NDT inspection cost in Shreveport: Ultrasonic Testing rates
Field-anchored pricing guide for UT (Ultrasonic Testing) and the other five common NDT methods in Shreveport, LA. Rates are quoted in USD per hour and reflect the Tier-2 labour band that applies across mid continent markets.
Haynesville completion crews flex with 30-day rig reschedules — Shreveport NDT shops without a self-serve cert vault burn admin time on every callout.
Low band
$225
per hour · routine scope, full-day crew
Typical
$425
per hour · most jobs land here
High band
$700
per hour · turnaround / night shift / rope access
The NDT footprint in Shreveport, LA reflects manufacturing's share of the local economy and the supporting defense cluster. Calumet specialty products refinery — unique product stream metallurgy. Ultrasonic Testing (UT) sits inside the recurring scope mix that Calumet Specialty Products Shreveport, Calumet Shreveport Refinery, and the broader gulf coast operator base put on contract every cycle.
a compact metro of around 395K residents keeps the certified-contractor base deep enough to absorb fab-shop QA surges without losing schedule. Programmes typically rotate around structural beam populations, and UT is the examination most often written into the procedure pack at the gate.
Barksdale AFB strategic bomber wing — military aerospace NDT scope. Cost-of-living index 80 and the medium transport surcharge band combine into the multiplier procurement teams budget against.
Code compliance on UT work in Shreveport, LA starts with the local authority stack — LDEQ, API 510/570/653, ASME Section V/VIII, USAF Tech Orders (Barksdale). BPVC Sec V Art. 4 (UT general) is the method-level technical standard procedures qualify against, with AWS D1.2 (aluminum), BPVC Sec V Art. 5 (UT thickness) and BPVC Sec VIII Div 1 UW-53 pulled in when scope crosses into manufacturing territory. Calumet Specialty Products Shreveport typically requires currency on both layers before a contractor crosses the gate.
- LDEQ
- API 510/570/653
- ASME Section V/VIII
- BPVC Sec V Art. 4 (UT general)
- BPVC Sec V Art. 5 (UT thickness)
- BPVC Sec VIII Div 1 UW-53
Ultrasonic Testing (UT) day-rates in Shreveport, LA cluster between $494–$741 for Level II crews, with a typical mid-point near $618. The medium transport-surcharge band and a cost-of-living index of 80 push rates below the national baseline (multiplier ×0.95). Local Level II inspector wages — $70,000 median per BLS — anchor that band. Outage windows add 25–40%; volume programmes negotiate 8–15% off.
| Line item | Rate | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly labour (Level II) | $62–$93/hr | standard programme rate |
| Hourly labour (Level III) | $134/hr | procedure qualification + disposition |
| Day rate (Level II) | $618/day | 8 hours, ≤30 km from base |
| Equipment surcharge | $266/day | instrument + consumables |
| Mobilisation | $525/trip | medium transport-surcharge band |
| Outage / night-shift uplift | +25–40% | turnaround windows and weekend work |
Effective multiplier vs national base: ×0.95 · transport surcharge band: medium.
Certified UT providers in Shreveport, LA typically serve a client base anchored by Calumet Specialty Products Shreveport, Barksdale AFB, and other gulf coast operators. Posting a scope through NDT Connect routes the request to providers already pre-qualified at these gates — three to five parallel quotes typically return within 24–72 hours.
Major regional clients served
- Calumet Specialty Products Shreveport
- Barksdale AFB
- Pratt Industries
- Caddo Parish operations
UT's role in Shreveport, LA's inspection economy is anchored to manufacturing: Calumet Specialty, Pratt Industries. The technique earns its keep on lamination detection in plate and pipe, and local pre-job plans often centre on pressure component spool populations where porosity have to be screened out before return-to-service.
On the ground, that translates to production-line ECT screening as the dominant scope, with fab-shop QA surges layered on every cycle. Calumet Specialty Products Shreveport typically locks in standing-order coverage; smaller operators time spot-buys against contractor availability. The local pace — measured in 35 sq ft per shift — is what sets contractor utilisation and, downstream, the rate band procurement should expect.
Calumet specialty products refinery — unique product stream metallurgy. Barksdale AFB strategic bomber wing — military aerospace NDT scope. On the limitation side, difficult on coarse-grain austenitic stainless and inconel welds — local crews mitigate by procedure-level controls and RT (for volumetric crosscheck) where the indication class warrants it.
The Shreveport, LA certification economy is built around Shreveport ASNT, AWS Shreveport, and regional API exam access. Inspectors targeting UT work clear roughly 880 training hours to Level II, then layer AWS CWI and API tickets to qualify into the manufacturing programmes that anchor local demand. Vendor-led training paths feed most of the local pipeline; apprenticeship routes carry the rest.
