How to Strip Wire: A DIY Guide

Learning how to strip a wire properly can make some DIY tasks more manageable, like rewiring a lamp or other appliance. We recommend calling a local electrician to install electrical wiring in your home. Regardless of why you need the plastic coating removed from your wire, you can use a number of different tools and techniques to get that shiny copper wire out in the open.

If you’re stripping wire for electrical purposes—as opposed to stripping it for scrap—it’s important to avoid nicking, scratching, or cutting into the wire(s) inside the plastic coating. Let’s take a look at how to do it.

Before You Get Started With Stripping Wire 

We don’t recommend doing any electrical work yourself unless you have extensive training and skill. If you have enough know-how and want to attempt some rudimentary wiring, please follow these basic safety tips:

• Turn off the electricity to the area you’re working on. Never attempt any electrical work on live wires.

• Check the wires with a voltmeter. Even if you think you’ve shut off the correct fuse because it was labeled correctly in the fusebox, it’s better to be safe than sorry and check the connection with a voltage tester.

• Do not use equipment with exposed or frayed wires.

• Keep the work area dry, and do not let wiring or equipment come into contact with water or wet areas.

• Wear non-conductive gloves and eye protection.

• Remove conductive items like chains, watches, and other jewelry before doing electrical work.

• Assume a wire is live unless you’ve checked it first. 

• Barricade the work area to keep pets, children, and others out except someone working with you.

• Consult a professional electrician if you have questions or need help.

How to Strip Wire With or Without a Wire Stripper

If you’re stripping wires to repair small appliances or motors, it’s important that you don’t damage the metal wire inside the sheathing in the process. Cuts, nicks, and other damage to the wire can cause shorting and faulty connections and weaken the wire, likely shortening its life span.

Strip Wire Using a Self-Adjusting Wire Stripper/Cutter

Average cost: $30

This tool will most likely do the cleanest job without damaging the wire. However, this will also be the most expensive and most complicated option. Using it may also be challenging because of its size and weight; it’s bulky and more awkward to handle than a regular wire stripper/cutter. This tool is used primarily by professional electricians. It’s important to ensure that the tool can handle the size of wire you’re stripping. 

For example, some models work on 8-24 AWG solid wire and 10-22 AWG stranded wire. Wire gauges indicate the thickness of the copper wire or combination of wires inside the sheathing. The smaller the number, the thicker the wire and the more amperage it can handle. Following are some of the more common AWG (American Wire Gauge) sizes:

• 18-gauge

• 16-gauge 

• 14-gauge

• 12-gauge 

• 10-gauge

• 8-gauge

• 6-gauge

• 4-gauge

• 2-gauge 

Here are the basic moves with the self-adjusting wire stripper/cutter. As always, follow the manufacturer’s specific directions for the tool.

1. Set the parameters to match the wire gauge you’re cutting. 

2. Insert the wire and squeeze the handles. The tool should adjust, cut the sheath, and strip the sheath to expose the wire core.

Strip Wire With a Wire Stripper/Cutter

Average cost: $12

A wire stripper looks like a flat pair of pliers with a series of different-sized holes for clipping and cutting the plastic coating on different wire gauges. This tool makes cutting and stripping insulation from wires an easy DIY job. Follow these steps:

1. Find the hole that matches the gauge of the metal wire you want to strip. Make sure that the hole is smaller than the overall thickness of the wire with the coating on it, but bigger than the wire inside the coating so that you only cut the plastic insulation and not the wire inside. 

2. Determine how much wire you need to expose. Measure and mark the spot with a pen or marker.

3. Open the wire stripper and place the wire in the correct hole size at the mark (if you made one). Double-check that the wire is in the correct gauge size.

4. Close the wire stripper on the wire and squeeze to cut the plastic coating. You may hear a small click as the tool cuts the sheathing. 

5. Keep the tool clamped and rotate around the wire to ensure the insulation is cut.

6. With the tool still clamped, pull along the wire to slide the coating off the wire, exposing the metal inside. 

Important note that applies to each method: Make sure to not cut, gouge, or nick the wire itself, as this can keep the wire from functioning properly. If the wire is damaged, clip that section of wire off and start over.

Strip a Wire Using Scissors

Average cost: $12

This method is a last resort move because of the higher probability of damaging the wires by cutting too deeply. If you don’t have a wire stripper available, a sharp pair of scissors couldwork. You’ll want a heavy-duty pair of scissors rather than the ones kids use in school. This method requires more care as to not cut or damage the metal wire inside while cutting the plastic sheathing.

1. Place the wire in the open scissors where you want to cut.

2. If you can, roll the wire to spin it against the blades to score the sheathing slowly. If you can’t roll the wire, rotate the scissors back and forth around the wire to score the plastic coating. 

3. Check the depth of the cut frequently to be sure you don’t cut too deeply. 

4. Once you’ve cut deeply enough, pull the plastic sheathing off to expose the wire.

Use a Utility Knife to Strip Wire

Average cost: $3 to $5

As with the scissors option, this method is discouraged. We highly recommend getting one of the stripper/cutter tools mentioned above. This process is similar to using scissors, except you only have one blade. Make sure you have a fresh blade, so it’s sharp and cuts more easily into the sheathing. 

1. Rest the wire on a piece of wood or something rigid. 

2. Rest the utility knife blade against the wire where you want to cut it. 

3. Roll the wire between the wood and the blade, slowly pressing harder so the blade cuts into the plastic sheathing.

4. Check frequently how deeply the blade has cut, making sure you don’t cut too deeply. 

5. When you’ve cut through the sheathing, twist it with your fingers and pull it off the end of the wire.

DIY vs. Hire a Pro

Stripping wire is a relatively easy job you can do yourself, especially if you’re working on small household appliances or motors. However, if you’re stripping wire for work on the electrical system in your home or apartment, you should contact a local electrician. Most professional electricians charge between $50 and $150 per hour for labor. You can always watch how they strip wire and with what tools. You may be stripping wire for some of the below projects, and if you find you’re already in over your head, it may be easier to hire an electrician.