Procurement
Copper Cable Procurement Checklist
22 Apr 2026 · 4 min read
A quotation is only as accurate as the enquiry behind it. These are the twelve data points that let us price firmly and hold a lead time, first time.
The twelve data points
Send these with your enquiry and we can normally return a firm, technically compliant quotation without a round of clarifications.
- Application and installation environment (indoor, buried, submerged, hazardous area)
- Voltage rating and system earthing arrangement
- Conductor size or the load, run length and acceptable voltage drop
- Core or pair count, including spares
- Insulation and sheath requirements (PVC, XLPE, LSZH, PUR)
- Armour requirement and type
- Screening requirement — individual, overall or both
- Applicable standards and approvals (UL, CSA, IEC, NEC references)
- Total quantity plus the drum lengths you can accept
- Required delivery date and any phased call-off schedule
- Delivery address, site access constraints and Incoterms
- Documentation required: test certificates, mill certificates, MTRs, drum schedules
Commercial terms worth confirming early
Copper is a traded commodity, so ask how long the price is held and whether it is subject to a metal adjustment. Confirm the acceptable drum length tolerance, the cut-length charge, and whether part deliveries are acceptable against your programme.