Send photos
Photograph the material, nameplates and quantity, then text them to 312-880-8174 or call.
COPPER WIRE DICTIONARY
Copper wire weight chart.
How much copper is in that run? These are published bare-copper weights in pounds per 1,000 feet — from 14 AWG house wire up to 500 kcmil feeder — plus the quick rule for kcmil sizes and how to turn footage into a field estimate.
THE CHART
Pounds per 1,000 feet — bare copper
These weights are for the bare copper conductor only, from a published wire-manufacturer chart (cross-checked against standard wire tables). Find your size, multiply by your footage, and you have the copper weight. (From the copper wire dictionary.)
| Wire size | lb / 1,000 ft |
|---|---|
| 14 AWG | 12.7 |
| 12 AWG | 20.2 |
| 10 AWG | 32.0 |
| 8 AWG | 50.9 |
| 6 AWG | 81.0 |
| 4 AWG | 128.9 |
| 2 AWG | 204.9 |
| 1/0 | 325.8 |
| 2/0 | 410.9 |
| 3/0 | 518.1 |
| 4/0 | 653.3 |
| 250 kcmil | 771.9 |
| 350 kcmil | 1,081 |
| 500 kcmil | 1,544 |
THE 3.09 RULE
The kcmil rule of thumb
For feeder sizes there's a shortcut: kcmil conductors weigh about 3.09 lb per 1,000 ft per kcmil of bare copper. So 250 kcmil runs about 772 lb per 1,000 ft and 500 kcmil about 1,544 — right in line with the chart. For any run: (kcmil × 3.09 × feet) ÷ 1,000 = pounds of copper. More on MCM feeder cable
BARE VS INSULATED
These are bare-conductor weights
Insulated wire weighs more than these numbers — the jacket adds weight that isn't copper. Use this chart to estimate the copper inside the run (your recovery), not the gross weight on the reel. If a spool weighs more than the chart says, the difference is insulation.
FIELD USE
How sellers use this chart
Pace off the footage, read the size off the jacket print, and multiply. Example: 400 feet of 4/0 — 653.3 × 400 ÷ 1,000 = about 261 lb of copper. That turns a pile of cable into a real number before anyone drives anywhere. When you're ready, text a photo of the wire plus the footage to 312-880-8174 and I'll take it from there. How to read wire markings · wire gauge chart
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Weight chart questions, answered.
Are these weights for bare or insulated wire?
Bare conductor only. Insulated wire weighs more because of the jacket — use these numbers to estimate the copper inside the run, not the gross reel weight.
How do I estimate the copper in a run of feeder cable?
Read the kcmil size off the jacket, pace off the footage, and use (kcmil × 3.09 × feet) ÷ 1,000. Example: 150 feet of 350 kcmil → 350 × 3.09 × 150 ÷ 1,000 ≈ 162 lb of copper.
Why does my spool weigh more than the chart says?
The insulation. The chart covers the bare copper conductor — jackets, armor, and shielding add weight that isn't copper.
Can I use this chart instead of a scale?
For a solid field estimate, yes. The scale at pickup is the final word, but this gets you in the right neighborhood before anyone drives.
Text a photo of your copper to Sonny at 312-880-8174 — or call 312-880-8174 for today's number.
TODAY'S NUMBER
Call for today's number.
Prices move with the market daily. Text a photo of your copper and get today's number — quoted against the market, honored at pickup.
HOW SELLING WORKS
Three steps to an offer.
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.