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Pricing guide · Tier 1 labour band
Billings, MT

NDT inspection cost in Billings: Radiographic Testing rates

Field-anchored pricing guide for RT (Radiographic Testing) and the other five common NDT methods in Billings, MT. Rates are quoted in USD per hour and reflect the Tier-1 labour band that applies across mountain west markets.

Northern-tier refinery turnarounds compete for limited NDT contractor capacity — losing a Level II to an expired cert removes a crew from rotation for weeks.

Low band

$472

per hour · routine scope, full-day crew

Typical

$826

per hour · most jobs land here

High band

$1416

per hour · turnaround / night shift / rope access

Local market overview — Billings, MT

Billings, MT hosts a developing NDT contractor ecosystem built around refining and pipelines. ExxonMobil Billings Refinery, Phillips 66 Billings Refinery, and the wider frontier us operator pool route RT scope through pre-qualified providers — losing a Level II credential here costs real money on outage windows.

ExxonMobil Billings, Phillips 66 Billings, CHS — largest refining cluster in Northern Rockies. That industrial substrate is what places Billings, MT on the short list for RT programme contracts: fitness-for-service cadence, MT DEQ oversight, and the refinery footprint at ExxonMobil Billings Refinery all push the RT day-rate above generic regional benchmarks.

Seasonal cycles bring rotation tightening and spot-buy premiums at the upper bound of the published rate band. Processes Bakken light + Canadian heavy crude blends

Regional code context — RT in Billings, MT

MT DEQ sets the documentary depth RT reports must reach in Billings, MT — and MT Boiler Code 50-74-101 layers a second audit trail on top. The method-level reference is BPVC Sec V Art. 2 (RT); industry-side, API 570 is the standard that owners cite in the bid pack. Procedures must demonstrate currency on both before the crew is cleared at gates like ExxonMobil Billings Refinery.

  • MT DEQ
  • MT Boiler Code 50-74-101
  • PHMSA
  • BPVC Sec V Art. 2 (RT)
  • BPVC Sec VIII Div 1 UW-51
  • B31.3 para 344.5
Local pricing breakdown — RT in Billings, MT

A typical RT bid in Billings, MT lands at $847/day for Level II work and roughly $1348/day for Level III sign-off authority. Mobilisation surcharge runs medium (band-M), with COL index 99 feeding the labour line. ExxonMobil Billings Refinery programme contracts trade volume against rate; spot-buys pay the 10–20% premium. The full multiplier resolves at ×1.10 once transport and demand-density are layered in.

Line itemRateDetail
Hourly labour (Level II)$85–$127/hrstandard programme rate
Hourly labour (Level III)$169/hrprocedure qualification + disposition
Day rate (Level II)$847/day8 hours, ≤30 km from base
Equipment surcharge$308/dayinstrument + consumables
Mobilisation$525/tripmedium transport-surcharge band
Outage / night-shift uplift+25–40%turnaround windows and weekend work

Effective multiplier vs national base: ×1.10 · transport surcharge band: medium.

Top local providers — RT in Billings, MT

The Billings, MT RT contractor base is sized to recurring demand from ExxonMobil Billings Refinery, Phillips 66 Billings Refinery, CHS Inc. (HQ). Provider listings on NDT Connect include current ASNT certification level, instrument calibration status, and named-site experience — replacing the email-and-spreadsheet pre-qualification dance most procurement teams still run for new vendors.

Major regional clients served

  • ExxonMobil Billings Refinery
  • Phillips 66 Billings Refinery
  • CHS Inc. (HQ)
  • PPL Montana
  • Sibanye-Stillwater (regional)
Find RT providers in Billings, MT
RT in Billings, MT — local applications

For the refining operators that dominate the Billings, MT industrial base, RT is the workhorse for casting porosity, shrinkage, and inclusion detection. ExxonMobil Billings, Phillips 66 Billings, CHS — largest refining cluster in Northern Rockies means the scope is dense, repeatable, and tightly specified — with recurring asset populations driving volume.

Local crews run RT packages calibrated for the failure modes that matter most here, deliver Radiograph (film or DICONDE digital), and close the disposition against MT DEQ. Programme work accounts for the bulk of billable hours; fitness-for-service cycles drive the seasonal peaks. BPVC Sec V Art. 2 (RT) sign-off authority is the contractor capability that consistently wins the bid here.

