Foundry Cable Co
Catalog
Project AdvisorPrice CheckSpec SheetsContactRequest a Quote
Foundry Cable Co

Wire and cable priced to the market every morning, checked against the competition, and shipped cut to length with no reel minimums.

  • david@foundrycable.com
Buy
  • Catalog
  • Project advisor
  • Job guides
  • Quote your cart
  • Request a quote
Prices
  • Price check, every comparison
  • How we check
  • Copper and aluminum today
  • Ask us to match a price
Reference
  • Spec sheets and datasheets
  • Contact

Orders carry a PO number and job name. Cut to length; $85 per cut on by-the-foot lines. Freight and tax at checkout.

© 2026 Foundry Cable Co.Prices are indicative until ordered or quoted; quotes hold for seven days.

Job guides

200 A subpanel feeder, 90 ft, underground, aluminum

For a 200 A feeder to a detached building you need two hots, a neutral and a separate equipment grounding conductor pulled through the PVC. Aluminum XHHW-2 is the right call here: it is rated for wet locations and conduit, and at 90 ft the voltage drop is small.

Feeding a 200 A subpanel in a detached workshop 90 ft from the main panel. It will run underground in PVC conduit. Aluminum is fine if it's rated for it; we want to keep voltage drop reasonable.

For a 200 A feeder to a detached building you need two hots, a neutral and a separate equipment grounding conductor pulled through the PVC. Aluminum XHHW-2 is the right call here: it is rated for wet locations and conduit, and at 90 ft the voltage drop is small. Use 250 MCM aluminum for the three current-carrying conductors (205 A at 75°C) and 4 AWG aluminum for the ground, which lands you around 1.3% drop at a full 200 A on 240 V.

Buy listAbout $511.25 before shipping and tax
Phase A (hot), black

250 MCM Type XHHW-2 Aluminum Building Wire — 600V/1000V XLPE (AA-8000 Compact Aluminum, Cable Tray Rated)

XHHW 250MCM-RB$1.27 per footIn stock

250 MCM AA-8000 aluminum carries 205 A at the 75°C column, which covers a 200 A breaker without leaning on any exceptions. XHHW-2 is rated for wet locations, so it is legal inside underground PVC where water will collect. At 90 ft the drop is roughly 3 V at full load, about 1.3%, so you do not need to upsize for voltage drop.

90 ft run plus about 10 ft at each end for risers and panel makeup is 110 ft; add 10% and round up to 125 ft.

Also consider: XHHW 4/0AWG-RB is cheaper but rated 180 A at 75°C; some AHJs accept it on a 200 A breaker under the next-size-up rule if your calculated load stays under 180 A, but 250 MCM is the clean answer with headroom for the next ten years.

$158.75
125 ft
Product page and datasheet
Phase B (hot), red

250 MCM Type XHHW-2 Aluminum Building Wire — 600V/1000V XLPE (AA-8000 Compact Aluminum, Cable Tray Rated)

XHHW 250MCM-RR$1.27 per footIn stock

Same conductor as the black, in red so the two legs are identified at both panels without taping. Matching size on both hots keeps the drop balanced across the 240 V loads in the shop.

Same 110 ft plus 10%, rounded to 125 ft.

Also consider: XHHW 4/0AWG-RR, same trade-off as the black conductor.

$158.75
125 ft
Product page and datasheet
Neutral, white

250 MCM Type XHHW-2 Aluminum Building Wire — 600V/1000V XLPE (AA-8000 Compact Aluminum, Cable Tray Rated)

XHHW 250MCM-RW$1.27 per footIn stock

A full-size neutral is the simplest way to satisfy the inspector and leaves you covered if the shop ends up heavy on 120 V loads like lighting, compressors on 120 V, and receptacles. Code lets you reduce the neutral based on calculated load, but on a 90 ft pull the savings are small compared to the argument you avoid.

Same 110 ft plus 10%, rounded to 125 ft.

Also consider: XHHW 4/0AWG-RW if you have a load calculation showing the neutral load is well under 180 A; saves a little money, but the 250 MCM neutral is the no-questions choice.

