NDT Consulting Services — Written Practices, Procedures, Certification Programmes and Audits

NDT consulting from Atlantis gives your company the ASNT Level III authority an SNT-TC-1A programme depends on, without a Level III on the payroll. The founder, an ASNT NDT Level III in UT, RT, MT, PT and VT, writes your written practice, approves procedures and technique sheets, prepares and grades examinations, assembles certification files and prepares you for customer and third-party audits.

Source: ASNT SNT-TC-1A (2024 edition), Recommended Practice for personnel qualification and certification

What every engagement delivers

• Signed documents, not just advice: written practices, procedures, technique sheets and audit responses issued under revision control.
• A named ASNT Level III, with the methods they can approve stated in the proposal.
• Records an auditor can trace: examinations, grading, vision tests and certification files kept the way your written practice says.
• A defined scope and a quote before work starts, delivered remotely or on site.
• NAS 410 Level 3 services for aerospace suppliers, delivered through an associate who holds NAS 410 Level 3.

Four ways to work with a Level III

Pick the path that matches what you need now. Each one lists what you get and what we need from you, so the first call can start on the work.

Written practice

A new or rewritten employer written practice to ASNT SNT-TC-1A or ANSI/ASNT CP-189, checked against the codes and customer specifications you work to. See NDT written practice development.

You get: The written practice document; Training, experience and exam tables per method and level; Record forms for certification files. We need from you: Your current written practice, if any; Methods and levels you certify; The codes and customer specifications you work to.

Start with written practice

Procedures and technique sheets

NDT procedures and technique sheets per method, written to the referencing code (for example ASME Section V or AWS D1.1), with a demonstration where the code calls for one. See NDT procedure development and review.

You get: Procedures and technique sheets; Level III review and approval; Demonstration records where required. We need from you: Methods and techniques; Governing codes and acceptance criteria; Typical components, materials and thicknesses.

Start with procedures and technique sheets

Qualification and certification programme

Examinations written, administered and graded under your written practice, practical specimens and records, and certification files your auditors can follow. See Level III examinations and certification files.

You get: Exam administration and grading; Practical examination records; Certification files per technician. We need from you: Number of technicians, methods and levels; Your written practice; Existing training and experience records.

Start with qualification and certification programme

Audits and ongoing Level III support

Preparation for customer or ISO-style audits, responses to findings, and retained or interim Level III cover when you have no Level III of your own. See Level III audit support.

You get: Audit readiness review and gap list; Finding responses and corrective actions; Retained, project or interim Level III cover. We need from you: Audit date and scope; Previous findings, if any; Your written practice and procedures.

Start with audits and ongoing level iii support

Want the full detail first? Every Level III engagement, set out separately.

Consulting by programme and code

Most consulting work starts from the code or programme your customer audits you against. Under OSHA PSM, the NDT half of mechanical integrity is inspector qualification, procedures and the five-element inspection record in 29 CFR 1910.119(j)(4)(iv): see PSM NDT services. Pipeline audits test personnel certification, procedure approval, calibration and examination records together, with operator qualification as a separate regime: see pipeline audit preparation.

Aerospace suppliers need a Responsible Level 3 under NAS 410, which we provide through an associate who holds NAS 410 Level 3: see NAS 410 Responsible Level 3. For API 510, 570 and 653 programs, we perform the NDE your inspector calls for and interpret it under Level III authority: see NDT inspection services and the API 510 program audit.

Sources: eCFR, 29 CFR 1910.119(j); 49 CFR Parts 192 and 195; NAS 410

Sectors we have supported

Client names stay confidential. The work has covered:

• National oil companies and international oil and gas majors
• LNG producers
• Aerospace and space manufacturers
• Third-party inspection and certification bodies
• Steel fabricators

A typical engagement: an SNT-TC-1A written practice

A worked example of how a written-practice engagement usually runs for a company that certifies its own technicians under ASNT SNT-TC-1A. It describes the method, not a particular client.

Scope

A new or rewritten employer written practice to the 2024 edition of SNT-TC-1A for Level I and Level II technicians in four methods, for example UT, MT, PT and VT, checked against the codes and customer specifications the company works to. Atlantis provides the Level III functions the written practice assigns, as an outside agency, until the company appoints its own Level III.

What you provide

• Your current written practice, if you have one, and any customer audit findings against it.
• The methods, techniques and levels you certify, and the people you certify in each.
• Existing training hours, experience logs, examination records and vision tests for those people.
• The codes, standards and customer specifications your inspections are performed to, such as ASME Section V, ASME Section XI or AWS D1.1.
• The name of the person who will sign certifications for the company, because certification stays with the employer.

What you receive

• The written practice as a controlled document with revision history and approval signatures.
• Training, experience and examination requirements tabulated per method and level.
• Examination arrangements: general, specific and practical examinations, grading rules and who administers them.
• Vision examination requirements and the record forms for certification and recertification files.
• A gap list for each existing technician file, so you know which records to complete before certifying.
• A short handover call with the person who will run the programme day to day.

