Show the cut ends
A clean photo of the cut end shows gauge, strand count, and whether the copper is bare, tinned, or has other coatings. This is the single most useful photo for wire valuation.
ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR SURPLUS BUYER
Sell Surplus Electrical Material.
Ironcrest reviews leftover wire, breakers, panels, fixtures, and job-site surplus from electrical contractors. Send photos for today’s price.
What contractors typically have
- Wire and cable cutoffs and partial reels
- Takeouts from retrofits and upgrades
- Over-ordered material from completed jobs
- Demolition and teardown copper
- Surplus breakers, panels, and disconnects
- Lighting, fixtures, and device surplus
Who this page is for
Electrical contractors, service shops, and project managers who finish jobs with material that is too good to throw away but too small to inventory.
What to send
Clear photos of the wire, reels, breakers, or panels; conductor size or jacket markings when visible; approximate quantity; and your city/state. Send photos for today’s price.
TURN LEFTOVERS INTO REVENUE
Every job leaves material behind. Don’t let it sit in the warehouse.
Electrical contractors accumulate surplus on nearly every project: cutoffs too short for the next job, reels with a few hundred feet left, breakers swapped out during upgrades, panels from panel-change work, fixtures left over from tenant buildouts, and wire pulled during demolition or retrofits. Individually these lots look small, but across a shop they add up to real money — and stored material that never gets used again is just warehouse rent you never stop paying.
Ironcrest reviews contractor surplus for direct purchase. You don’t need a truckload to get a review — clean, sorted lots of any practical size are worth a look. The fastest path to an offer is photos: shoot the wire ends, the reel labels, the breaker or panel nameplates, and a wide shot showing the quantity, and send them with your city/state.
WIRE AND CABLE
Cutoffs, partial reels, and takeouts have real value
Wire is the most common contractor surplus, and how it is sorted makes a measurable difference in what it is worth. Copper wire grades are determined by gauge, coating, and whether the copper is bare or insulated — and the jacket markings printed on the wire tell most of the story. Photograph those markings before you do anything else.
Photograph jacket printing
THHN, XHHW, Romex, UF, SER, welding cable — the printed type and AWG size identify the wire without guesswork. Shoot the printing clearly.
Separate by type
Keep bare copper, insulated copper, aluminum cable, and armored cable in separate piles. Mixed wire gets priced at the lowest grade in the mix; sorted wire does not.
For a full walkthrough of wire grades, see our copper wire grades guide, and our complete copper purchasing page for what Ironcrest reviews.
BREAKERS, PANELS, AND GEAR
Surplus breakers and panels can be worth more intact
Contractors come across breakers, panels, disconnects, and other distribution equipment constantly — from panel upgrades, tenant improvements, decommissioned circuits, and jobs where the spec changed mid-project. New or lightly used breakers and panels often have resale value well beyond scrap value, so never strip or scrap them before getting a review.
What matters most is manufacturer and catalog number. Photograph the breaker or panel labels, the nameplate, and the overall condition. Note whether the equipment is new in box, new surplus, lightly used, or unknown-condition. Even used takeouts from reputable manufacturers can have value depending on type, condition, and demand, so send photos for today’s price rather than assuming they are scrap.
Keep them intact
Do not remove breakers from panels or strip hardware before a review. Intact assemblies are easier to evaluate and usually worth more.
Photograph the labels
Manufacturer, catalog or part number, amperage, voltage, and pole count drive the value of breakers and panels. Clear label photos are essential.
Note the condition honestly
New in box, new surplus, used, or unknown — an honest condition note helps route the material to the right buyer and the right price.
See our electrical equipment purchasing page for the full range of gear Ironcrest reviews.
GET THE BEST VALUE
How to sort contractor surplus for the best offer
An hour of sorting can move a lot from a generic mixed price to a top-tier offer. The rules are simple:
Separate metals
Copper wire, aluminum cable, and steel conduit belong in separate piles. Mixed lots are always priced down to the lowest-value material in the mix.
Separate grades
Bare copper wire, insulated copper, tinned copper, and low-grade insulated wire each price differently. Grade drives the offer, so don’t blend them.
