NDT Inspection Services in Houston

In brief: Atlantis NDT is a Houston-based NDT inspection company. We mobilise crews to refineries, chemical plants, terminals, pipelines, fabrication shops and power stations across Greater Houston, from the Ship Channel and Bayport to Mont Belvieu, Texas City and Brazoria County. Services cover ultrasonic thickness and corrosion mapping, phased array (PAUT) and TOFD, radiography, magnetic particle, penetrant, visual and eddy current testing, and site tests such as PMI, hardness and ferrite. Procedures are approved by an ASNT NDT Level III, technicians are certified under an SNT-TC-1A written practice, and each job closes with a code-referenced digital report.

Atlantis publishes a detailed page for each Houston service, from piping and tanks to third-party inspection and each NDT method. This overview explains where the work is, which agencies shape the scope and which detailed page to read next. If you already know what you need, send us your Houston inspection request.

Where NDT inspection work is in Houston

Direct answer: Houston inspection demand concentrates in five areas: the Ship Channel refining and chemical corridor; the Bayport and La Porte chemical district; Mont Belvieu and Baytown to the east; Texas City and Brazoria County to the south; and the fabrication, power and aerospace sites across the rest of the metro.

The Houston Ship Channel corridor

The Ship Channel runs about 50 miles from Galveston Bay to the Turning Basin east of downtown, and a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers report ranked it the top waterway in the country, with about 309.5 million short tons moved in 2023. Its banks hold ExxonMobil's Baytown complex, the Deer Park refinery that Pemex has owned outright since Shell sold its share in January 2022, Chevron's Pasadena refinery and Valero's Houston refinery, alongside olefins and polymer plants and long rows of terminal tank farms served by Port Houston's Barbours Cut and Bayport terminals. LyondellBasell completed the shutdown of its Houston refinery in early 2025 and plans to reuse existing hydrotreaters for a recycled-plastics unit. Corridor work is mechanical integrity inspection: thickness readings at condition monitoring locations (CMLs), PAUT and radiography on repair and tie-in welds, MT and PT on nozzles, and tank floor and shell examination. Gulf humidity and salt air make corrosion under insulation (CUI) a recurring finding. See piping inspection in Houston and corrosion inspection in Houston.

Bayport, La Porte and Pasadena

The Bayport Industrial District in southeast Harris County, beside La Porte and Seabrook, holds more than 60 chemical plants on about seven square miles. Specialty chemical and polymer units run stainless, duplex and nickel-alloy equipment, which shifts the mix toward penetrant testing, PMI on replacement spools, ferrite measurement on duplex and austenitic welds, hardness checks after post-weld heat treatment, and eddy current or IRIS on tube bundles at turnaround. See petrochemical NDT in Houston and NDT consulting for Pasadena.

Mont Belvieu, Baytown and the east side

Mont Belvieu, about 30 miles east of Houston, sits over a large salt dome and is the pricing point for North American natural gas liquids. Enterprise Products, Targa, ONEOK and Energy Transfer run fractionators there, with product held in underground salt caverns. Fractionation trains, cavern wellhead piping and pipeline manifolds call for UT thickness, PAUT or radiography on piping and girth welds, and MT on attachments. See pipeline inspection in Houston, third-party inspection in Baytown and NDT consulting for Baytown.

Texas City and Brazoria County

Texas City is home to Marathon's Galveston Bay refinery, the second-largest refinery in Texas. The 2005 explosion at a Texas City refinery, which killed 15 workers, is still taught as a process safety case, and it is one reason Gulf Coast owners expect inspection records that hold up to scrutiny. Brazoria County adds Phillips 66's Sweeny refinery and the chemical plants around Freeport, where coastal exposure makes atmospheric corrosion of pipe racks and dock structures a standing item. See third-party inspection for Galveston, NDT consulting for Texas City and NDT consulting for Freeport.

Fabrication, power and aerospace

Houston is widely described as the world's main centre for building oilfield equipment, and the metro counts more than 10,700 manufacturing establishments. Shops fabricate vessels, exchangers, skids, spools, wellhead components and structural steel, which keeps a steady flow of shop NDE to ASME Section VIII, B31.3 and AWS D1.1. NRG's W. A. Parish station in Fort Bend County, one of the largest U.S. generating stations by capacity, needs boiler tube, header and high-energy piping inspection at outages; nuclear work at the South Texas Project, down the coast, follows the owner's ASME Section XI programme. Near Clear Lake, NASA's Johnson Space Center, home of Mission Control, and the aerospace firms around it bring structural and pressure-system work. More than 170 pipeline operators are active in the area. See weld inspection in Houston and power generation NDT in Houston.

NDT methods delivered in Houston

Direct answer: Atlantis delivers conventional NDT (UT, UT thickness, RT, MT, PT, VT and ET) and advanced NDT (PAUT, TOFD, automated UT corrosion mapping, IRIS, MFL tank floor scanning, pulsed eddy current, ACFM and digital radiography) in Houston, plus PMI, hardness, ferrite, holiday and leak testing. Method choice is agreed with your inspector of record or engineer during scoping.

