How do you calculate radiography cost for a pressure vessel?

Multiply the number of shots by the per-shot rate and by the fraction of welds requiring RT, then add the fixed mobilization cost. With 100 shots at $45, 80% coverage and $250 setup, total cost is $3,850 or $38.50 per shot.

What is a typical per-shot radiography rate?

Film RT commonly runs $30-$60 per shot depending on wall thickness, source, and access; the $45 default sits mid-range. Digital and computed radiography can be higher per shot but faster overall, changing the economics on high-volume jobs.

Why include a coverage percentage?

Not every weld is radiographed on spot or RT-4 jobs. The 80% coverage factor scales the shot cost so you pay for the welds actually examined; here it turns $4,500 of raw shot cost into $3,600 of captured value before the fixed fee.

Full radiography vs spot radiography: how much more does it cost?

Full RT (RT-1) examines 100% of welds and often removes the joint-efficiency penalty, while spot RT covers a sample. In this model, raising coverage from, say, 20% to 100% multiplies the variable shot cost fivefold, so the joint-efficiency savings must justify it.

What is included in the fixed cost?

The $250 fixed figure covers mobilization, source setup, area barricading, and paperwork that you pay regardless of shot count. Spread over 100 shots it adds only $2.50 per shot, but on a 10-shot job it dominates the per-shot price.

How do I lower per-shot radiography cost?

Batch shots to amortize the fixed fee, use panoramic exposures on circumferential seams, and schedule the RT crew for a single mobilization. Cutting re-shoots through better fit-up also directly reduces total shots.

Tank, Vessel & Pressure Equipment Fabrication calculator

Radiography Cost Calculator

The Radiography Cost metric gives a tank and pressure-vessel shop the total and per-unit cost of radiographic weld examination on a job, combining the number of shots, the per-shot rate, the fraction of welds requiring RT, and a fixed mobilization charge. Estimators and QA managers use it when quoting an ASME job where the required degree of radiography (spot, RT-2, or full RT-1) drives a real chunk of the inspection budget. It matters because moving from spot to full radiography can multiply film and interpretation cost, and that delta needs to land in the quote, not on the shop's margin. This calculator makes that inspection line item explicit before you commit to a price.

What this calculator does

The Radiography Cost metric gives a tank and pressure-vessel shop the total and per-unit cost of radiographic weld examination on a job, combining the number of shots, the per-shot rate, the fraction of welds requiring RT, and a fixed mobilization charge.
Use it when radiography cost in tank, vessel and pressure equipment fabrication is being put through a tank, vessel and pressure equipment fabrication weighted-cost review.
It computes total radiography cost as shots times rate times coverage plus a fixed setup fee, and divides by shot count for a per-shot figure.

Formula used

Radiography Cost cost = quantity × rate × capture factor + fixed cost
Per-unit radiography cost = total cost ÷ quantity

Inputs explained

Weld shots or radiographs to expose:
Cost per radiograph shot:
Coverage percentage requiring RT:
Setup and mobilization fixed cost:

How to use the result

Use it while quoting or budgeting the NDE portion of a pressure-vessel job, especially when the code-required RT level is still being decided.
It assumes a flat per-shot rate and does not separately price re-shoots, digital vs film RT, or crawler versus panoramic exposures, which can shift real cost.

Current U.S. benchmarks

U.S. iron and steel imports ran $2.1B in May 2026 (Census International Trade). The U.S. ran a trade deficit of $0.4B in the category that month. Import volumes are the pressure gauge behind tariff and reshoring decisions.
Steel mill PPI stands at 348.53 (BLS, May 2026), up 6.7% from a year earlier. New factory orders are up 2.3% year over year (Census).
The U.S. has 53,790 fabricated metal products establishments employing about 1,441,471 workers (Census County Business Patterns, 2023).

Common questions

How do you calculate radiography cost for a pressure vessel? Multiply the number of shots by the per-shot rate and by the fraction of welds requiring RT, then add the fixed mobilization cost. With 100 shots at $45, 80% coverage and $250 setup, total cost is $3,850 or $38.50 per shot.
What is a typical per-shot radiography rate? Film RT commonly runs $30-$60 per shot depending on wall thickness, source, and access; the $45 default sits mid-range. Digital and computed radiography can be higher per shot but faster overall, changing the economics on high-volume jobs.
Why include a coverage percentage? Not every weld is radiographed on spot or RT-4 jobs. The 80% coverage factor scales the shot cost so you pay for the welds actually examined; here it turns $4,500 of raw shot cost into $3,600 of captured value before the fixed fee.
Full radiography vs spot radiography: how much more does it cost? Full RT (RT-1) examines 100% of welds and often removes the joint-efficiency penalty, while spot RT covers a sample. In this model, raising coverage from, say, 20% to 100% multiplies the variable shot cost fivefold, so the joint-efficiency savings must justify it.
What is included in the fixed cost? The $250 fixed figure covers mobilization, source setup, area barricading, and paperwork that you pay regardless of shot count. Spread over 100 shots it adds only $2.50 per shot, but on a 10-shot job it dominates the per-shot price.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.