- ASNT chapter: Shreveport ASNT
- AWS section: AWS Shreveport
- API exam centre: access via nearest regional centre
How much does UT cost in Shreveport, LA?
UT (Ultrasonic Testing) day-rates in Shreveport, LA typically clear at $618/day for Level II crews, with the pricing multiplier on the national base running ×0.95 (transport surcharge band: medium). Local Level II inspector wages average $70,000/year per BLS, which anchors that day-rate band. Always solicit at least three parallel quotes before committing programme spend.
Which Shreveport, LA sites use UT most often?
Calumet Specialty Products Shreveport and Barksdale AFB are the high-volume UT buyers in Shreveport, LA. The refinery footprint at Calumet Shreveport Refinery is a recurring UT mobilisation point. Pre-qualification at these gates is what unlocks the volume contracts.
What credentials do UT inspectors need to work in Shreveport, LA?
Working UT scope in Shreveport, LA requires ASNT Level II for the method (roughly 880 total training hours to qualify), plus Shreveport ASNT 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 manufacturing failure modes does UT screen for in Shreveport, LA?
On manufacturing jobs in Shreveport, LA, UT is most often called for weld lack-of-fusion screening. Recurring scope on fab-shop QA cycles drives the volume. The technique sits inside LDEQ's acceptance framework, and local crews build inspection plans around the failure modes the manufacturing owners audit hardest.
How fast can a UT crew mobilise in Shreveport, LA?
Routine UT scope in Shreveport, LA typically picks up a certified crew within 24–72 hours of posting a request — the established contractor base around Calumet Specialty Products Shreveport 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 Shreveport, LA sites.
What standards govern UT acceptance in Shreveport, LA?
UT examinations in Shreveport, LA reference BPVC Sec V Art. 4 (UT general) / BPVC Sec V Art. 5 (UT thickness) as the technical floor and LDEQ, API 510/570/653 for documentary compliance. Calumet Specialty Products Shreveport'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.
Method
Ultrasonic Testing
Abbreviation
UT
Labour band
Tier 2 (×1.00)
Code authority
API 570
Get a quote
Post a UT scope and receive parallel quotes from certified Shreveport providers.
Request a quotePricing caveat
The numbers above are field-anchored ranges, not a quote. Actual Shreveport rates vary with scope, accessibility, shift, and contractor utilisation. Always solicit at least three quotes before committing programme spend.
Compare UT rates in nearby cities
Verified Shreveport, LA Inspection-Market Data
Hard numbers from BLS, EIA, AAPA, Census & API directories — anchoring this page to Shreveport, LA's actual NDT market, not a generic template.
- Local Wage Anchor — Level II NDT Technician
- $70K/yr typical for Shreveport, LA
- Metro Industrial Base
- 395K people in Shreveport, LA
- Sector Mix (NDT Demand Drivers)
- Manufacturing (32%) · Defense (20%) · Haynesville Shale Gas (18%)
- Refinery Inventory
- 1+ refineries — Calumet Shreveport Refinery
- Active API-Certified Inspectors (regional)
- ~20 API 510 · ~25 API 570 · ~15 API 653
- ASNT Chapter / Community
- Shreveport ASNT
- Cost-of-Living Impact on Rate Cards
- COL index 80.0 (20.0 pts below national avg) · transport surcharge band: medium
Source: BLS OES Shreveport MSA 2024
Source: US Census ACS 2023
Source: BEA Regional Accounts 2023
Source: EIA Refinery Capacity Report Jan 2025
Source: API ICP roster + state directories (est.)
Source: ASNT chapter directory
Source: C2ER ACCRA COL Index 2024
Continue Reading — In-Depth Guides
Authored by ASNT Level III inspectors. Real procedures, real numbers, real codes.
- Ultrasonic Testing — Complete GuidePhysics, calibration, codes, equipment, applications.
- Phased Array UT (PAUT) — Complete GuideBeam steering, focal laws, scan plans, ISO 13588.
- Ultrasonic Testing MethodMethod-level overview, equipment, standards.
- How to Calibrate a UT Flaw DetectorStep-by-step DAC, sensitivity, gate setup.
- How to Perform Thickness Survey on PipingUT scan plan, CMLs, API 570 grid.
Join NDT Connect — free
Get UT inspection quotes in Shreveport, or list your services — free on NDT Connect.
Free to join · No credit card · Provider profiles verified against ASNT & API rosters · Browse providers
