Copper content
How much copper is in extension cords?
About 42% of the weight is recoverable copper. Here's how much copper each common size holds, and what that means for stripping and what your yard will pay.
Identifying extension cords
Also sold or searched as SJ/SJO cord, power cords, drop cords. Stranded fine copper under rubber. Cut off and sell the plugs' brass separately at some yards.
How much copper is inside
The copper recovery rate is the share of a cable's total weight that is actual copper once the insulation and jacket are stripped away. For extension cords that's about 42%, and typically anywhere from 35% to 48% depending on gauge, age, and condition.
In round numbers: 100 lb of extension cords yields roughly 42 lb of bare copper. At an indicative #1 copper price of $4.70/lb (October 2026) that's about $197 of copper — but prices swing by region and by the week, so run it with the number your own yard pays.
Open the Copper Wire Yield calculator, pick "Extension cords / SJ cord" (or type your own recovery %), and enter your local prices to see the stripped-vs-as-is breakdown for your exact load.
Copper weight by size
Cords are sold by length, so here is the copper in the common sizes. The gauge is printed on the jacket ("14/3 SJTW" is three 14 AWG conductors): 16/3 is light duty, 14/3 medium, 12/3 heavy duty.
| Size | Copper in 50 ft cord | Copper in 100 ft cord | Cable weight per 1000 ft | Copper share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16/3 | 1.2 lb | 2.4 lb | 69 lb | 35% |
| 14/3 | 1.9 lb | 3.8 lb | 90 lb | 42% |
| 12/3 | 3.0 lb | 6.0 lb | 128 lb | 47% |
Copper weights are computed from the nominal AWG cross-section of annealed copper (8.89 g/cm³), plus 2% for stranding. Cable weights come from the spec sheets listed under Sources; copper share is copper divided by cable weight, so it’s the most you can recover by stripping.
Strip it or sell it as-is?
Verdict for extension cords: usually sell as-is unless you strip fast. Stripping only pays when the gap between the bare-copper price and the as-is (insulated) price beats the time it takes — and that gap scales with the recovery rate. At 42%, it is a judgement call that depends on your stripping speed. A machine tips it in your favor; a utility knife often does not.
To put a dollar figure on your own time, run it through the Strip or Sell calculator, which adds an hourly rate to the raw copper math.
How it compares to other cable
Every common cable type, with this page's row marked:
| Cable type | Recovery | Typical range |
|---|---|---|
| MCM / feeder cable (250 MCM+) | ~88% | 85–94% |
| THHN — heavy gauge (4 AWG to 4/0) | ~84% | 80–90% |
| THHN — standard (8–16 AWG) | ~80% | 75–88% |
| Double-insulated power wire | ~75% | 70–80% |
| Romex / NM-B (indoor solid) | ~65% | 60–73% |
| Mixed #2 insulated wire | ~60% | 55–69% |
| AC / appliance whip wire | ~55% | 50–60% |
| Extension cords / SJ cord ← this page | ~42% | 35–48% |
| Cat5/Cat6 — solid bulk runs | ~42% | 35–58% |
| Cat5/Cat6 patch cords (stranded) | ~22% | 18–28% |
| MC/BX armored cable (copper inside) | ~30% | 25–35% |
| Christmas lights | ~20% | 15–25% |
Sources
- Sahd Metal Recycling: 44% shop wire
- ScrapMonster: graded as its own low/mid category
- Coleman Cable Royal SJTOW catalog (weight per 1000 ft; other makers list 58–75 lb for 16/3)
Recovery figures are cross-checked against at least two published yard references and kept at the conservative end of each range, so surprises land in your favor. Measuring a stripped sample of your own cable always beats a table.
extension cords: quick answers
How much copper is in a 100 ft 12/3 extension cord?
About 6.0 lb. That size carries 60 lb of copper per 1000 ft, and the whole cable weighs about 128 lb per 1000 ft, so roughly 47% of what you're holding is copper. The table above has every common size.
Which size has the most copper per pound?
12/3, at about 47% copper by weight; 16/3 is the lowest at about 35%. The share depends on how much insulation and jacket each size carries around its copper, so when you're buying or sorting by the pound, the higher-share sizes are worth more per pound of cable.
Is it worth stripping extension cords?
Usually sell as-is unless you strip fast. The math is the bare-copper premium over the insulated price, times the copper you get back (35–47% of the weight here, depending on size), against the hours it takes. The Strip or Sell calculator runs it with your yard's prices and your hourly rate.
How do yards grade extension cords?
Low-grade / shop wire as-is. Yards buy insulated wire as-is at a discounted "ICW" rate that already assumes an average recovery; stripping clean copper moves it up to a higher-paying bare-copper grade.
Are cheap extension cords really copper?
Not always. Unbranded, unlisted cords sometimes use copper-clad aluminum (CCA): an aluminum core with a thin copper skin. Cut a cord and scrape a few strands with a knife. Copper is copper-colored all the way through; a silver core means CCA, which yards don’t pay copper prices for.
Price your own wire
Enter your yard's prices and see stripped vs as-is for this exact cable.