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Exhibit 31.1

CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

I, Vincent A. Rego, certify that:



| | 1. |  | I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Encore Wire
Corporation;                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
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| | 2. |  | Based on my knowledge, this annual report does not contain any
untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances
under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to
the period covered by this annual report;
|
| | 3. |  | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other
financial information included in this annual report, fairly present
in all material respects the financial condition, results of
operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the
periods presented in this annual report;                   
|
| | 4. |  | The registrants other certifying officers and I are
responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and
procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)),
for the registrant and have:                                                                                           



| | a) |  | designed such disclosure controls and procedures,
or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be
designed under our supervision, to ensure that material
information relating to the registrant, including its
consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within
those entities, particularly during the period in which this
annual report is being prepared;  
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| | b) |  | evaluated the effectiveness of the registrants
disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this annual
report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the
disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period
covered by this annual report based on such evaluation; and                                                                                      
|
| | c) |  | disclosed in this annual report any change in the
registrants internal control over financial reporting that
occurred during the registrants most recent fiscal quarter
(the registrants fourth quarter in the case of an annual
report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely
to materially affect, the registrants internal control over
financial reporting; and



| | 5. |  | The registrants other certifying officers and I have
disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control
over financial reporting, to the registrants auditors and the audit
committee of registrants board of directors (or persons performing
the equivalent functions):
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| | a) |  | all significant deficiencies and material
weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over
financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely
affect the registrants ability to record, process, summarize
and report financial information; and
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|
| | b) |  | any fraud, whether or not material, that involves
management or other employees who have a significant role in
the registrants internal control over financial reporting.                                                                                               

Date: March 10, 2004

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| |  | ------------------------------------------------
| |  | /s/ Vincent A. Rego                             
| |  |                                                 
| |  | Vincent A. Rego                                 
| |  | Chairman of the
Board andChief Executive Officer