Estimate copper wire weight by gauge
Use a known copper conductor size and footage to estimate the copper inside a lot. This is not the gross weight of insulated cable, the wooden reel, freight, scrap recovery or an offer.
HOW MUCH COPPER IS IN YOUR WIRE?
Enter a copper conductor size and the measured or tagged footage. The result is for the metal inside the cable—not its total shipping weight.
19.92 lb
9.04 kg of nominal copper conductor
About 19.92 lb per 1,000 ft, per copper conductor.
Not the weight of insulation, jacket, shielding, wooden reel or entire cable. Not a scrap-price or offer estimate.
WHAT THE NUMBER MEANS
The calculation uses nominal AWG diameter (or kcmil cross-section) to find circular conductor area, then multiplies by the total conductor length and copper density. For a single 1,000-foot 12 AWG copper conductor, the geometry-based estimate is about 19.9 lb of bare copper. Stranding and product tolerances can change an actual manufacturer's figure.
For a finished 8 AWG THHN example, Southwire lists 50 lb of copper versus 63 lb of finished insulated wire per 1,000 ft. Insulation, jackets, shielding, fillers and reels are excluded here; use the actual cable specification or a scale for freight planning.
PREPARE YOUR CABLE LOT
The right cable details and photos make the next commercial step clearer. Send what you have; not every field needs to be perfect.
What is being calculated?
The tool derives nominal conductor cross-section from American Wire Gauge (AWG) or kcmil, multiplies by feet of cable and the number of matching copper conductors/reels, then applies copper density of 8.96 g/cm³. Example: one 1,000-foot, single-conductor 12 AWG lot is approximately 19.9 lb of nominal copper. Verify length and size on the actual reel before using a result.
Why is total cable weight higher?
Insulation, jacket, shielding, fillers and the reel add weight. A manufacturer table for one 8 AWG THHN wire lists about 50 lb of copper but about 63 lb of finished insulated wire per 1,000 ft. Other products have different constructions: do not add a universal insulation percentage or use this copper number as a freight or payout weight.
Is copper weight the same as scrap value?
No. A recycler determines grades, recoverable metal, contamination and actual measured weight; its buying price is separate. A reusable labeled reel may be assessed as cable inventory rather than scrap. This business is not a scrap yard, and the calculator does not quote or guarantee a purchase.
What should a buyer see instead?
Send photos of the reel tag and cable print plus manufacturer, AWG/kcmil, voltage, conductor count, estimated footage, condition and lot ZIP. Keep full and partial reels separate. A product buyer needs those facts even when you already know an approximate copper weight.