What we buy
Ranges we buy on this page
This guide explains who may be covered while a transformer is on the hook, what a certificate of insurance should show, and where removal responsibilities need written agreement.
| Phase | kVA | Voltage | Fluid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-phase | 10 - 333 kVA | up to 25 kV | Liquid or dry |
| 3-phase | 75 - 20,000 kVA | 46 kV | Liquid or dry |
Who we buy from
Six kinds of seller
- Recyclers
- Electrical contractors
- Equipment dealers
- End users
- Demo contractors
- Distributors
Fast offers
A written offer the same business day, based on your photographs.
Dedicated logistics
Our own crew, trailer and crane, not a brokered haul.
No broker fees
One buyer from first call to cleared pad, with nothing skimmed.
How it works
Six steps from photograph to payment
- 01
Take pictures
Photograph the nameplate, the inside of the cabinet and the tank from both ends. Four frames on a phone are enough to price most units.
- 02
Send them to us
Email or text the photographs with the site address and whether the unit is still energised. We reply the same business day with questions or a number.
- 03
Review the offer
The offer names the unit, the site, the price and the pickup window. It is written, dated and good for thirty days unless the unit changes hands.
- 04
We schedule freight
A crew, a trailer and a crane if the pad needs one. You get the date and the arrival window, and the site does not have to close for it.
- 05
Testing on arrival
Winding resistance, insulation resistance and a turns ratio check, plus oil analysis where the unit is liquid-filled. Results travel with the unit.
- 06
Get paid
Payment is released against the signed bill of sale and the scale ticket, by check or ACH, with the paperwork copy left on site.
What we handle
The parts sellers dread
Rigging
Crane, skates and a route survey for anything that will not roll onto a trailer.
Oil containment
Pans, absorbent and a spill plan before a drain plug is touched.
Bill of sale
A document that clears a lien, a lease or a bankruptcy file, not a handwritten note.
PCB paperwork
Testing and manifesting for pre-1979 oil, handled before the unit moves.
On the ground
What it is
Insurance for transformer removal involves several separate exposures: injury at the pad, damage to the building, damage to the transformer during lifting, and incidents during transport. General liability, workers’ compensation, commercial auto, cargo, and rigging coverage address different risks.
None should be assumed to cover every operation.
A certificate of insurance summarizes listed policies; it does not rewrite their terms or establish coverage for a particular lift. Check the named insured, insurer, policy dates, coverage descriptions, and certificate holder.
Additional insured status generally requires applicable policy language or an endorsement, not just a certificate notation.
Local reality
Why it matters when you sell
While a transformer hangs from a spreader bar, responsibility can involve the owner, buyer, crane contractor, and rigging crew. The removal agreement should identify who directs the lift and who bears equipment damage risk at each stage.
Ownership transfer and insurance coverage are separate questions that need separate answers.
At an occupied North Carolina hospital, a dropped bushing or crane outrigger striking an underground feeder can affect more than the transformer. Establish work boundaries, shutdown authority, and incident reporting before mobilization.
Transformer Buyers NC buys equipment, but each removal still needs clearly assigned site and contractor responsibilities.
Around the site
The numbers
Use the transformer’s actual weight, dimensions, and oil quantity when reviewing the lift and insurance requirements. A 20,000-pound tank is not the same lifting exposure as a small dry-type unit.
Confirm whether the stated weight includes oil, radiators, bushings, and accessories before the crane contractor selects equipment.
Policy effective dates must cover the scheduled lift, loading, and transport, including any delay that leaves the transformer staged overnight. Record the serial number and nameplate voltage, such as 13,200 volts, in the removal documents.
Have the insurance representative confirm applicable coverage limits and deductibles against the planned operation.
Where it sits
Common mistakes
Treating the certificate holder as an additional insured is a common paperwork error. Another is accepting a certificate from the hauling company when a separate crane contractor performs the lift.
Match each legal entity on the work agreement to its insurance documentation, including subcontractors entering the transformer bay.
Do not assume general liability covers damage to the transformer being handled. Care, custody, or control exclusions and other policy terms may apply. Ask specifically about riggers’ liability, cargo coverage, loading and unloading, and oil releases.
A cracked radiator can create both equipment damage and a cleanup obligation.
On the ground
How it affects value
Clear responsibility makes a transformer easier to evaluate for purchase and removal. A documented lift path, confirmed equipment weight, and usable insurance paperwork reduce uncertainty about recovering the unit intact.
Missing coverage information can delay acceptance even when the core, windings, tank, and bushings appear suitable for recovery.
A failed transformer with oil around the drain valve requires a different removal review from a dry, disconnected unit on an accessible pad. Document existing leaks, cracked porcelain, and bent lifting lugs with dated photographs.
That condition record helps distinguish preexisting damage from damage reported after rigging or transport.
Local reality
What to do next
Before scheduling pickup in North Carolina, gather the nameplate photograph, estimated or verified weight, oil information, site access plan, and proposed contractor names. Obtain current certificates and any required endorsements.
Ask the insurance representative to address the actual lift, staging, loading, and route rather than a generic hauling description.
Put the responsibility handoffs in writing: electrical isolation, rigging attachment, lifting from the pad, placement on the lowboy, securement, and departure. Identify who handles a spill or reports an injury.
Confirm coverage questions with the insurer or broker and contract questions with counsel before the crew connects the slings.
Get started
Get an offer in minutes
Five fields is all it takes. Photographs help, but a nameplate and a town are enough to start.
No fee, no obligation. We reply the same business day.
Tell us what you have
We reply the same business day.
Questions
Straight answers
Equipment types
Does a certificate prove the transformer is covered?
No. A certificate summarizes insurance information but does not establish that damage to the transformer during lifting is covered. Ask the insurer or broker to review the operation, relevant exclusions, and any rigging or cargo endorsements. Keep that confirmation with the removal agreement.
Service area
Who is responsible while the transformer is suspended?
Responsibility depends on the contracts, actual work, and applicable law. The crane contractor’s involvement does not automatically remove the owner’s or other parties’ obligations. Document lift direction, equipment damage risk, and site control before the transformer leaves the pad, then verify the corresponding insurance.
Payment
Should oil spill coverage be checked separately?
Yes. Do not assume a general liability or cargo policy covers oil escaping from a damaged tank or radiator. Ask about pollution exclusions and applicable coverage.
Logistics
How it affects value: what should a seller know?
Clear responsibility makes a transformer easier to evaluate for purchase and removal. A documented lift path, confirmed equipment weight, and usable insurance paperwork reduce uncertainty about recovering the unit intact.