Steps

The proposal confirms dates against any audit or contract deadline.

What stays with you

The written practice is your company's document and the certifications are issued by your company. The outside Level III approves the technical content, prepares and grades examinations, and signs in the capacity the written practice assigns to the Level III.

Ask for a written-practice proposal

A short tour of Atlantis NDT

A short tour of Atlantis NDT: the ERP workflow configurator, a sample digital twin inspection report, the browser-based ultrasonic A-scan demo, NDT training pathways, Level III consulting and the inspection quotation form. Digital twin data shown is labelled sample data.

Completed engagements

Two engagements led by the founder, with client names withheld. Each case study sets out what was done and, separately, how Atlantis runs that kind of work.

• Bringing a UT weld inspection procedure up to current code editions for LNG work in Qatar. Procedure development: An ultrasonic weld inspection procedure reviewed against AWS D1.1:2025, the 2025 ASME edition and SNT-TC-1A 2024, and reissued as Revision 1.
• A remote NDT documentation audit for a client in Qatar. Level III audit: An independent Level III audit of NDT documentation for a Qatar-based client, completed without a site visit and for a fixed fee agreed up front.

When an outsourced Level III fits

It suits organizations that:

• Do not have an in-house ASNT Level III, or are covering a gap while they recruit one.
• Need an independent technical authority for an audit, a client pre-qualification or a disputed inspection.
• Are preparing for a customer, supplier or ISO-style audit and need the gaps found first.
• Want Level III review without a long-term employment commitment.

Typical clients

• NDT service providers, small to mid-size
• Fabricators and manufacturers
• Shipyards and marine contractors
• EPC subcontractors
• Inspection start-ups and expanding firms
• Overseas companies that need US-recognized Level III oversight

How it is delivered

• Document work is delivered remotely worldwide; site visits are scheduled when the work needs them.
• Monthly retainer, project-based review, audit-readiness support or a fast-track technical opinion.
• Independent of inspection execution, and confidential.

Request a confidential technical discussion

Tell us your methods, the codes and customer specifications you work to, how many technicians you certify and any audit or contract date driving the work. You will receive a written scope listing the deliverables, who signs what and the order of work, quoted on request.

Schedule a discussion

Frequently asked questions

What does an NDT consulting engagement deliver?

Signed documents your auditors can follow: a written practice, procedures and technique sheets, examination records and certification files, or an audit gap list with responses. The proposal names the deliverables, the methods covered and who signs each document.

Can an outside Level III certify our technicians?

No. Under SNT-TC-1A and CP-189 the employer certifies its own people. An outside Level III authors and approves the technical documents, prepares and grades examinations, and signs in the capacity your written practice assigns to the Level III.

Which certification schemes do you work to?

Employer written practices to ASNT SNT-TC-1A and ANSI/ASNT CP-189. NAS 410 Level 3 services for aerospace suppliers are delivered through an associate who holds NAS 410 Level 3. ISO 9712 and PCN certification is examined by their own accredited bodies.

What is the method scope constraint?

A Level III may approve procedures and qualify personnel only in the methods they hold. Every proposal therefore names the methods it covers; founder-led work covers UT, RT, MT, PT and VT.

Is the work remote or on site?

Document work, reviews and most audits are delivered remotely. Witnessing, practical examinations or a site walk-through are scheduled on site when the work needs them, and scoped separately so desk work is not charged at site rates.

How is consulting priced?

Each engagement is quoted on request as a defined scope, after a scoping call, because the work depends on your methods, number of technicians, codes and deadline.

What is the difference between NDT consulting and NDT inspection services?

Consulting covers the programme: written practices, procedures, examinations and audit support under a Level III. Inspection is the hands-on examination of parts, welds and assets by qualified Level I and Level II technicians. Atlantis NDT provides both, scoped and quoted separately.

How does an engagement start?

With a scoping call about your methods, codes, customer specifications, technicians and any audit date. You then receive a written scope listing the deliverables, who signs what and the order the work will be done in.

Where we work

Remote document work for clients worldwide, with regional pages for the regulators and operator standards each market applies.

• NDT consulting in the USA
• NDT consulting in the Middle East
• NDT consulting in India
• Outsourced ASNT Level III consulting

Free tools for Level III and inspection planning

Two planning tools and the templates behind most engagements, free and with nothing to sign up for.

• SNT-TC-1A hours planner
• API 510, 570 and 653 inspection interval calculator
• NDT written practice template
• Training requirements matrix

Speak to an ASNT NDT Level III

Atlantis NDT provides ASNT Level III consulting, NDT training to ASNT SNT-TC-1A, inspection management software and independent report validation. Request a free consultation and we will return a tailored quote — affordable, accessible and fully customizable to your programme.