Does AWS D1.1:2025 specify what welding records the contractor must turn over to the owner?

AWS D1.1:2025 itself does not define a 'close-out package,' but it does specify minimum record retention requirements and the records that must exist — WPS, PQR, WPQ, inspection reports, and NDE reports. Contract documents and project specifications typically layer additional delivery requirements on top of the code minimums. The result is a submission the owner receives before final payment.

How long must WPS, PQR, and WPQ records be kept under AWS D1.1:2025?

AWS D1.1:2025 does not prescribe a specific retention period for all records uniformly; retention requirements often come from the contract specification, the jurisdiction's inspection authority, or referenced standards like IBC Chapter 17. Industry practice is a minimum of 10 years for WPS/PQR records and the lifetime of the structure for inspection records on critical connections. Always follow the contract's specified retention period, which governs over the code minimum.

Who is responsible for compiling the welding record package — the fabricator or the erector?

Typically the fabricator provides the shop welding records (WPS, PQR, WPQ, shop inspection reports, CMTRs) and the erector provides the field welding records (field WPS if different, field inspection reports, NDE reports). If one contractor performs both, the package is consolidated. The contract documents and the special inspection agreement define exactly which entity delivers which records.

What happens if a required welding record is missing at project close-out?

A missing record creates a nonconformance that must be resolved before the owner accepts the work. If a PQR cannot be produced to support a WPS used in production, the welds made under that WPS are unqualified — this is a serious finding that may require additional NDE, re-inspection, or engineering acceptance. Missing welder qualification records are similarly disqualifying. Prevention is far cheaper than remediation.

Welding Records at Project Close-Out: What to Turn Over

AWS D1.1:2025 and contract requirements drive a specific set of welding records the fabricator must provide at project close-out. Here is what goes in the package.

Most QC managers think about welding documentation during welding. The close-out package is the moment of truth when all that documentation gets assembled, reviewed, and handed to the owner — and gaps that were invisible during production become very visible.

AWS D1.1:2025 does not define a "project close-out submittal" as a deliverable. What it does is require that specific records exist, be accurate, and be available for inspection throughout the project. Contract documents, IBC Chapter 17 special inspection requirements, and AISC certification audit standards then require that many of those records be formally submitted to the owner. Understanding both layers — code minimums and contract additions — is what separates a smooth close-out from a disputed final payment.

Rule library based on AWS D1.1:2025; verify against your governing edition.

The code-required records

AWS D1.1:2025 identifies the documents that must exist for a compliant structural welding program. These form the core of any close-out package:

Welding Procedure Specifications (WPS): Every welding process, position, and joint type used in production must be covered by a WPS. The WPS must be in the format prescribed by the code and signed by the responsible authority (typically the CWI or QC manager). If prequalified WPS were used under Clause 5, they must comply with Clause 5 in all essential variables. If tested WPS were used under Clause 6, the supporting PQR(s) must accompany them.

Procedure Qualification Records (PQR): For each tested WPS, the corresponding PQR documents the actual test conditions, coupon dimensions, test results (tensile, bend, macro), and the laboratory's certifications. The PQR is the evidentiary foundation of the WPS — without it, the WPS is an assertion, not a qualified procedure. PQRs should be signed and dated by the CWI who witnessed the qualification test.

Welder Performance Qualification Records (WPQ): Every production welder's qualification must be documented, covering the process, position, base metal group, and the date of qualification. AWS D1.1:2025 Clause 6.4 defines the continuity requirements — a welder who has not welded using a process within six months must re-qualify. WPQ records must show active qualifications covering the work performed.

Inspection reports: AWS D1.1:2025 requires that visual inspection be performed and that inspection findings be documented. The CWI daily inspection report — capturing which welds were inspected, what was found, and what disposition was applied — is the record of this activity. See CWI inspection report documentation under AWS D1.1 for format guidance.

NDE reports: Radiographic, ultrasonic, magnetic particle, and liquid penetrant testing reports, including acceptance/rejection determinations and reviewer qualifications, must be maintained. NDE method selection and documentation for audit packets covers organizing these records.

Contract-layer additions

Project specifications and contracts routinely require records beyond the code minimum. Common additions include:

Certified Material Test Reports (CMTRs): The CMTR for each heat of structural steel documents the chemical composition, mechanical properties, and heat number. Under AWS D1.1:2025 and standard contract language, CMTRs must be maintained for base metals used in primary structural members. The QC plan should identify which members require CMTR traceability. See CMTR verification for structural welding for typical requirements.

