size and manufacturer visible.
- Include NM-B or UF-B size/count markings and 'with ground' details.
- Show MC wrappers, tags or visible binder identification without damaging intact cable.
- Capture PV WIRE, voltage and red/black quantities for solar reels.
- Identify solid versus stranded stock where labels distinguish them.
- Report remaining continuous footage and any shorter conductors on parallel reels.
- Show cracked spools, opened boxes, jacket cuts or evidence of prior installation.
- Give the California location and separate approximate scrap quantities from surplus counts.
Submit those details through our wire offer form. We can review a lot containing both usable packages and scrap copper without treating every item as the same grade. Keep the descriptions separate so the written offer can reflect the material actually shown.
Common questions
Does 12/2 MC contain only two pieces of copper wire?
Usually not. A familiar 12/2 MC description means two insulated circuit conductors plus a grounding conductor. Specialized MC designs use other grounding arrangements, so the complete tag matters. Give us the circuit count, ground description and actual product type. The armor also adds weight, but aluminum or steel armor is not part of the copper conductor weight.
Should I group all my yellow-jacketed cable as 12 AWG?
Use the printed size before sorting by color. Yellow is a familiar 12 AWG NM-B sheath color, but manufacturer changes and other cable families make color alone unreliable. Photograph the NM-B legend and conductor count. Yellow single-conductor building wire is a separate product and should not be combined with yellow-sheathed residential cable on the inventory.
Can one parallel reel hold several colors of 10 AWG wire?
Yes. A parallel reel can carry multiple single conductors intended to be pulled together. Identify every color, conductor type and remaining length rather than calling it one 10 AWG reel. Tell us if any conductor ended early or was removed. We need the usable continuous length of each wire, not just the original package length printed on the reel.