NDT Inspection Checklist — Pre-Inspection to Reporting (Free Download)

A comprehensive, step-by-step NDT inspection checklist for planning, executing, and documenting inspections — covering pre-inspection planning, equipment and calibration verification, during-inspection discipline, post-inspection reporting, and code-specific reminders for ASME Section V, API 510, API 570, and API 653. Download the editable Excel version free, or print it for field use. Developed by ASNT Level III professionals at Atlantis NDT.

1. Pre-Inspection Planning

Complete before mobilising: review the work scope and inspection objectives against the purchase order; identify the governing code or standard (ASME Section V, AWS D1.1, API 510/570/653, EN, or client specifications) and obtain the correct edition; verify equipment calibration status and due dates; confirm technician certifications are valid for the required method and level per the employer's written practice (SNT-TC-1A) or scheme (ISO 9712, PCN, ACCP); review previous inspection reports for known indications and corrosion rates; identify access needs (scaffolding, rope access, confined space); prepare report forms and technique sheets; and secure safety permits, orientation, and PPE.

2. Equipment & Calibration

Verify every instrument is within calibration date and will remain valid through the project. Check reference standards and calibration blocks (IIW/V1, V2, DSC) and confirm block material matches the component where required. Verify couplant and consumables — penetrant, developer, magnetic particles, film or imaging plates — including expiration dates. Function-test instruments, probes, cables, and batteries. Record all serial numbers on the technique sheet, and measure and log ambient and surface conditions against procedure requirements.

3. During Inspection

Follow the approved written procedure exactly — deviations require Level III authorization. Track scan coverage systematically toward 100% using grids or digital mapping. Document every indication with location, size, orientation, and classification. Log environmental conditions at intervals. Evaluate each indication against the specific code paragraph, table, or figure. Photograph reportable findings with a scale reference. Mark rejectable indication locations on the component. Perform calibration verification checks at the required frequency — and if calibration is lost, re-examine all work since the last valid check.

4. Post-Inspection & Reporting

Complete the report per procedure: procedure number, technique, equipment, personnel, results, and disposition. Include all mandatory data fields — date, component ID, material, thickness, weld numbers, indication details, sketches, acceptance criteria, and signatures. Attach calibration records and traceability documentation. Obtain Level III review and approval, distribute to stakeholders, and archive per retention requirements (typically five years minimum; longer for nuclear and some pressure vessel codes).

5. Code-Specific Reminders

ASME Section V: use the correct Article for your method (Art. 4 UT, Art. 2 RT, Art. 7 MT, Art. 6 PT, Art. 8 ET, Art. 9 VT); remember acceptance criteria live in the referencing code, not Section V; procedures must address all mandatory variables (e.g., Table T-421 for UT). API 510: verify minimum thickness calculations, short- and long-term corrosion rates, remaining life, and CML records. API 570: classify piping circuits by service class, prioritise injection points, deadlegs, and CUI areas, include small-bore and socket welds, and check MAWP at measured thickness. API 653: measure settlement at a minimum of 8 perimeter points, take shell readings per Table 6.1, inspect the critical zone at the shell-to-bottom weld, and evaluate annular plates per Table 4.4.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should an NDT inspection checklist include?

Four phases at minimum: pre-inspection planning (scope, codes, certifications, access, permits), equipment and calibration verification, during-inspection discipline (procedure compliance, coverage tracking, indication documentation), and post-inspection reporting with Level III review and archiving. Code-specific reminders for ASME and API work prevent the most common audit findings.

Is this checklist compliant with ASME Section V?

The checklist is structured around ASME Section V execution requirements and reminds you where acceptance criteria actually reside — in the referencing code such as ASME Section VIII UW-51/52. Always verify against the code edition your contract specifies.

What format does the download come in?

An editable multi-section Excel (XLSX) workbook you can brand, extend, and print. A print-friendly page version is also available for field clipboards.

How often should calibration be verified during an inspection?

At the frequency your procedure specifies — commonly at the start and end of each examination and at set intervals such as every two hours. If a verification check fails, all examinations since the last valid check must be repeated.

Can I get a checklist customised to my project?

Yes — Atlantis NDT Level III consultants build project-specific checklists tailored to your codes, equipment, and quality plan, and Atlantis ERP can turn them into digital forms with automatic report generation. Contact us for a tailored quote within 24 hours.

Atlantis NDT Products & Services

Atlantis NDT supports inspection organisations end to end: NDT inspection management software — Atlantis ERP for work orders, certification tracking and audit-ready records; a digital twin platform for asset integrity that overlays inspection history on a navigable 3D model; modern NDT reporting software; NDT training & certification backed by ASNT Level III authorship; ASNT Level III consulting; and 3D laser scanning services. Affordable. Accessible. Fully customizable. Book a free consultation — pricing varies by region and scope, and we return a tailored quote within 24 hours.

Calibration control at company scale

Instrument, probe, wedge and reference-block calibration is the second thing a client audit tests after personnel qualification. Calibration management covers interval control, certificate storage and ISO 17025 traceability chains, including hard lockout so an out-of-calibration instrument cannot be dispatched — and the free calibration register template covers the accessories that are usually the missing item in an audit.

