Operations
What empty reels cost a jobsite
Empty reels cost you in yard space, handling, hauling by weight and lost steel reel credits. A worksheet that uses published reel weights and your own rates.
Updated
Reels arrive full and leave as somebody's problem. Nobody puts empty reels on the bid, but they cost money in four places. This worksheet uses published reel weights. Use your own rates for everything else, because they vary too much by region to quote.
1. Yard space
A reel stood on its flange covers a square as wide as the flange. Forty 48 in reels cover 40 x (48 x 48) / 144 = 640 sq ft before you add aisles. Multiply by what a square foot of laydown costs you per month: rent, or the materials you can't store there. Yard math does this for a mixed pile.
2. Hauling by weight
Haulers and landfills usually charge by the ton or by the load. Southwire lists its 48 in nailed A-38 at 212 lb empty, so forty of them weigh 40 x 212 = 8,480 lb, or about 4.2 tons. Multiply by your per-ton rate, then add the roll-off swaps. Reels are bulky, so a container often fills by volume long before it reaches its weight limit.
3. Handling
Count the hours: moving reels out of the way, cutting them up to fit a container, and loading. A program pickup also needs loading labour, but only once, onto one truck.
4. Lost steel credits
This is the expensive one. Southwire credits a steel reel's charge in full only if the reel comes back within 12 months, and its printed charges run from about $1,600 to over $20,000 depending on size. One steel reel that ends up in the scrap pile can cost more than every wooden reel on the job.
Putting it together
| Line | How to work it out |
|---|---|
| Space | sq ft (from yard math) x your monthly cost per sq ft x months held |
| Disposal | tons (reel weight x count / 2,000) x your per-ton rate, plus haul fees |
| Labour | hours handling x loaded labour rate |
| Steel credits | reel charges on any steel reel not returned in the credit window |
| Offset | free take-back for brands that meet a program minimum; any quoted value for reusable reels |
The offset line is the point. The 5 free programs in our directory and a pickup quote for the rest often turn the disposal line into zero.
Questions
How much does an empty wooden reel weigh?
It depends on the size. Southwire's chart lists its 48 in A-38 nailed reel at 212 lb empty and its 68 in A-99 at 536.2 lb.
Is it cheaper to dump reels or have them picked up?
Manufacturer programs are free when you meet their minimum. Reusable reels can have resale value. Dumping costs your hauler's rate by weight or by haul. Run your own numbers with the worksheet.