Filler metal certifications and lot records: Electrode manufacturer certifications, lot numbers, and conformance certificates are required for contract traceability. For H-designated electrodes (H4, H8, H16), the moisture testing records from the manufacturer are part of the filler metal documentation. These records demonstrate that the filler metal used in production matched the WPS classification.

Weld maps: A weld map correlates specific weld joints on the fabricated assembly to the WPS(s) used, the welder(s) who made them, and the inspection records covering them. For complex or multi-connection assemblies, the weld map is the traceability tool that ties everything together. Weld maps are increasingly required on seismic, bridge, and industrial structure projects.

Nonconformance reports and corrective actions: Every weld rejection, repair, and corrective action must be documented with an NCR or weld repair report. The close-out package should include all NCRs opened during the project and evidence of their closure — the re-inspection record showing acceptance of the repair.

Preheat and interpass temperature records: On high-restraint joints, thick plate, or low-alloy high-strength steel, the contract may require that preheat and interpass temperatures be recorded by heat number or joint identifier. The production weld log captures this data point by point.

Organizing the package

A close-out package that arrives as a box of loose papers is a liability, not a deliverable. Owners and third-party reviewers expect organized, indexed documentation. A practical structure:

Tab 1 — WPS index and WPS documents: List all WPS numbers used on the project, cross-referenced to the joints or members they cover. Follow with the actual WPS forms, organized by WPS number.

Tab 2 — PQR documents: Each PQR that supports a tested WPS, organized by PQR number. Include the test laboratory report, not just the code form.

Tab 3 — Welder qualifications: An active WPQ summary table showing each welder's ID, process(es), position(s), qualification date, and most recent weld date (demonstrating continuity). Follow with individual WPQ forms. For large crews, the qualification matrix is the efficient format — see welder qualification matrix tools for the structure.

Tab 4 — Inspection reports: Daily CWI inspection reports, organized chronologically. Include a summary of total welds inspected, total rejected, and reject rate.

Tab 5 — NDE reports: Organized by NDE method (UT, RT, MT, PT), then chronologically. For radiographic testing, include the interpretation reports and film identification log.

Tab 6 — CMTRs and filler metal certifications: CMTRs organized by heat number, with a cross-reference table showing which members contain which heats. Filler metal certifications organized by electrode classification and lot number.

Tab 7 — Nonconformance reports and repairs: All NCRs opened during the project, with their closure records. If an engineering evaluation was required to accept a nonconformance, include that evaluation.

Tab 8 — Special inspection records: If the project was subject to IBC Chapter 17 special inspection, the Statement of Special Inspection and all periodic and continuous inspection reports belong here, along with the special inspector's final report.

Common gaps that surface at close-out

Missing PQR for a tested WPS: A shop acquires a WPS from another project or a previous shop — with no corresponding PQR in the file. If that WPS was used on the current project, the gap must be resolved before close-out.

WPQ continuity gaps: A welder qualified two years ago who welded on the project but has no recent activity record. If there is a gap exceeding six months without any welded work under that process, re-qualification was required. See AWS D1.1 welder continuity and the six-month rule.

NDE reports without reviewed/accepted disposition: A batch of UT or RT reports where the examiner has marked indications but no reviewing engineer has made an accept/reject determination.

Weld map gaps: Members that were fabricated but have no corresponding WPS reference or welder ID on the weld map.

NCRs opened but never closed: A rejection was documented, the repair was made, but no re-inspection record was created.

Connecting to software-managed packages

Shops running a digital QC system can generate much of this package from the project record rather than assembling it by hand. A WPS library with active PQR links, a welder roster with qualification status tracking, and an NCR log with closure statuses makes the assembly process a matter of filtering by project rather than hunting through paper files.

The audit-ready welding procedure library and welder continuity tracking tools at /pricing are built specifically for this workflow — the close-out package becomes a project export rather than an emergency document drive.

Delivery and retention

Confirm delivery format with the owner before the project starts — PDF, paper, or electronic records management system. Set aside a copy for the fabricator's own retention. For structural projects, retaining WPS and PQR records for the life of the structure is prudent; for welder qualification records, a minimum of 10 years after project completion is common contract language.

The close-out package is not a bureaucratic formality. It is the evidence that the welding program that produced the structure was controlled, qualified, and documented. When a connection is investigated five years from now, that package is what an engineer will look at first.