Three refineries in 30-mile corridor — only such cluster in northern Rockies. ExxonMobil Billings Refinery pre-qualifications are the gatekeeper — crews who already hold them win the volume work; new entrants run the onboarding gauntlet first. Processes Bakken light + Canadian heavy crude blends

Local certification path — Billings, MT

Inspectors qualifying into the Billings, MT RT market route through Northern Rockies ASNT Section for ASNT Level II/III certification under SNT-TC-1A or CP-189. Total Level II training time for RT runs roughly 720 hours including classroom and on-the-job experience. the nearest API exam centre handles 510/570/653 logistics. Prerequisite per ASNT: radiation safety training.

  • ASNT chapter: Northern Rockies ASNT Section
  • API exam centre: access via nearest regional centre
RT in Billings, MT — frequently asked questions
How much does RT cost in Billings, MT?

RT (Radiographic Testing) day-rates in Billings, MT typically clear at $847/day for Level II crews, with the pricing multiplier on the national base running ×1.10 (transport surcharge band: medium). Local Level II inspector wages average $81,000/year per BLS, which anchors that day-rate band. Always solicit at least three parallel quotes before committing programme spend.

Which Billings, MT sites use RT most often?

ExxonMobil Billings Refinery and Phillips 66 Billings Refinery are the high-volume RT buyers in Billings, MT. The refinery footprint at ExxonMobil Billings Refinery is a recurring RT mobilisation point. Pre-qualification at these gates is what unlocks the volume contracts.

What credentials do RT inspectors need to work in Billings, MT?

Working RT scope in Billings, MT requires ASNT Level II for the method (roughly 720 total training hours to qualify), plus Northern Rockies ASNT Section membership is common. AWS CWI is required for welding-related scope; API 510/570/653 tickets unlock pressure-equipment work. API exam logistics route through the nearest regional centre.

What refining failure modes does RT screen for in Billings, MT?

On refining jobs in Billings, MT, RT is most often called for Butt-weld inspection on pipe and plate screening. Recurring scope on fitness-for-service cycles drives the volume. The technique sits inside MT DEQ's acceptance framework, and local crews build inspection plans around the failure modes the refining owners audit hardest.

How fast can a RT crew mobilise in Billings, MT?

Routine RT scope in Billings, MT typically picks up a certified crew within 24–72 hours of posting a request — the established contractor base around ExxonMobil Billings Refinery keeps mobilisation lead times short. Outage windows and turnaround support are negotiated against rotation; post the scope to NDT Connect to receive parallel quotes from providers already pre-qualified at Billings, MT sites.

What standards govern RT acceptance in Billings, MT?

RT examinations in Billings, MT reference BPVC Sec V Art. 2 (RT) / BPVC Sec VIII Div 1 UW-51 as the technical floor and MT DEQ, MT Boiler Code 50-74-101 for documentary compliance. ExxonMobil Billings Refinery's qualification matrix layers an additional customer-specific spec on top — procedures must close on all three before the crew is cleared at the gate.

Quick reference

Method

Radiographic Testing

Abbreviation

RT

Labour band

Tier 11.18)

Code authority

API 510 / 570

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Post a RT scope and receive parallel quotes from certified Billings providers.

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Pricing caveat

The numbers above are field-anchored ranges, not a quote. Actual Billings rates vary with scope, accessibility, shift, and contractor utilisation. Always solicit at least three quotes before committing programme spend.

Verified Billings, MT Inspection-Market Data

Hard numbers from BLS, EIA, AAPA, Census & API directories — anchoring this page to Billings, MT's actual NDT market, not a generic template.

Local Wage Anchor — Level II NDT Technician
$81K/yr typical for Billings, MT

Source: BLS OES May 2024 Billings MSA

Metro Industrial Base
188K people in Billings, MT

Source: US Census ACS 2023

Sector Mix (NDT Demand Drivers)
Refining (45%) · Pipelines (15%) · Mining (regional) (12%)

Source: BEA Regional Accounts 2023

Refinery Inventory
3+ refineries · ~178K bpd combined capacityExxonMobil Billings Refinery, Phillips 66 Billings Refinery, CHS Laurel Refinery

Source: EIA Refinery Capacity Report Jan 2025

Active API-Certified Inspectors (regional)
~30 API 510 · ~40 API 570 · ~20 API 653

Source: API ICP roster + state directories (est.)

ASNT Chapter / Community
Northern Rockies ASNT Section

Source: ASNT chapter directory

Cost-of-Living Impact on Rate Cards
COL index 99.0 (1.0 pts below national avg) · transport surcharge band: medium

Source: C2ER ACCRA COL Index 2024

Authored by ASNT Level III inspectors. Real procedures, real numbers, real codes.

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