Send photos
Photograph the material, nameplates and quantity, then send them through the quote form, by email or by phone.
ELECTRICAL SELLER GUIDE
Selling Electrical Surplus From Demolitions and Retrofits
Every building teardown and electrical retrofit releases panels, breakers, and busway. Here is how contractors turn that surplus into revenue instead of dumpster fees.
What comes out of a teardown.
A commercial demolition releases the full electrical stack: panelboards, circuit breakers, switchgear lineups, busway runs, dry-type transformers, motor control centers, and hundreds of feet of copper wire and cable. Retrofits are even better — equipment comes out working, removed for upgrades rather than failure.
Pulling for resale vs scrap.
The rule: resell what is resalable, scrap the rest. Current-production breakers, clean panels, and name-brand switchgear have resale value well above scrap. Obsolete lines (Zinsco, FPE) have their own collector-like market. Damaged, incomplete, or ancient gear goes to metal recovery — and the copper bus inside panels is always worth pulling. Photograph as you pull; condition at removal is condition at sale.
Working with a buyer during the job.
The best arrangement is ongoing: photograph electrical gear as it comes out, send batches for offers, and keep a container on site for the steady stream. Demolition contractors can also join our partner program — teardown referrals in, recovered material out. See demolition partners →
Sell it the straightforward way.
Photograph what you have — nameplates, labels, and overall condition — and send it to Ironcrest for today’s offer. We buy nationally and coordinate pickup from your site.
Sell your electrical surplus to Ironcrest → | Call or text 312-880-8174 | Send photos →
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Questions, answered.
Should electricians save old breakers from retrofits?
Yes — especially current-production and obsolete lines. A five-gallon bucket of pulled breakers is always worth a photo to a buyer.
What about whole panelboards from demolitions?
Pull them intact when possible. Complete panels with breakers installed sell better than loose components.
Who buys switchgear from demolitions?
Specialist electrical surplus buyers — that is us. Lineups, drawout breakers, and relays all have a market.
Can we set up an ongoing buyer arrangement?
Yes. Contractors doing regular demo or retrofit work get scheduled pickups or containers and batch offers — one relationship for the whole stream.
THE SOURCE
Buildings are electrical inventories.
Panels, breakers, switchgear, busway, transformers, wire — every teardown releases them all.
New: Explore the Ironcrest Copper Resource Center — grades, markets, identification guides, and interactive tools.
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.