Every technique runs on a written procedure approved by an ASNT NDT Level III; where a plant requires its own procedures or technique demonstrations, we qualify to those first. IRATA rope-access technicians for columns, flare stacks and tank shells are available through technical staffing. More on advanced NDT and PMI.

API 510, 570 and 653 NDE support in Houston

Direct answer: Atlantis performs the NDE and data review for the owner's API 510, API 570 and API 653 programmes. Atlantis is not an API Authorized Inspector or Authorized Inspection Agency, does not supply API-certified inspectors, and never signs as inspector of record.

Searches for "API inspection Houston" mix two purchases: hiring an API-certified inspector to act for the owner, and contracting the NDE that inspector relies on. Atlantis provides the second.

Pressure vessels (API 510). UT thickness at each vessel's CMLs, MT or PT on nozzle and attachment welds during entries, and PAUT or TOFD where cracking or prior repairs justify it, with readings beside the previous survey so your inspector can calculate corrosion rates. See pressure vessel inspection in Houston and API 510 NDE support in Texas.

Process piping (API 570). CML surveys to your isometrics, added scanning at injection points, deadlegs and soil-to-air interfaces, and CUI campaigns once insulation is stripped, delivered per CML for import into your inspection data system. See piping inspection in Houston and API 570 NDE support in Texas.

Storage tanks (API 653). MFL floor scanning with UT prove-up, shell thickness, shell-to-bottom and repair weld examination, nozzle work and settlement data for your inspector. See tank inspection in Houston and API 653 NDE support in Texas.

Atlantis does not offer risk-based inspection (API 580/581) or fitness-for-service (API 579) assessments. Those decisions stay with the owner's engineers and specialists.

Turnarounds, hurricane season and Houston scheduling

Direct answer: Houston turnarounds cluster in spring and autumn, and the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, so outages and outdoor scopes are planned around both. Atlantis joins at planning, agrees methods and crew size, and mobilises on the dates fixed during scoping.

NDE scopes are usually frozen months before a turnaround. The useful work happens early: walking down the scope, confirming access, deciding which welds get PAUT rather than film, and moving on-stream surveys ahead of the outage. After a storm like Hurricane Harvey, which stalled over southeast Texas in 2017 and dropped more than 50 inches of rain on parts of the region, owners need floating roofs, flooded insulation, tank foundations and wind-damaged structures inspected. Summer mornings in Houston average over 90 percent relative humidity, which brings condensation on cold equipment and dryness limits for coating and holiday testing. Because Atlantis is Houston-based, attending walkdowns and scope meetings in the metro is straightforward. See turnaround and shutdown inspection and commissioning inspection, or plan a Houston turnaround inspection.

Texas and federal rules that shape Houston inspection

Direct answer: Boilers fall under the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR); industrial radiography under the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), because Texas is an NRC Agreement State; intrastate pipelines under the Railroad Commission of Texas and interstate lines under PHMSA; large storage vessels under a TCEQ program; and process safety under federal OSHA.

Boilers: TDLR

TDLR administers Chapter 755 of the Health and Safety Code, with rules in 16 TAC Chapter 65, and more than 53,500 boilers are registered in Texas. Depending on the construction code, a boiler is inspected annually, biennially or triennially: insured boilers by the insurer's authorized inspectors, uninsured boilers by TDLR. TDLR's definition of a boiler does not list unfired pressure vessels, so Houston vessels are inspected under the owner's API 510 programme, insurer requirements and process safety rules. Confirm jurisdiction for a specific item with TDLR.

Industrial radiography: DSHS

Industrial radiography needs a radioactive-materials licence from the state in an Agreement State, or from the NRC elsewhere. In Texas, the DSHS Radiation Control Program licenses sealed sources and registers X-ray machines under 25 TAC §289.255, and certifies individual radiographers, who must carry a valid certification ID card on site. Sealed-source work away from a permanent installation needs at least two qualified people present. Atlantis does not claim to hold any particular licence; the radiography arrangements are confirmed per job, and PAUT or TOFD can often replace film where the code and owner accept it.

Pipelines: RRC and PHMSA

The Railroad Commission of Texas covers intrastate distribution, transmission and regulated gathering lines. Interstate lines fall under PHMSA, whose Southwest Region office is in Houston. Both work from 49 CFR Parts 192 and 195, and new girth welds usually follow API 1104. See pipeline inspection services and pipeline NDT in Houston.

Storage vessels: TCEQ

After the 2019 ITC tank fire in Deer Park, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 900, and TCEQ adopted the Aboveground Storage Vessel Safety Program (30 TAC Chapter 338) in August 2023. It covers vessels of 21,000 gallons (500 barrels) or more storing regulated substances at petrochemical plants, refineries and bulk terminals. Existing vessels must be registered by September 1, 2027, and self-certified by September 1, 2037, against standards that draw on API 653 and API 2350. For Houston tank owners, API 653 records are becoming part of a state compliance file. See aboveground storage tank inspection.

