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Most welding schools teach you to weld. We train you to pass the tests pipeline companies actually require. At Western Welding Academy, API 1104 certification prep is built into every pipe welding program. You will spend 40 hours a week in the booth, welding the same joints, positions, and processes that pipeline contractors test on.
Our graduates do not just hold certificates. They hold pipeline jobs. 94% of them are working within weeks of finishing.
API 1104 is the American Petroleum Institute standard titled "Welding of Pipelines and Related Facilities." It is the rulebook that governs how pipeline welds are performed, tested, and accepted across the oil, gas, and energy infrastructure industries.
Pipeline companies, general contractors, and inspection agencies all reference API 1104 when qualifying welders for the field. It is one of the most respected credentials a welder can carry, and it opens the door to the highest-paying welding jobs in the country.
| Area | What It Covers |
|---|---|
| Welding Processes | SMAW, GTAW (TIG), GMAW (MIG), FCAW, and combination procedures |
| Pipe Materials | Carbon steel, low-alloy steel, and stainless steel pipeline materials |
| Joint Design | Butt welds on pipe, fillet welds on branch connections and sleeves |
| Positions | All positions including 6G (the most demanding fixed-pipe position) |
| Testing Methods | Visual, radiographic (X-ray), ultrasonic, bend tests, and nick-break tests |
| Acceptance Criteria | Specific defect limits for porosity, undercut, incomplete fusion, and cracks |
Other schools give you a textbook overview of welding codes. We put you in the booth and make you weld to the standard, every day, for months.
40 hours per week welding. Not watching someone else weld. Not sitting in a classroom reading about welding. Welding. Running the same joints and positions that pipeline companies test on during API 1104 qualifications.
330+ combined years of real pipeline, refinery, and industrial welding experience. They have passed API 1104 qualification tests themselves. They know what inspectors look for because they have been on the other side of the X-ray machine.
API 1104 covers SMAW (stick), GTAW (TIG), and combination procedures. Our programs train you across all of them.
By the time you finish, you will have welded hundreds of pipe joints to API 1104 standards. You will not need extra practice time before taking a contractor qualification test. Our graduates walk onto job sites and pass company weld tests because they have already done the work.
Two of our pipe welding programs include comprehensive API 1104 certification prep. The right choice depends on where you are now and where you want to go.
Covers SMAW and TIG pipe welding with ASME Section IX certification. Strong API 1104 prep for welders who want to qualify on stick or TIG pipeline procedures. A solid choice if you are targeting pipeline maintenance, fabrication, or entry-level pipeline construction roles.
View ProgramOur most popular program. Covers everything in the Professional program plus combo pipe welding, advanced TIG techniques, and additional time mastering the 6G position. This is the program for welders who want to qualify on the widest range of API 1104 procedures and target the highest-paying pipeline jobs: cross-country transmission lines, LNG facilities, and offshore pipeline tie-ins.
Apply NowBoth programs include housing, tools, unlimited welding materials, and lifetime retraining at no additional cost.
Pipeline contractors do not hire based on a diploma alone. They test welders on-site before putting them on the line. Here is what most pipeline companies evaluate during their API 1104 qualification tests:
Real paychecks from real WWA graduates working pipeline and industrial welding jobs. Every figure is verified by graduate-submitted pay stubs.
All earnings verified by graduate-submitted paychecks.
When we say all-inclusive, we mean it. There are no hidden fees, no surprise material charges, and no extra costs for housing.
No prior welding experience required.
Submit your online application. Takes about 10 minutes.
Receive your admission decision from our team.
Submit your Booth Hold Payment to lock in your start date.
Review and sign enrollment documents.
Finalize tuition funding before your first day.
You must be 17.5 years or older to enroll. No previous welding experience is needed for the Professional or Expert programs.
Every week that goes by is another week someone else is filling the pipeline jobs you want. Our next class has limited spots. Apply today, lock in your start date, and start training for the certification that gets you on the line.
Western Welding Academy is the only pipe welding school in the country that is solely owned and operated by real pipeline/pipe welders. At WWA we have the most elite, highest skilled welders in the world teaching students how to weld.
(307) 284-5313
