API 1184: What Pipeline Facility Construction Inspectors Need to Know to Pass (and Succeed on Site)

​Posted by a pipeline lifer who allegedly still looks for coating holidays before coffee.

The short: ​API 1184 validates you on facility construction—from site prep and structural/electrical systems to SCADA/commissioning. It’s built on API RP 1184 and related standards. If you’re moving from mainline work into stations, terminals, or compressor/pump facilities, this is your roadmap.

​What API 1184 Actually Covers (No non-sense, just field reality)

API 1184 is the Pipeline Facility Construction Inspector certification under API’s Individual Certification Programs (ICP). The exam blueprint tracks the API 1184 Body of Knowledge, so expect questions across the life of a facility project: civil/site, mechanical, coatings, electrical and I&C, SCADA, and commissioning/turnover. API’s program page outlines the credential and how it fits under ICP certifications.

Under the hood, the standard behind the cert - API Recommended Practice 1184 - lays out best practices for facility construction inspection. It’s your anchor for role expectations, documentation, safety/environmental controls, and quality oversight as facilities go from dirt work to energized equipment.

Inspector’s note: Even if you’ve lived in API 1169 land, facilities bring new risk areas (switchgear, MCCs, grounding, relay logic, PLCs/RTUs, hazardous area classification) and multi-trade interfaces you won’t see the same way on mainline.

Core Domains You’ll See (and work on every week in the field)

• Civil/site & structural: grading, foundations, drainage, containment, access/egress, structural steel, and embed coordination.
• Mechanical & piping packages: pipe supports, alignment, torqueing, valves/actuators, vendor skids, lube oil systems.
• Coatings & integrity protections: surface prep, coating systems, DFT checks, holiday testing, documentation.
• Electrical power systems: grounding & bonding, cable management, trays, transformers, switchgear, and MCCs.
• Controls & automation: SCADA, PLC/RTU panels, I/O checkout, loop checks, interlocks, cause-and-effect.
• Pre-commissioning & startup: flushing, pressure testing, function testing, redlines, turnover packages.

Much of your reference mindset still borrows from familiar standards like API 1104 (welding on related facilities) when applicable, so it’s worth keeping that framework sharp.

​Who Should Sit for API 1184?

• Facility inspectors moving from mechanical into E&I/controls oversight
• 1169-certified inspectors expanding into stations, terminals, plants
• Owner reps/QA/QC who manage vendor packages and multi-discipline punchlists
• Contractor QA leads formalizing inspection practices to API norms

How to Prep (so your first attempt is your last attempt) If you learn like a field hand - see it, do it, repeat - your best setup is an interactive course that mirrors the Body of Knowledge, mixes narrated lessons, quizzes, timed practice exams, and downloadables you’ll actually reuse. (Shameless plug, because it’s what we built for working inspectors):

• API 1184 Online Exam Training - narrated lessons on SCADA, high-voltage switchyards, coatings, safety/environmental, plus unlimited timed exam sims and instructor support:
• → See the training options offered
• → Full Catalog Here
• Already juggling 12s? Choose 30/60/90/120/180-day access so you can stack reps around your hitch.

Test-Day Mindset (from one inspector to another)

• Think like the owner. Quality + safety + operability. Does this pass turnover without rework?
• Chase the reference. If a question feels “experience-based,” tie it back to the RP or procedure.
• Respect interfaces. Facilities fail at handoffs—civil to structural, mechanical to E&I, vendor to site.
• Write it so it stands up in handover. Punch clarity is as important as punch count.

Career Return on Investment: Why API 1184 Moves the Needle

• Credential that speaks plant: It signals employers you can inspect across electrical, controls, mechanical, and commissioning - not just pipe-in-ditch.
• Better project traction: You’ll catch issues earlier (tray fill, grounding, cause-and-effect) and cut startup churn.
• Mobility: Puts you in play for compressor stations, terminals, meter stations, pump facilities, and more.

Common Questions (straight answers)

• Is API 1184 part of API’s official ICP certifications? Yes, see API’s ICP site for the 1184 certification listing and application process. API Inspector Training
• What standard underpins the exam? API RP 1184 is the core reference for facility construction inspection practices. API
• Do welding principles still matter? Absolutely. Where facility scopes include welded systems, grounding in API 1104 practices remains valuable.

Want a structured, inspector-friendly path? Start here → /api-1184-training (Browse Catalog & Enroll)

What We’ll Cover Next (stay tuned) We’re publishing a steady turnout of pipeline and facilities content!