The NDT inspection checklist decomposed by phase and governing code
Phase or code	What the checklist verifies	The finding it prevents
Phase 1 — Pre-inspection planning	Scope vs purchase order; governing code and correct edition; certifications valid per written practice (SNT-TC-1A) or scheme (ISO 9712, PCN, ACCP); previous reports and corrosion rates; access, permits, PPE	Crew mobilised against a superseded code edition or with a certification that lapses mid-project
Phase 2 — Equipment and calibration	Calibration valid through the project; blocks (IIW/V1, V2, DSC) match component material where required; consumable expiry dates; function tests; serial numbers on the technique sheet	Instrument calibration expiring on site, or a reference block that does not match the component
Phase 3 — During inspection	Procedure followed exactly (deviations need Level III authorization); coverage tracked to 100% with grids or digital mapping; every indication documented with location, size, orientation, classification; periodic calibration checks	Lost calibration not caught — every examination since the last valid check must be repeated
Phase 4 — Post-inspection and reporting	All mandatory data fields, sketches, acceptance criteria and signatures; calibration records attached; Level III review and approval; archive five years minimum	A report that cannot survive audit because fields, traceability or approval are missing
ASME Section V	Correct Article per method — Art. 4 UT, Art. 2 RT, Art. 7 MT, Art. 6 PT, Art. 8 ET, Art. 9 VT; procedures address all mandatory variables (Table T-421 for UT)	Acceptance criteria applied from Section V instead of the referencing code (e.g., ASME VIII UW-51/52)
API 510 — pressure vessels	Minimum thickness calculations, short- and long-term corrosion rates, remaining life, CML records	Remaining life computed from the wrong corrosion rate or without CML history
API 570 — piping	Circuits classified by service class; injection points, deadlegs and CUI areas prioritised; small-bore and socket welds included; MAWP checked at measured thickness	Small-bore and socket welds silently excluded from scope
API 653 — storage tanks	Settlement at a minimum of 8 perimeter points; shell readings per Table 6.1; critical zone at the shell-to-bottom weld; annular plates per Table 4.4	A settlement survey with too few points to evaluate against the annex criteria

The NDT inspection checklist decomposed by phase and governing code

Phase or code

What the checklist verifies

The finding it prevents

Phase 1 — Pre-inspection planning

Scope vs purchase order; governing code and correct edition; certifications valid per written practice (SNT-TC-1A) or scheme (ISO 9712, PCN, ACCP); previous reports and corrosion rates; access, permits, PPE

Crew mobilised against a superseded code edition or with a certification that lapses mid-project

Phase 2 — Equipment and calibration

Calibration valid through the project; blocks (IIW/V1, V2, DSC) match component material where required; consumable expiry dates; function tests; serial numbers on the technique sheet

Instrument calibration expiring on site, or a reference block that does not match the component

Phase 3 — During inspection

Procedure followed exactly (deviations need Level III authorization); coverage tracked to 100% with grids or digital mapping; every indication documented with location, size, orientation, classification; periodic calibration checks

Lost calibration not caught — every examination since the last valid check must be repeated

Phase 4 — Post-inspection and reporting

All mandatory data fields, sketches, acceptance criteria and signatures; calibration records attached; Level III review and approval; archive five years minimum

A report that cannot survive audit because fields, traceability or approval are missing

ASME Section V

Correct Article per method — Art. 4 UT, Art. 2 RT, Art. 7 MT, Art. 6 PT, Art. 8 ET, Art. 9 VT; procedures address all mandatory variables (Table T-421 for UT)

Acceptance criteria applied from Section V instead of the referencing code (e.g., ASME VIII UW-51/52)

API 510 — pressure vessels

Minimum thickness calculations, short- and long-term corrosion rates, remaining life, CML records

Remaining life computed from the wrong corrosion rate or without CML history

API 570 — piping

Circuits classified by service class; injection points, deadlegs and CUI areas prioritised; small-bore and socket welds included; MAWP checked at measured thickness

Small-bore and socket welds silently excluded from scope

API 653 — storage tanks

Settlement at a minimum of 8 perimeter points; shell readings per Table 6.1; critical zone at the shell-to-bottom weld; annular plates per Table 4.4

A settlement survey with too few points to evaluate against the annex criteria

How often must calibration be verified during an examination?

At the frequency the approved procedure specifies — commonly at the start and end of each examination and at set intervals such as every two hours. The rule with teeth is the failure clause: when a verification check fails, every examination performed since the last valid check must be repeated, which is why long scan runs get interim checks.

Where do acceptance criteria come from on an ASME Section V job?

From the referencing code, not Section V. Section V's Articles define how to perform the examination — Article 4 for UT, Article 2 for RT, Article 7 MT, Article 6 PT, Article 8 ET, Article 9 VT — while accept/reject limits sit in the construction or in-service code, such as ASME Section VIII UW-51 and UW-52 for vessel radiography.

What must be recorded for every indication found?

Location, size, orientation and classification — evaluated against the specific code paragraph, table or figure, not against memory of it. Reportable findings are photographed with a scale reference, rejectable indication locations are marked on the component itself, and environmental conditions are logged at intervals so the record shows the examination stayed inside procedure limits.

How long must NDT inspection records be retained?

Five years minimum is the working baseline, with nuclear work and some pressure vessel codes requiring longer. The archive package is more than the report: attach calibration records and traceability documentation, capture Level III review and approval, and distribute to stakeholders before archiving so the record trail survives an audit years after the crew has moved on.

What does API 570 tell you to prioritise on piping?

Classify piping circuits by service class first, then weight attention toward injection points, deadlegs and corrosion-under-insulation areas — the locations where localised attack outruns the circuit average. Include small-bore and socket welds in scope rather than exempting them, and check MAWP at the measured thickness, not the nominal.

Which tank-specific checks does API 653 add?

Settlement measured at a minimum of eight perimeter points, shell thickness readings taken per Table 6.1, inspection of the critical zone at the shell-to-bottom weld, and evaluation of annular plates per Table 4.4. Each targets a tank-only failure mode: shell settlement, course-by-course thinning and bottom-side corrosion have no piping or vessel equivalent.