Don’t burn insulation
Burned wire is damaged wire — it loses value and creates liability. Send insulated wire as-is; the review accounts for insulation type and weight.
Set aside new material
New-in-box breakers, unopened reels, and unused fixtures may have resale value far above scrap value. Keep them separate and photograph the packaging and labels.
Keep the small stuff together
Cutoffs, short drops, and odd pieces add up. A sorted bucket of copper cutoffs is worth reviewing; a mixed bucket of copper, aluminum, and trash is not.
Record the job context
A one-line note — “partial reels from office buildout,” “takeouts from panel upgrade” — helps identify the material and speeds up the review.
WHAT TO SEND
What photos to send for a fast review
Photos are the quote. Ironcrest prices from what we can see and verify, so good photos mean faster and more accurate offers. Here’s the checklist contractors should send:
- Wire: cut ends, jacket printing (type and AWG), reel labels, and a wide shot of the quantity
- Breakers and panels: manufacturer and catalog numbers, nameplates, front and overall condition shots
- Scale: a person, pallet, or familiar object in frame so quantity can be judged
- Quantity: approximate weight, footage, reel count, or number of pieces
- Location: your city/state and whether the material is at the shop, a job site, or storage
Send everything in one message to sjohns@ironcrestindustrialsurplus.com or call 312-880-8174. Include your name, company, and the best number to reach you.
HOW IT WORKS
The process, in four steps
1. Send photos
Email or text clear photos of the wire, breakers, panels, or gear with quantity and location. This is the entire quoting process for most contractor lots.
2. Get today’s price
Ironcrest reviews the material and responds with an offer based on current market conditions and the recoverable or resale value of the lot. No public per-pound prices — each lot is priced on its own merits.
3. Arrange the move
Pickup options depend on the material, volume, access, and location. Ironcrest is based in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, and evaluates opportunities across Chicagoland and beyond.
4. Get paid
Once the material is received and verified against the photos, payment follows. Honest photos and honest descriptions keep the process smooth on both ends.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Contractor surplus questions, answered.
What surplus material do electrical contractors typically sell to Ironcrest?
Wire and cable cutoffs, partial reels, takeouts from retrofits and upgrades, over-ordered material from completed jobs, demolition copper, and surplus breakers, panels, disconnects, fixtures, and devices. Clean, sorted lots of any practical size are worth a review — send photos for today’s price.
Should I strip wire before selling it?
Usually not. Stripping takes labor and creates a mess, and insulation type and weight are already factored into the review. Sorting wire by type — bare copper separate from insulated, copper separate from aluminum — adds more value than stripping. Never burn insulation off; burned wire loses value.
Do you buy new or unused breakers and panels?
Yes. New, new-surplus, and lightly used breakers and panels often have resale value beyond scrap value. Send photos of the manufacturer, catalog or part number, amperage, voltage, and condition so the material can be reviewed for the right outlet.
How do I get today’s price for my surplus material?
Send photos, an estimated quantity (weight, footage, reel count, or piece count), the material type, and your city/state. Each lot is priced from current market conditions and its recoverable or resale value, so public per-pound prices are not posted.
Do you pick up surplus from job sites?
Pickup depends on the material, volume, access, and location. Ironcrest is based in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, and evaluates opportunities across Chicagoland. Send the site address or ZIP code with your photos so pickup options can be confirmed for your specific situation.
Have wire, breakers, panels, or job-site surplus to sell? Send photos, quantity, and pickup location to sjohns@ironcrestindustrialsurplus.com or call 312-880-8174 for today’s price.
WHY SEND PHOTOS FIRST
Identification protects value.
Industrial equipment can be worth more intact than as scrap. Clear photos and nameplates help determine whether resale, component recovery or commodity recovery is the best path.
HOW SELLING WORKS
Three steps to an offer.
Send photos
Photograph the material, nameplates and quantity, then send them through the quote form, by email or by phone.
Material review
We review what the material is, its condition and quantity, and whether it fits a direct purchase.
Receive an offer
For qualifying material, we discuss a direct purchase offer and the next steps.