Does this decide which inspection method I need?

No. Set the inspection method, coverage and acceptance criteria through the applicable drawing, contract and procedure before estimating its cost.

Where does supplier mobilization belong?

Include supplier mobilization in the purchased inspection service total. Add internal preparation time to reporting hours only when it is absent from per-part inspection time.

Should I enter the full production count?

Enter the count actually covered by your priced inspection scope. A sampled lot and a full inspection require different observed times and service quotes.

Does reporting time include burden?

Reporting personhours sum each inspector’s internal labor. The loaded hourly rate carries the burden, so an extra burden charge would duplicate expense.

Welding & Fabrication calculator

Weld Inspection Cost Calculator

Estimate expense for an already specified weld inspection scope. Enter lot size, internal inspection and reporting time, the loaded labor rate, purchased services and the budget.

What this calculator does

Price the specified weld inspection lot from internal labor and purchased inspection services.

Formula used

Internal personhours = inspected weldments × inspection personminutes per weldment ÷ 60 + reporting personhours
Internal labor cost = internal personhours × loaded rate per inspector hour
Total inspection cost = internal labor cost + purchased inspection service
Cost per weldment = total inspection cost ÷ inspected weldments
Budget reserve = inspection expense budget − total inspection cost

Inputs explained

Weldments Inspected: Lot count covered by this inspection scope.
Inspection Labor per Weldment: Summed inspector minutes per weldment for the specified checks.
Internal Reporting Labor: Summed inspector setup and reporting hours outside per-part checks.
Loaded Inspector Labor Rate: Approved cost per inspector hour including chosen burden.
Purchased Inspection Service: Supplier quote or invoice excluding all internal labor above.
Inspection Expense Budget: Approved expense for this inspection scope and lot.

How to use the result

Best suited to inspection lot budgets, outsourced service comparison.
Input bounds are numerical limits for this implementation, not recommended process settings. Does not select inspection methods, sampling coverage or acceptance criteria. An expense estimate does not establish code compliance or inspector qualification.

Current U.S. benchmarks

The producer price index for steel mill products stands at 381.162 (BLS, Aug 2026), up 23.4% from a year earlier. Quotes priced off last quarter's material cost miss this move.
Industrial electricity averages 9.77 cents per kWh across the U.S. (EIA, Jul 2026), up 4.7% from a year earlier. Energy-intensive steps carry this directly into unit cost.
U.S. iron and steel import customs value ran $2.2B in Aug 2026 (Census International Trade). The U.S. ran a trade deficit of $0.6B in the category that month. This dollar total mixes price, quantity, product mix, origin, and timing; it does not measure physical import volume or prove a tariff or reshoring effect.
The U.S. has 53,790 fabricated metal products establishments employing about 1,441,471 workers (Census County Business Patterns, 2023).

Common questions

Does this decide which inspection method I need? No. Set the inspection method, coverage and acceptance criteria through the applicable drawing, contract and procedure before estimating its cost.
Where does supplier mobilization belong? Include supplier mobilization in the purchased inspection service total. Add internal preparation time to reporting hours only when it is absent from per-part inspection time.
Should I enter the full production count? Enter the count actually covered by your priced inspection scope. A sampled lot and a full inspection require different observed times and service quotes.
Does reporting time include burden? Reporting personhours sum each inspector’s internal labor. The loaded hourly rate carries the burden, so an extra burden charge would duplicate expense.

Last reviewed 2026-10-06.