Get the Foreman's Yes
Ask who gets the pulled nonferrous on the project and how the crew splits it. Get it in a text. Permission first, pull second.
FOR DEMO LABORERS & FOREMEN • NONFERROUS FIRST • THE PULL ORDER
DEMO CREW SCRAP: WHAT TO PULL FIRST
On a gut job, the crew that pulls the nonferrous first gets paid twice: once for the demo, once for the metal. Copper wire, copper pipe, and brass fixtures are sitting in the walls of every building you open up. This guide is the pull order — what to grab in the window before teardown, what to leave alone, and how to sell it with the company's blessing.
Ask Your ForemanNo MinimumsGut-Job LotsFast Quotes
NONFERROUS FIRST
The 30 minutes before teardown that pays.
- Wire first: pulled Romex and feeder runs are the fastest money in a gut. Open the walls, coil the wire, move on.
- Copper pipe second: supply lines and risers run through every floor. Cut, stack, and haul them out.
- Brass fixtures third: faucets, valves, meters, and hardware. Small, dense, and valuable — keep them in their own bucket.
- Light fixtures and electrical gear: fixtures, ballasts housings, and disconnects hold copper. Grab what is accessible.
- A selective gut can produce 100 to 1,000 lbs of nonferrous per project, depending on the building's age and size.
- Interior and selective demo crews get the best stream: intact wire runs and plumbing pulled before the machines arrive.
- What never to touch: asbestos-era buildings. If the building is old enough for asbestos insulation or pipe wrap, stop and let the abatement crew do their job.
- The foreman clears everything: what gets pulled, who keeps it, and how it splits is the foreman's call on every project.
GUT JOB100–500 lbs
Wire, pipe, and fixtures per building.
SELECTIVE DEMO100–1,000 lbs
Intact systems pulled before teardown.
PULL WINDOWBefore machines
Nonferrous first, then the heavy work.
THE PULL ORDER
Nonferrous first. Always.
Work the building in this order and the valuable metal is out before the structure comes down.
- WIRE — Open walls and ceilings, pull the runs, coil them. Fastest money in the building.
- PIPE — Cut supply lines and risers into haulable lengths. Stack by the exit.
- BRASS — Faucets, valves, meters, and hardware go straight in the brass bucket.
- FIXTURES — Light fixtures, disconnects, and electrical gear with copper inside.
YOUR TYPICAL LOT
From a room gut to a full building.
Whether you are holding a pickup bed of pulled wire or a full building's worth of pipe, it all counts. No minimums — every bucket counts.
ROOM GUT100–300 lbs
Wire and pipe from a single space.
FLOOR OR UNIT300–600 lbs
A full floor's mechanical systems.
FULL BUILDING1,000+ lbs
A whole building's nonferrous. Call about pickup.
FROM PULL TO CASH
How the demo crew sells.
Pull in Order
Wire, pipe, brass, fixtures — nonferrous first, before teardown. Keep brass in its own bucket.
Text Photos to Sonny
Send a photo of your pile to 312-880-8174 for a fast quote. No minimums — every bucket counts.
Drop Off and Get Paid
Bring it by, watch it weighed in the open, and get paid by check, wire, or cash.
WHY IRONCREST
Why demo crews sell their pulls to Ironcrest
- No minimums — every bucket counts. One pickup bed of wire gets the same welcome as a full building's pull.
- Fast quotes from a photo: text your pile, get a real number back.
- Weighed in the open on a digital scale. You see every pound.
- Quick payment by check, wire, or cash once your lot settles.
- One direct contact: Sonny Johns at 312-880-8174 — not a yard window, not a phone tree.
- Your material never leaves the United States.
ONE DIRECT CONTACT
Talk to Sonny, not a department
Every quote runs through one person who answers the phone: Sonny Johns at 312-880-8174. No portals, no ticket queues, no yard line.
- NO MINIMUMS — Every bucket counts. One bucket of cutoffs gets the same welcome as a truckload.
- FAST QUOTES — Send photos of your material and get a real number back fast.
- QUICK PAYMENT — Check, wire, or cash once your lot settles.
- US ONLY — Your material never leaves the United States.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Asked by workers holding this material.
What should a demo crew pull before teardown?
Nonferrous first: copper wire runs, copper pipe and risers, brass fixtures and valves, and electrical gear with copper inside. Pull it in that order, keep the brass separate, and the valuable metal is out before the structure comes down.
Can you keep scrap from a demolition job?
When the company says you can. Demo scrap belongs to the company or the property owner until someone with authority says otherwise — so ask your foreman, agree on the split, and get it in writing.
What should we never touch on a demo job?
Anything in an asbestos-era building that could contain asbestos: old pipe wrap, insulation, and tile. Stop and let the abatement crew handle it. Also leave anything the foreman has not cleared and anything with warning labels you do not understand.
How do demo foremen usually handle scrap?
The foreman decides: some split the pull evenly across the crew, some shops pool it, and some give the crew the wire while the company keeps the rest. Ask at the start of the project, not at the end.
Is it worth pulling wire out of walls by hand?
On selective and interior demo, absolutely — intact runs are the best wire stream in the trade. On full machine demo, grab what is safely accessible before the machines go in and leave the rest.
What about appliances and fixtures left in the building?
Stoves, water heaters, and fixtures hold copper and brass inside. If the foreman clears them as part of the pull, they go in the pile — if not, leave them alone.
PULL IT, THEN SELL IT
Your pull is worth a quote.
Text a photo of your pulled wire, pipe, and brass to 312-880-8174. You will get a fast quote based on what is actually there — no minimums, no yard lines.