Seller guide

THHN vs XHHW: Telling Them Apart

Name: Surplus Electrical Wire Buyers
Address: US
Telephone: 954-740-1983
Price range: $$

Two of the most common building wires in North America, and the difference shows up in your offer.

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Any gauge, full or partial reels

Large wooden cable reels loaded inside a shipping container

50States Covered

14 AWG - 1000 MCMSizes Purchased

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What the letters mean

THHN is thermoplastic, heat-resistant, nylon-jacketed: PVC insulation with a thin nylon skin that lets it pull easily through conduit. THWN-2 is the same construction rated for wet locations, and most modern building wire is dual-rated THHN/THWN-2. XHHW-2 is cross-linked high heat-resistant water-resistant: XLPE insulation, no nylon jacket, rated 90C wet and dry.

Both are 600V building wires and both are extremely common. The construction difference is what drives the price difference.

Telling them apart on the reel

The print legend on the insulation states the type directly, and that is the reliable answer. Failing that, THHN has a distinctly slick nylon surface and the insulation is usually thinner for the same conductor size. XHHW-2 has a matte, slightly rubbery XLPE surface, feels stiffer, and the insulation wall is noticeably thicker.

In large feeder sizes the thickness difference is easy to see side by side. If you are unsure, photograph the print legend and let us read it.

A row of large wooden cable reels staged outside a warehouse — Overstock reels staged outside a distributor warehouse ahead of a truck.

How the market prices each

XHHW-2 generally carries a premium over THHN in the same size and metal, because the material is more expensive new and it is specified for feeders and wet locations where THHN cannot always be substituted. THHN has the larger buyer pool, so it moves faster but at a thinner margin over metal.

Both are firmly resale-grade material when the reels are intact. Neither should be going into a scrap dumpster.

Why it matters to your quote

Because we price by what the next contractor will pay, correctly identifying the type is worth real money on a large load. A pallet quoted generically as building wire prices conservatively. The same pallet identified as XHHW-2 in specific sizes prices to its actual market.