Copper wire & cable
Feeder cable, branch circuits, service entrances and pulled wire. Photograph jacket printing and cut ends, and separate copper from aluminum-clad or steel-armored runs when practical.
DEMOLITION SCRAP & SURPLUS BUYER
Sell Demolition Scrap & Surplus Material.
Demolition contractors recover copper wire, conduit, switchgear, transformers, panels and more from every tear-out. Ironcrest reviews demolition material for recoverable and resale value — send photos before, during, or after the demo for today’s price.
What demolition projects yield
- Copper wire and feeder cable
- EMT, rigid conduit and fittings
- Switchgear, panels and breakers
- Transformers and MCCs
- Bus duct and bus bar
- Lighting, fixtures and ballasts
Who we work with
Demolition contractors, general contractors, facility owners and project managers overseeing tear-outs, gut rehabs and full building demolitions.
What to send
Photos from the walkthrough or active site, material types, rough quantities, project city/state and the demo timeline. Send photos for today’s price.
DEMOLITION MATERIAL WE REVIEW
Every tear-out holds recoverable value
A commercial gut, an industrial tear-out and a full building demolition all produce the same families of material — copper, conduit and electrical distribution equipment — in different volumes. Here is what to look for and how each stream is evaluated.
Conduit & raceway
EMT, rigid, IMC, wireway and fittings. Conduit bundled in straight lengths is faster to evaluate than bent, tangled runs mixed into general scrap.
Switchgear, panels & breakers
Keep electrical gear intact. Nameplates and breaker frames determine whether resale value exists beyond commodity recovery — that option disappears once gear is cut apart.
Transformers & MCCs
Dry-type and oil-filled transformers, motor control centers and buckets. Send nameplate photos with kVA, voltage and phase, plus whether the unit is disconnected.
Lighting & fixtures
Fixtures, ballasts and emergency lighting from commercial gut jobs. Useful in volume; flag PCB-era ballasts and mercury-containing devices so the review reflects reality.
Structural & misc metals
Steel, aluminum and stainless from the same tear-out can round out a load review alongside the copper and electrical streams.
Recovering electrical equipment specifically? See our demolition electrical surplus page. Selling copper from the demo? View Ironcrest’s complete copper purchasing page →
WHEN TO REACH OUT
Before, during, or after the demo
The best time to send photos is during the walkthrough, before the first wall comes down. Intact electrical gear — panels, switchgear, transformers — can carry resale value that disappears the moment it is cut apart for scrap. A five-minute photo set during the site walk can change what the material is worth.
Before demolition
Send walkthrough photos: electrical rooms, panels, mechanical spaces and wire runs. Recoverable and resale-value material gets identified before the tear-out, so the demo plan can protect it.
During demolition
Staged material works too. Photos of sorted piles, conduit bundles and pulled wire let Ironcrest evaluate while the job is moving, without slowing your crew.
After the demo
Leftover lots still get reviewed. Send what remains with quantities and location — clean copper and intact gear hold value even after the building is gone.
PROTECT THE VALUE
How to stage demo material for the best offer
How material is handled between the building and the truck affects what it is worth. These five habits cost nothing and consistently improve outcomes for demolition sellers.
Don’t cut up electrical gear
Panels, switchgear and transformers are worth more intact with legible nameplates than as mixed scrap. Cut the wire, not the gear — let the review happen first.
Separate copper by type
Keep heavy feeder, bare copper, insulated wire and bus bar in separate piles or gaylords. Mixed loads take longer to evaluate and can drag the offer down.
Protect nameplates
Breaker frames, panel schedules, transformer nameplates and motor tags are how resale value is identified. Keep them readable and photograph them before removal.
Bundle conduit
EMT and rigid conduit in straight, bundled lengths is easier to handle and evaluate than bent, tangled runs. Band it as it comes out.
Flag hazardous material
Note PCB-era ballasts, mercury switches, oil-filled equipment and suspect insulation. Disclosing what you know keeps the review honest and avoids surprises at pickup.
PHOTO GUIDE
What photos get you the fastest review
Good photos are the difference between a same-day review and a week of back-and-forth. Send these four sets with every demolition inquiry.
Wide shots with scale
Electrical rooms, staged piles and the full scope of material. Include a person, pallet or doorway for scale so quantities can be estimated.
Nameplates & markings
Close-ups of every panel, transformer, breaker and motor tag. Jacket printing on wire and cable. These markings drive identification.
Quantities
Reel counts, pallet counts, container sizes, estimated footage or weight. Rough numbers are fine — they let the review start.
Access & location
Loading dock or street access, floor level, whether equipment is disconnected, and the project city and state. Access details determine pickup options.
Send photos for today’s price: email photos, quantities, project location and demo timeline to [email protected] or call 312-880-8174.
FULL-FACILITY TEAR-OUTS
Plant and facility demolitions
Full plant demolitions combine everything above at scale — production machinery, electrical distribution, long runs of wire and cable, bus duct, transformers, plus tooling and MRO surplus. When you are clearing an entire facility, send the full picture: building photos, electrical room shots, equipment lists when available, and the demo schedule. The recoverable material is reviewed as one opportunity rather than piecemeal.
For dedicated plant-closing support, see our plant closings page, and for electrical recovery specifics, our demolition electrical surplus page.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Demolition material questions, answered.
When should I contact you about demolition material?
As early as possible — ideally during the project walkthrough, before demolition starts. Intact switchgear, panels and transformers can have resale value beyond scrap, and that value disappears once gear is cut apart. Send walkthrough photos of electrical rooms, mechanical spaces and wire runs so recoverable material can be identified before the tear-out. We also review staged material during demolition and leftover lots after the job.
Do you buy material from active demolition sites?
Yes. Send photos from the site — staged piles, pulled wire, conduit bundles, electrical rooms — along with the project city/state and timeline. Pickup depends on the material, volume, site access and location. Ironcrest is based in Rolling Meadows, Illinois; send the address or ZIP code with photos so pickup options can be confirmed.
Should I strip wire or break down panels before selling?
Do not break down electrical gear before it is reviewed. Panels, switchgear, breakers and transformers are evaluated for resale value first — cutting them apart destroys that option. Separating copper wire by type (heavy feeder, bare, insulated) does help and is worth doing. Photograph nameplates before removal so identification survives the tear-out.
What photos do you need from a demolition project?
Wide shots of electrical rooms and staged material with something for scale, close-ups of every nameplate and wire jacket marking, quantities (pallet counts, footage, estimated weight), and access details (loading dock, floor level, whether equipment is disconnected). Include the project city/state and demo timeline. Send photos for today's price.
Can you review material from a full plant or facility demolition?
Yes. Full-facility demolitions are reviewed as one opportunity — production machinery, electrical distribution, wire and cable, bus duct, transformers, tooling and MRO surplus together. Send building photos, electrical room shots, equipment lists when available, and the demo schedule. For dedicated plant-closing support, see our plant closings page.
Have demolition material to sell? Send photos, quantities, project location and demo timeline to [email protected] 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.