Preparing Los Angeles Cable Lots with Local Project Records
Los Angeles cable left over from lighting, electrical-service, or utility-adjacent work is best prepared as a documented lot rather than identified from color or appearance alone. The local documents below describe installation and design requirements for particular City or LADWP projects; they can help a seller organize what is on hand, but they do not certify a reel, establish title, prove condition, or make a cable resale-ready. This informational page makes no representation that Electrical Cable Buyer has a Los Angeles office, scrap yard, city buying coverage, pickup or freight service, or an obligation to buy. Before removal or transfer, sellers should resolve site authorization and custody with the project owner or responsible agency.
SEND LOT DETAILSDOCUMENT THE LOT BEFORE OFFERING IT
These sources apply to the specific projects or property described—not every cable reel in Los Angeles. Keep an accurate record of what you actually own.
If the lot may be multiple-circuit street-lighting wire, sort by construction—not color alone
Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting design guidance says multiple-circuit wire size depends on circuit ampacity, anticipated future load, and voltage-drop calculations. It says the smallest allowed street-lighting wire size is #6 AWG, calls for #10 AWG solid wire in electroliers, and notes that series circuits typically specify #8 AWG solid copper for 5,000-volt operation. Those are design conditions for a street-lighting project, not a finding that any loose or used reel meets a present project requirement or a resale specification.
For a seller: When records or reel legends suggest a Los Angeles street-lighting origin, make separate inventory lines for #6, #8, and #10 material; record solid versus stranded construction, copper indication, insulation legend, color, continuous measured length, cut ends, and any companion plan or circuit reference. Do not group conductors merely because their insulation colors look alike, and do not label a reel City-approved, code-compliant, or suitable for reuse without independent review.
Source: City of Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting, Design Standards and Guidelines
If terminated street-lighting conductors remain with hardware, separate the cable claim from the connector claim
The City of Los Angeles street-lighting construction specifications state that multiple-circuit wire is normally No. 6 AWG stranded copper with THWN/THHN insulation and UL approval for 600-volt operation, unless noted otherwise; they also prescribe red, black, and white conductors in the conduit. The same specifications require wire connectors to bear the UL seal and impose connector-size and installation conditions. These provisions govern project installation; they are not proof that a particular recovered cable, connector, or partial reel remains approved, undamaged, or fit for a new installation.
For a seller: If the lot includes lugs, crimps, splices, pull-box contents, or other installed hardware, photograph those pieces separately and list their make, markings, and observed condition apart from the cable length. Preserve the original plan and removal record if available, but offer no assurance that connectors can be reused or that the attached cable carries a current rating. A buyer or installer can then evaluate cable and hardware as separate items rather than relying on an implied system approval.
If cable came from a LADWP customer-station project, pause listing until custody records identify its role
LADWP's Electric Service Requirements classifies certain 34,500-volt and 4,800-volt transformer installations as Customer Stations. For those stations, LADWP says it furnishes and installs primary-side conductors, secondary distribution conductors to supply points, and service supply conductors from its transformer or supply point; the customer furnishes specified facilities such as cable-bus structures, while LADWP furnishes the conductors. This allocation describes project responsibilities only. It does not itself transfer ownership, authorize removal, or prove that any cable in a seller's possession may be resold.
For a seller: For a lot traced to a customer station, keep it segregated until the work order, customer-requirement drawing, removal authorization, and chain-of-custody records identify the exact cable or equipment being released. Record the station type, location, dates, reel or segment identifiers, and who authorized transfer; also distinguish cable from customer-supplied bus or cable-bus hardware. If those records cannot be reconciled, describe the origin as unverified rather than inferring that site access or installation responsibility proves resale rights.
Source: LADWP Electric Service Requirements Manual, 2024 Edition
LOS ANGELES LOT CHECKLIST
- Photograph the complete factory legend, both reel flanges, cut ends, and any visible damage before measuring the usable length.
- Create one inventory record per reel or cut length with conductor size, metal, strand class, insulation marking, color set, and measured footage.
- Keep plans, work orders, removal authorizations, and custody documents with the lot, while redacting sensitive project or customer information.
- Do not call a reel approved, certified, code-compliant, utility-owned, or reusable merely because it resembles material in a local project specification.
We do not claim a local office, a relationship with the cited agencies, a purchase commitment or guaranteed pickup. Buying and freight terms require a review of the actual lot. Public project documents do not prove that a specific reel is compliant or available for sale.
Related technical reference: read the cable specification guide .