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Corpus Christi and the Coastal Bend
Corpus Christi welding happens in salt air. We TIG weld process pipe and stainless at the refineries along the inner harbor, repair equipment at the export terminals around the bay, and fix aluminum bay boats, towers and T-tops from Rockport down to Port Aransas.
Coastal Bend · Corpus Christi, Texas
Short answer
TIG Weld Techs serves Corpus Christi and the Coastal Bend with mobile TIG rigs and shop fabrication. Typical work is stainless and carbon process pipe at refineries and terminals, aluminum boat and marine repairs, and 316 stainless hardware that has to survive salt air. We weld to the code the job specifies. Travel is quoted by distance.
What we do in Corpus Christi
01
Refinery Row runs along the inner harbor west of downtown, and newer plants sit out past Portland and Gregory. We put in TIG roots on B31.3 lines, repair stainless tubing and make turnaround tie-ins, working under each site's permits, orientation and fire watch.
02
The Port of Corpus Christi ships a lot of crude and LNG out through the channel and Ingleside. Terminal work means TWIC cards, MTSA security rules and tight hot work controls. We repair stainless and aluminum gangways, rails, instrument stands and small-bore piping.
03
Workboats, crew boats and offshore equipment come through Aransas Pass, Ingleside and Port Aransas. We weld 5086 aluminum hulls and wheelhouses and 316L railings and fittings, and repair cracked brackets and davits. Salt and vibration find every undercut toe, so bead profile and full fusion matter.
04
Rockport, Fulton and Port Aransas run on bay boats. We fix cracked aluminum hulls and transoms, build and repair T-tops, leaning posts, poling platforms and ladders, and weld stainless rod holders and trolling motor brackets that took one wave too many.
Get a quote
Have a job in Corpus Christi? Send photos, a drawing or the site address and we'll come back with questions or a quote.
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Salt air changes the material choices
Plant and terminal access on the Coastal Bend
Corpus Christi at a glance
Region
Coastal Bend
Work we see most
Refining and petrochemical, Export terminals and the port, Marine and offshore, Bay boats and fishing gear
Nearby
Portland, Robstown, Rockport, Port Aransas, Aransas Pass, Ingleside, Gregory, Kingsville
Shop or site
Parts that can travel come to the shop. Installed equipment gets a mobile rig.
Travel
Quoted by distance and listed separately in the quote.
Near the water, 304 stainless tea-stains and pits faster than most people expect. For anything outdoors on the bay we steer toward 316 or 316L, welded with ER316L filler, and we pickle or passivate the weld zone so the heat tint doesn't become the first place rust starts. Carbon steel brushes never touch it.
Marine aluminum is 5052 and 5086 for sheet and plate, with 6061 for extrusions and pipe rails. The filler is 5356, run on AC. 4043 is the wrong pick for most 5xxx hull alloys. It's weaker there, and on high-magnesium alloys like 5086 it can form brittle compounds in the weld. Our aluminum TIG welding guide goes through the alloy and filler pairings.
Getting to the joint takes planning here. Port and terminal sites need a TWIC card, refineries run their own safety orientation, and most plants issue hot work permits by shift with a gas test and a fire watch. Send the site's contractor requirements with the scope, and plan for the orientation day before the first weld.
Inside the fence, TIG does the root on process pipe: an even 1/8 inch gap, a consistent land, and an argon purge on stainless so the inside stays clean. For refinery and terminal work that has to stay in place, mobile TIG welding is the usual fit.
Got a job in or around Corpus Christi?
Send photos, a drawing or the site address. Travel is quoted by distance, up front.
The Coastal Bend is spread out and the roads are mostly open, so the miles matter more than the traffic. Downtown to Port Aransas is 30 to 35 miles, over the JFK Causeway or by ferry from Aransas Pass. Rockport is about 35 miles north and Robstown about 15 west. Houston is around 210 miles away and San Antonio about 145, so it pays to bundle several repairs into one visit.
Travel is quoted by distance. Boats on trailers and parts that unbolt can often come to the shop as weld repair, which saves the drive time.
FAQ
Not covered here?
Call or text (346) 561-0862. A photo of the part usually answers half the questions.
Can you weld an aluminum bay boat in Rockport or Port Aransas?
Yes. Most bay boats are 5052 or 5086 aluminum, welded with 5356 filler on AC. Common jobs are cracked transoms, hull seams near the strakes, T-top and leaning post mounts, and ladder brackets. Pull the boat and let it dry first, since water and salt in the crack cause porosity. Photos help us quote.
What stainless is best for boats and docks on the coast?
316 or 316L. The molybdenum in it resists the pitting and tea staining that 304 shows in salt air. Weld it with 316L filler, then clean and passivate the heat tint. Keep carbon steel tools off it, because embedded iron rusts and makes good stainless look bad within a season.
Do you need a TWIC card to weld at the Port of Corpus Christi?
Usually, yes. Secure areas at MTSA-regulated terminals require a TWIC card or an escort under the facility's rules, and most sites add their own safety orientation. Ask the terminal or your contractor coordinator what applies, and send that with the scope so badging is sorted before the start date.
Do you weld at refineries in Corpus Christi?
Yes, under the site's rules. We TIG weld carbon and stainless process pipe, small-bore tubing and equipment repairs to the code the job specifies, such as ASME B31.3. Send the WPS or the code and material, the inspection plan, and the site's contractor requirements. Travel is quoted by distance.
Do Corpus Christi jobs get done on site or in your shop?
We serve the Coastal Bend, including Portland, Robstown, Aransas Pass, Ingleside, Rockport and Port Aransas, with mobile rigs, and we take shop work for parts that can be shipped or delivered. Call (346) 561-0862 or send details through the quote form.
Other places we work
