Romex Costs More Than MC Cable Right Now? - Mike Holt's Forum

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You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browser. Romex costs more than MC cable right now?

• Thread starter alex43223
• Start date May 29, 2021

Status Not open for further replies.

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alex43223

Member

Location Ohio Occupation Electrician Longtime lurker, first time poster. I felt compelled because as someone interested in politics and economics, this truly amazes me. At my local Home Depot (and Lowe’s, I checked), the price of a roll of 12/2 Romex is about $140.00 USD. The price of a roll of 12/2 MC cable is about $122.00. I have never seen this before in my life; MC Cable obviously costs more to produce, and it has always made sense to me that it is somewhat higher, albeit perhaps a bit too much. Then again, MC Cable is probably sold far less in a big-box store than Romex, versus say a supply house. Still, it baffles my mind. Anyway, my question is, has anyone ever seen Romex and higher price than MC cable?

infinity

Moderator

Staff member Location New Jersey Occupation Journeyman Electrician (retired) Are you referring to MC cable a green EGC? There was a time two decades ago when "2-wire" NM cable prices were higher than AC cable because the NM cable had a third copper conductor. Not sure why MC cable today with the same number of copper conductors as NM cable would be cheaper. Welcome to the Forum.

drcampbell

Senior Member

Location The Motor City, Michigan USA Occupation Registered Professional Engineer A fundamental truth about marketing: The purchase price has little or no correlation with the cost of production, and every correlation with whatever the market will bear. That was one of the most-difficult lessons for me to learn, and I'm still learning it: Nothing has a fixed (or even logical) monetary value. Everything is at the mercy of market forces, negotiators and market manipulators.

electrofelon

Senior Member

Location Cherry Valley NY, Seattle, WA Occupation Electrician

alex43223 said: Longtime lurker, first time poster. I felt compelled because as someone interested in politics and economics, this truly amazes me. At my local Home Depot (and Lowe’s, I checked), the price of a roll of 12/2 Romex is about $140.00 USD. The price of a roll of 12/2 MC cable is about $122.00. I have never seen this before in my life; MC Cable obviously costs more to produce,. and it has always made sense to me that it is somewhat higher, albeit perhaps a bit too much. Then again, MC Cable is probably sold far less in a big-box store than Romex, versus say a supply house. Still, it baffles my mind. Anyway, my question is, has anyone ever seen Romex and higher price than MC cable? Click to expand...

Agreeing with doc here. I don't really see how MC should cost more than NM on a theoretical basis. Each have the same amount of copper which is obviously the most expensive part, the MC has some aluminum but really not that much and aluminum is cheap. MC is going to have less plastic. MC is bulkier, say about twice as much so it's going to have higher shipping and handling costs. Look at the price of 14/2 MC versus 12/2 MC oh, many places it is the same or only a tad cheaper. Another example look at the cost of plumbing PVC vs. Electrical PVC conduit. The plumbing PVC has not gone up nearly as much. So there's definitely a lot more going on than just the cost of the raw materials. A

alex43223

Member

Location Ohio Occupation Electrician

infinity said: Are you referring to MC cable a green EGC? There was a time two decades ago when "2-wire" NM cable prices were higher than AC cable because the NM cable had a third copper conductor. Not sure why MC cable today with the same number of copper conductors as NM cable would be cheaper. Welcome to the Forum. Click to expand...

Interesting, I did not know that.

drcampbell

Senior Member

Location The Motor City, Michigan USA Occupation Registered Professional Engineer

electrofelon said: ... Look at the price of 14/2 MC versus 12/2 MC ... there's definitely a lot more going on than just the cost of the raw materials. Click to expand...

Copper is currently up to US$10.16 per kilogram. Somebody else can weigh two rolls of cable and do the arithmetic.

LME Copper | London Metal Exchange

Current and historical Copper prices, stocks and monthly averages. www.lme.com Last edited: May 29, 2021

hbiss

EC, New York NEC: 2017

Location Little Falls, New York NEC: 2017 Occupation EC

infinity said: Not sure why MC cable today with the same number of copper conductors as NM cable would be cheaper. Click to expand...

Because NM is in high demand and MC is not. Simple economics. -Hal N

norcal

Senior Member

It may be simply that the OP's HD moves more Romex®, then MC, so it has not been restocked yet, when it is restocked it will reflect the newer prices. This is speculation on my part.

drcampbell

Senior Member

Location The Motor City, Michigan USA Occupation Registered Professional Engineer

norcal said: ... it has not been restocked yet, when it is restocked it will reflect the newer prices. ... Click to expand...