$158.75
125 ft
Product page and datasheet
Equipment grounding conductor, green

4 AWG Type XHHW-2 Aluminum Building Wire — 600V/1000V XLPE (AA-8000 Compact Aluminum)

XHHW 4AWG-RG$0.28 per footIn stock

A feeder to a detached building has to carry an equipment grounding conductor, and NEC Table 250.122 calls for 4 AWG aluminum on a 200 A overcurrent device. Green XHHW-2 in the same conduit keeps the ground identified and wet-location rated like the rest of the pull. At a foot it is the cheapest conductor in the run.

Same 110 ft plus 10%, rounded to 125 ft.

$35.00
125 ft
Product page and datasheet
Everything on the list is in stock.

Assumed: Single-phase 120/240 V, protected by a 200 A breaker at the main panel. The workshop is not a dwelling unit, so the 83% dwelling-feeder sizing that would allow 4/0 aluminum does not apply. Panel lugs at both ends are rated 75°C and marked for aluminum (AL9CU or similar). About 10 ft of extra conductor at each end for the conduit risers and panel makeup, on top of the 90 ft run.

  • Three 250 MCM plus a 4 AWG ground need 2 inch Schedule 40 PVC at 40% fill; 1-1/2 inch is too small.
  • A detached building fed by a feeder needs its own grounding electrode system at the workshop panel, with the neutral isolated from ground there.
  • Torque the aluminum terminations to the lug marking and confirm the lugs are rated for aluminum (AL7CU or AL9CU).

Your job is different? Adjust it.

Change the numbers to yours and get your own list at today's prices.

You get the parts, the quantities, today's prices and the reasoning, ready to add to the cart.

Questions that come up on this job

Why 250 MCM aluminum for a 200 A breaker instead of something smaller?
The recommendation uses 250 MCM AA-8000 aluminum because it carries 205 A at the 75°C column, which covers a 200 A overcurrent device without relying on any exceptions. That keeps the sizing straightforward for the inspector. The installer should confirm the feeder sizing with the local authority before ordering.
Do I need to upsize the conductors for voltage drop on a 90 ft run?
No. At a full 200 A on 240 V, 250 MCM aluminum over 90 ft drops roughly 3 V, about 1.3%. That is small enough that the recommendation does not upsize for drop; the size is driven by the 200 A breaker, not the distance.
Is aluminum XHHW-2 acceptable inside underground PVC conduit?
Yes. XHHW-2 is rated for wet locations, and underground conduit is treated as a wet location because water collects inside it. The AA-8000 aluminum is the alloy the recommendation calls for in this application; confirm any local requirements with the authority having jurisdiction.
Can I run a smaller neutral to save money?
The recommendation specifies a full-size 250 MCM neutral. Code allows the neutral to be reduced based on the calculated load, but on a 90 ft pull the savings are small and a full-size neutral covers a shop that ends up heavy on 120 V loads. If you want to reduce it, the installer should have the load calculation ready and confirm it with the local authority.
Do I really need a separate ground wire, and why 4 AWG?
Yes, a feeder to a detached building has to carry an equipment grounding conductor. NEC Table 250.122 calls for 4 AWG aluminum on a 200 A overcurrent device, which is why the recommendation includes green 4 AWG XHHW-2 in the same conduit. At about $0.28 a foot it is the least expensive conductor in the run.
How much wire should I order for each conductor?
Plan on 125 ft of each of the four conductors: black, red, and white 250 MCM, plus green 4 AWG. That comes from the 90 ft run plus about 10 ft at each end for risers and panel makeup, then 10% added and rounded up. Measure the actual conduit path before ordering, since bends and riser heights can add length.

Other jobs

  • Access control for 14 doors on two floors, riser
  • Fire alarm cable for a four-story riser, FPLR
  • Mobile home feeder, 100 ft, direct burial, aluminum
  • Network to a detached garage, buried conduit, PoE camera
  • Office fit-out: 40 data drops, plenum ceiling

Prices are today's and follow the copper and aluminum markets each weekday; quantities are for the example job. Confirm code requirements with your inspector. How we price