We Buy Surplus Copper Wire in Iowa
Copper is the material most Iowa sellers ask about first, and it is the material we quote most often. We buy surplus copper building wire, service cable, control and tray cable, welding cable and medium voltage copper — on full reels, partial reels, spools, coils or as unused cut lengths in a corner of the shop.
Overview
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Value depends on more than the copper price. Gauge, insulation type, remaining footage, jacket condition and whether the reel still carries its tag all change the number, which is why we ask for photos of the reel and the jacket print before quoting.
Quick quote: the fastest route is a photo of the reel, a photo of the jacket print and the city or ZIP. Call +1 (614) 715-3047 if you would rather talk it through.
What we take
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Copper Wire and Cable we buy
Full reels, partial reels, spools and unused cut lengths.
- THHN, THWN and THWN-2 copper building wire, #14 through 1000 MCM
- XHHW and XHHW-2 copper in feeder and branch sizes
- Copper SER and SEU service-entrance cable
- Copper URD and USE-2 underground and direct-burial cable
- Tray cable, control cable and instrumentation cable with copper conductors
- Welding cable, SOOW and flexible copper cord
- Bare copper, tinned copper and grounding conductors
- Copper medium voltage cable, 5 kV through 35 kV
- Unused cut lengths, pigtails and shop remnants on spools
Large reels stored outdoors are still worth quoting when the jacket is sound.
Specifications
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Constructions and sizes
What the jacket print tells us, and why it matters.
| Construction | Common sizes | What we check |
|---|---|---|
| THHN / THWN-2 building wire | #14 – 500 MCM | Reel tag, footage, jacket print, color mix |
| XHHW-2 feeder wire | #6 – 750 MCM | Insulation nicks, reel condition, remaining length |
| SER / SEU service cable | #6 – 4/0, 250 – 500 MCM | Conductor count, jacket scuffs, cut ends |
| URD / USE-2 underground | #2 – 1000 MCM | Sun exposure, jacket crazing, dirt at the ends |
| Welding cable | #6 – 4/0 | Jacket abrasion, molded lugs, coil condition |
| Medium voltage copper | 1/0 – 1000 MCM | Voltage class, shield type, age, test data |
Condition
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Condition, packaging and what we pass on
We quote what is usable and say plainly what is not.
New surplus and unused material is the easiest to price: sealed reels, factory tags and clean jackets command the best numbers. Partial reels are welcome too — we work from the tag footage and a tape measure where the tag is missing.
We also review used copper cable when it is still suitable for resale or reuse, and we will tell you honestly when a load is better sold as scrap than as wire. We do not promise to buy every item regardless of condition; the material has to be worth handling.
Iowa
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Copper Wire and Cable from Iowa businesses
Most copper we see comes out of commercial electrical work: a Des Moines contractor finishing a school or hospital job with three partly used reels of 4/0, a Cedar Rapids plant that standardised on a different wire spec, or a Council Bluffs distribution warehouse clearing discontinued colors.
Because we buy across the state, a single pallet in Sioux City is as workable as a full truck in Davenport. Send the city and ZIP, the gauge and the footage, and we will tell you whether pickup or freight makes sense.
Questions
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Copper Wire and Cable: questions sellers ask
Do you buy copper wire with damaged or weathered insulation?
Sometimes. A nicked jacket on a short cut length is usually a scrap conversation; a full reel with sun-faded but intact insulation is often still resaleable. Send a close photo of the damage and we will tell you which side of the line it falls on.
Do you pay by the pound or by the foot?
Usable wire is priced as wire — by gauge, footage, insulation type and condition. Material that is not usable as wire is priced as copper scrap by weight. We tell you which basis we are quoting so the number is never a surprise.
Will you take a mixed pallet of copper sizes and colors?
Yes. Mixed pallets are common. Photograph each reel tag or write the gauges and footages on a sheet, and we will price the load reel by reel rather than averaging it.
Do you buy bare copper only, or insulated wire too?
Both. Insulated copper building and industrial cable is the bulk of what we buy, and bare copper grounding wire, tinned braid and bare neutral are welcome alongside it.
Still unsure whether your material fits? Call +1 (614) 715-3047 or email saleselectricalbuyers@gmail.com.
Related
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Other wire and cable we buy
Have reels, spools or cut lengths to move?
Send the wire type, footage and a few photos. We review every request and reply with a quote or a clear no.
Get a quote
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Photos are the fastest route to a real number. Reels, jacket print, tags and cut ends.
Tell us what you have
No obligation and no cost to ask. If the material is not a fit, we will say so plainly.
Request a quote for your surplus wire
Tell us what the wire is, how much there is and where it sits. Photos of the reels, jacket print and wire ends let us give a real number instead of a guess.