I'm sure they wouldn't hesitate to raise the price on old stock if they though the market would bear it. I'm sure their back-end software reviews prices every night.

Dennis Alwon

Moderator

Staff member Location Chapel Hill, NC Occupation Retired Electrical Contractor I believe it is more money because of the plastic jacketing which is a petroleum process... so I am told.

electrofelon

Senior Member

Location Cherry Valley NY, Seattle, WA Occupation Electrician

Dennis Alwon said: I believe it is more money because of the plastic jacketing which is a petroleum process... so I am told. Click to expand...

that is what I have heard a bunch too, but the more I think about it I am skeptical about that story. Seems like the amount of plastic in a roll of NM is only very slightly higher than that of MC. MC has an insulated ground of course and that plastic wrap in between the conductors and the sheath. Just a WAG, but it seems like we're talkin a difference of ounces of plastic here.

electrofelon

Senior Member

Location Cherry Valley NY, Seattle, WA Occupation Electrician

hbiss said: Because NM is in high demand and MC is not. Simple economics. -Hal Click to expand...

Why is that? Not saying you are wrong just curious. Do you think commercial construction has slowed much more due to the pandemic than residential construction? What about during normal times? how much NM do you think is used versus MC in the entire country in a given time.? W

winnie

Senior Member

Location Springfield, MA, USA Occupation Electric motor research IMHO it is what the pricing algorithm has calculated, not cost of manufactur. A couple of years back I was pricing 12-3 MC. For whatever reason 12-3 stranded MC was about 25% cheaper than solid. Whatever. For my application I preferred stranded anyway. Jon

electrofelon

Senior Member

Location Cherry Valley NY, Seattle, WA Occupation Electrician

winnie said: IMHO it is what the pricing algorithm has calculated, not cost of manufactur. A couple of years back I was pricing 12-3 MC. For whatever reason 12-3 stranded MC was about 25% cheaper than solid. Whatever. For my application I preferred stranded anyway. Jon Click to expand...

And compare the cost of 12-3 MC to 12-2 MC. IIRC its about twice as much. Then look at 12-4 MC, ouch my bottom!

goldstar

Senior Member

Location New Jersey Occupation Electrical Contractor Remember when you used to collect all those 2' and 3' pieces of NM cable at the end of the coil and throw them in your scrap pile ? While doing the rough-in, if you needed to make some pig-tails, if the scraps weren't nearby you'd pull out a short piece from the coil and make them up. Now, it's a real PITA but I save many of those scrap pieces on the truck to do the same thing. This is what it's come to :-(

romex jockey

Senior Member

Location Vermont Occupation electrician

drcampbell said: Everything is at the mercy of market forces, negotiators and market manipulators. Click to expand...

~RJ~ J

jmellc

Senior Member

Location Durham, NC Occupation Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician

winnie said: IMHO it is what the pricing algorithm has calculated, not cost of manufactur. A couple of years back I was pricing 12-3 MC. For whatever reason 12-3 stranded MC was about 25% cheaper than solid. Whatever. For my application I preferred stranded anyway. Jon Click to expand...

I never knew MC was available in 12 stranded. I like stranded too & wish all devices were made for it.

James L

Senior Member

Location Kansas Cty, Mo, USA Occupation Electrician

alex43223 said: the price of a roll of 12/2 Romex is about $140.00 USD. The price of a roll of 12/2 MC cable is about $122.00. Click to expand...

Those prices are 100% related to the price they paid. As was mentioned, the price of that MC is reflecting the fact that it is old stock. As soon as they restock, you'll see the price go up. D

David Castor

Senior Member

Location Washington, USA Occupation Electrical Engineer This is simply supply and demand. All construction materials related to home construction are in short supply. New housing starts are high due to low interest rates, and manufacturing of things like NM cable can't be ramped up that fast. Next time you're at HD or Lowe's check the plywood prices. At my local HD, 3/4" OSB is over $80/sheet. E

Eddie702

Licensed Electrician

Location Western Massachusetts Occupation Electrician Agree with @David Castor Supply and demand. Probably more romex is sold so now that it's in short supply they are raising the price above and beyond the actual cost

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