Process safety: OSHA

Texas has no state OSHA plan, so federal OSHA enforces process safety management (29 CFR 1910.119). Mechanical integrity requires inspection following recognised and generally accepted good engineering practice and documentation of each inspection: date, inspector, equipment, test and results. Our reports supply that record.

Personnel certification on Houston jobs

Direct answer: NDT technicians in the United States are certified by their employer under a written practice based on ASNT SNT-TC-1A, with an ASNT NDT Level III responsible for procedures and examinations. Atlantis technicians are certified this way. Owner-specific qualifications are confirmed at quotation.

People searching "ASNT Houston" are often working out what ASNT certification is. ASNT publishes SNT-TC-1A and runs the Level III examinations, but the employer certifies Level I and II technicians. Some owners also require API's individual ultrasonic examiner qualifications, such as QUTE; if your contract names one, say so in the request. Training and Level III pages: NDT training in Houston, certification requirements in Houston, oil and gas NDT training, corporate NDT training, the Practical NDT simulator for Houston, ASNT Level III consulting in Houston and Level III of record in Houston.

What a Houston inspection report contains

Direct answer: A digital report that ties every reading and indication to the asset, location, procedure revision, technician certification and instrument calibration, quotes the acceptance criteria, states coverage limits and is reviewed under ASNT Level III oversight.

• Tags, circuits and CML or weld numbers matching your isometrics.
• Current readings beside the previous survey.
• Areas not examined listed separately from areas with no reportable indication.
• Exports your inspection data system can import.

Significant findings go to your representative during the shift. See NDT reporting software in Houston, Atlantis ERP in Houston, digital twins in Houston and 3D scanning in Houston.

Atlantis inspection pages for Houston

• By asset: piping, pressure vessel, tank, pipeline, corrosion and weld inspection.
• Third-party inspection and vendor surveillance: Houston, Deer Park, Baytown and Galveston.
• By method: UT, RT, MT, PT, VT, ET, PAUT, TOFD and MFL.
• By industry: oil and gas, petrochemical, pipeline, marine, power, aerospace, construction and manufacturing.
• Consulting: NDT consulting, refining and maritime.
• Statewide: NDT inspection services in Texas and the Houston NDT market overview.

How to request NDT inspection in Houston

1. Send the request: asset, site and unit, method if known, governing code (API 510, 570 or 653, ASME, API 1104 or AWS D1.1), quantities and dates. Submit your Houston RFQ.
2. Scoping: technique, access, insulation removal, prequalification and site orientation.
3. Scope and quote: a written quote with procedures and technician certifications for your inspector to review. There are no published prices.
4. Inspection: the crew arrives on the agreed date and reports significant findings during the shift.
5. Report: a Level III-reviewed digital report, traceable to code, procedure, technician and instrument.

Frequently asked questions about NDT inspection in Houston

Is Atlantis NDT based in Houston?

Yes. Atlantis NDT, the trading name of Atlantis Engineering Consultants, is Houston-based, with an office in Hyderabad, India. Inspection is performed at your site, on dates agreed during scoping.

Can you provide an API 510 or API 570 inspector in Houston?

No. Atlantis is not an API Authorized Inspector or Authorized Inspection Agency and does not supply API-certified inspectors. We perform the NDE your API-certified inspector relies on, and that inspector remains the inspector of record.

Who inspects boilers and pressure vessels in Houston?

TDLR administers the Texas boiler law; insured boilers are inspected by the insurer's authorized inspectors and uninsured ones by TDLR. Unfired pressure vessels are not in TDLR's boiler definition and are usually inspected under the owner's API 510 programme.

Do industrial radiographers need a Texas certification?

Yes. DSHS certifies individual industrial radiographers, who carry a certification ID card on site, and licenses the sources and registers the X-ray machines used.

What does the TCEQ storage vessel rule mean for Houston tank owners?

Covered vessels of 500 barrels or more at refineries, petrochemical plants and bulk terminals must be registered with TCEQ by September 1, 2027, and existing vessels self-certified by September 1, 2037. Complete API 653 records make both steps easier.

How much does NDT inspection cost in Houston?

Atlantis quotes per scope and does not publish prices. Cost depends on method, quantities, access, insulation removal, crew size, shift pattern and report format.

Do you offer RBI or fitness-for-service assessments?

No. Atlantis does not offer risk-based inspection (API 580/581) or fitness-for-service (API 579) assessments. We supply the inspection data those programmes rely on.

Get a Houston inspection scope

A CUI campaign on a Ship Channel unit, a terminal tank floor in Pasadena, PAUT on tie-in welds at a Mont Belvieu fractionator or shop NDE on a vessel leaving a fabricator all start the same way: send the asset, method, code and dates. Request a Houston NDT inspection quote, or talk to our ASNT NDT Level III about method selection. Affordable. Accessible. Fully customizable. Browse all inspection services.

More Atlantis NDT services in Houston

• NDT training and certification in Houston
• NDT ERP software in Houston
• Practical NDT simulator in Houston