PMI testing prices by item
Ranges for US NDT crews, for budgeting before you request quotes.
| Item | Typical US price | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Handheld XRF, pipe and fittings | $5 to $25 per component | Count, access, surface condition |
| Handheld XRF, welds and filler | $15 to $60 per weld | Insulation, position, diameter |
| OES carbon check (304L, 316L, chrome moly) | $50 to $150 per point | Surface prep, spark spot repair |
| Crew day with XRF analyzer | $900 to $1,800 | Travel, shift length, site rules |
| Per component report with measured composition | 10 to 20 percent on top | Spreadsheet vs stamp only |
| Insulation removal and surface cleaning | Billed on top | Piping already installed |
| Mobilization and travel | $500 to $3,000 per trip | Distance from the nearest crew |
| Minimum charge | About a half day | Small jobs under 30 components |
For how the other methods are priced, see NDT inspection cost. To request a crew, use our positive material identification services page.
A worked budget for 600 alloy components
Take a fabricator releasing alloy piping spools for a process unit: 450 stainless pipe and fitting items (304L and 316L), 100 welds, and 50 chrome moly (P11) fittings.
- XRF on 450 stainless items at $12 each is $5,400 if priced per piece. On a day rate, a technician reads roughly 150 to 250 items a day, so about 2 to 3 days at $1,400 is $2,800 to $4,200.
- Carbon check on 304L and 316L items. If the specification demands the L grade on 10 percent, that is 45 OES points at $90, or $4,050. Many owners limit OES to a sample.
- XRF on 100 welds at $35 each is $3,500.
- Chrome moly fittings, XRF plus OES on 50 items at $60 each is $3,000.
- Report with measured composition per item adds about 15 percent.
With the day rate method and a 10 percent OES sample the total is roughly $9,000 to $14,000. If the owner allows XRF only on the stainless and a smaller sample on chrome moly, the same job drops to $4,000 to $9,000. These are planning illustrations, not offers. Ask each company to price count, method and reporting separately.
Should you pay per piece or per day
Per piece pricing is simple on a large uniform count, such as incoming fittings in a warehouse, where every item is at hand and the technician moves fast. Day rate is better for installed piping, where access and walking time dominate. A crew that reads 250 loose items a day can drop to 60 on insulated piping at height. Ask for both on the same list and compare, and ask what the crew does with failures: retest, mark and report is normal and should be in the price.
What drives the PMI quote up
Four things drive most of the spread. Surface condition, because XRF needs bare metal and grinding or insulation removal costs more than the reading. Carbon requirements, since OES is slower and leaves a spot. The sample plan, where 100 percent testing under API RP 578 costs ten times a 10 percent sample. And reporting, because a spreadsheet with measured chromium, nickel and molybdenum for each item takes real time. Pin all four down in the RFQ and quotes will line up.
Test at receiving, not after installation
The cheapest PMI is at receiving or on the shop floor, where every item is reachable and a wrong grade is replaced for the price of the part. In an installed line the same finding triggers cutting, rewelding, new NDT and delay. If your project has an alloy PMI requirement, put it in the purchase order for the supplier and in the fabrication scope, so you do not pay to find it in the field. For existing plants, PMI usually appears inside an API 570 campaign, priced on our piping inspection services page.
What to send for comparable PMI quotes
- Component and weld list with specified grade, size and count.
- Sample plan: 100 percent, a percentage or random.
- Specification, for example API RP 578, ASTM E1476 or the project PMI procedure.
- Which grades need OES for carbon.
- Installed or loose, insulation, height and who prepares test points.
- Marking of accepted and rejected items.
- Deliverables, spreadsheet or stamp only.
- Dates, shifts and permit rules.
How much does PMI testing cost?
PMI testing in the US usually costs $5 to $25 per component with handheld XRF on a large count, or $900 to $1,800 per crew day. Carbon checks with OES add $50 to $150 per point. Reporting, travel and access are extra.
How long does PMI testing take?
A technician typically reads 150 to 250 loose components in a day, and far fewer on installed or insulated piping. Each reading takes a few seconds, but access, cleaning and marking take the time. Welds and OES points are slower than pipe and fittings.
Is XRF PMI accurate enough?
It is accurate for most alloy elements such as chromium, nickel and molybdenum, and it separates common grades like 304, 316 and 321. It cannot read carbon, so it cannot confirm L grades. For those items add OES.
Why do PMI quotes differ so much?
Quotes differ because scope differs. One may price 10 percent of the items and another all of them, one may include OES and surface cleaning and another may not. Ask each company to list count, method, preparation and reporting separately.
Do I need PMI on every component?
Not always. Your owner specification and the service decide. Critical alloy lines are often tested at 100 percent, others by percentage or random sample. API RP 578 explains how to build the plan.
