What should a fabrication or repair welding shop's website show to prove they can take our job?
A welding shop worth trusting with a job publishes the processes it is qualified in, the materials and thickness range it welds, and the positions its welders are coded for. A procedure qualification record under a named standard is the document that separates a coded shop from an uncertified one. Inspection capability decides whether soundness is verified or asserted.
A maintenance buyer needs a repair or fabrication welded to a procedure their inspector will accept, and is comparing two shops online.
Reviewed 4 August 2026
Scope and specifications
- Welding processes
- MIG, TIG, MMA, ARC, spot and submerged arc suit different materials, thicknesses and positions.
- Procedure qualification standard
- ISO 15614, ASME IX or AWS D1.1 — the named standard a welding procedure is qualified to.
- Materials welded
- Carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminium and alloy require different procedures and expertise.
- Thickness range qualified
- Procedures are qualified over a thickness range; outside it, the procedure is invalid.
- Welder positions coded
- Plate and pipe welding positions (1G through 6G) govern what the welder is certified to deposit.
- Inspection capability in-house
- Dye penetrant, magnetic particle, ultrasonic and radiographic testing decide whether soundness is verified or asserted.
- Site work versus workshop
- Whether the welder travels to the job or the job comes to the shop is a hard constraint for many buyers.
Documents buyers may need
| Document | What it proves | Where it belongs |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001 certificateAsked at: vendor approval | Quality system, with number and certification body | Publish it |
| Welding procedure qualification record (WPQR)Asked at: technical evaluation — often decisive | Procedure qualified to a named standard for the materials, thicknesses and positions joined | Name it, share on request |
| Welder qualification certificatesAsked at: before critical or regulated work | Individual welders are coded for the processes and positions required | Name it, share on request |
| Non-destructive test reportAsked at: critical components and acceptance | Dye penetrant, magnetic particle, ultrasonic or radiographic results for weld soundness | Per shipment |
| Material test certificateAsked at: with delivery, often a purchase order condition | Grade and mechanical properties of the parent material welded | Per shipment |
| Sample inspection reportAsked at: new supplier evaluation | What your NDT and dimensional paperwork looks like before the first order | Publish it |
| Sector certification (where relevant)Asked at: by buyers in those sectors | ASME, CE marking under EN 1090 or other sector approval for pressure, structural or marine work | Publish it |
Details for a useful enquiry
- Drawing, sketch or photos of the job
- The fastest way to communicate scope and accessibility.
- Material and thickness
- Determines the procedure and whether the shop is qualified.
- Welding specification and acceptance standard
- Sets the inspection regime and the procedure required.
- Site or workshop
- Decides whether the welder travels or the job is brought in.
- Inspection and test requirement
- Non-destructive testing needs planning and adds cost.
- Quantity and required date
- Frame a one-off repair differently from a batch of fabrications.
Questions suppliers ask
Why does the procedure qualification standard matter so much?
Because welding procedures are qualified to named standards — ISO 15614, ASME IX, AWS D1.1 — and the qualification defines the materials, thicknesses and positions covered. A shop without a stated standard may weld competently, but a buyer whose inspector requires a WPQR cannot risk an enquiry to one that has not.
Should a small welding shop publish its welder codes?
Yes, summarised by process and position. The fact that individual welders are coded, and the range they are certified for, is the single clearest signal that separates a serious shop from an uncertified one. It costs nothing to publish and is the page a critical-work buyer looks for first.
How important is in-house inspection capability?
For any structural, pressure or load-bearing work it is decisive. Dye penetrant, magnetic particle and ultrasonic testing verify that a weld is sound inside; without them, soundness is asserted rather than evidenced. Stating the inspection equipment in-house moves a shop into a different category for a buyer managing risk.
Check which documents and standards your buyer needs; requirements vary by market, customer and contract.
Plact Research. Plact's editorial desk for buyer-evidence research. Industry standards, documents and buyer questions are researched and drafted with Plact's AI tools, then reviewed by Praveen Kavuri before publication. Every claim cites the standard, regulation or public source it rests on.
Related buyer questions
- Steel and TMTWhat does a buyer check before placing a steel order with a new supplier?
- Industrial componentsWhat does a buyer check before sending you a drawing or an RFQ?
- Steel tube and pipeWhat does a buyer check before ordering tube or pipe?
- AluminiumWhat does a buyer check before ordering aluminium sections or sheet?
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