What Information Should Be Included in a Steel Pipe Purchase Order?

A steel pipe purchase order is more than a price and a delivery date. When key details are missing, buyers and suppliers can end up with mismatched dimensions, the wrong grade, or missing test certificates — problems that surface only after production has already started. A well-structured steel pipe purchase order should clearly state the product, technical, quality, and delivery requirements up front. This article walks through what to include in a steel pipe PO, from material and standard to inspection, documentation, and packing.

What Should Be Included in a Steel Pipe Purchase Order?

Before going through each item in detail, here's a quick reference of the core information a steel pipe PO should cover.

Information	What to Specify
Pipe Type	Seamless, ERW, LSAW, SSAW, etc.
Material / Grade	Carbon steel, stainless steel, specific grade
Standard	ASTM, API, ASME, EN, etc.
Size	OD, NPS, or nominal size
Wall Thickness	Thickness or Schedule
Length	Fixed or random length
Quantity	Pieces, meters, or tons
End Type	Plain, beveled, threaded, etc.
Coating	Coating type and requirements
Inspection	Inspection and testing requirements
Documents	MTC, inspection reports, etc.
Packing & Delivery	Packing, marking and delivery requirements

Specific projects may add extra requirements, but the items above form the core of most steel pipe purchase orders. The sections below go through each one.

1. Steel Pipe Type and Material

The PO should specify whether the product is a seamless pipe or welded pipe, such as ERW pipe, LSAW pipe, or SSAW pipe, and whether it is carbon steel or stainless steel. The specific material grade should also be clearly stated, along with any applicable heat treatment requirements.

For example, write: ASTM A106 Grade B seamless carbon steel pipe

Avoid vague entries like: Carbon steel pipe

This alone doesn't tell the supplier which grade, standard, or manufacturing process is required, and leaves room for interpretation on the mill's side.

2. Standards and Specifications

Every steel pipe PO should reference the applicable product standard — ASTM, API, ASME, EN, or ISO, depending on the project. The order should include the standard number, the grade, the specification it falls under, and any additional project-specific requirements (such as a client specification or a national code).

Leaving out the standard number is one of the more common sources of disputes, since the same nominal grade can carry different requirements depending on which standard it's certified to.

3. Pipe Size and Wall Thickness

Size information should include Outside Diameter (OD) or Nominal Pipe Size (NPS), along with wall thickness or Schedule. Both need to be stated explicitly rather than assumed.

Example entries: NPS 4, SCH 40 or OD 114.3 mm × WT 6.02 mm

Without both dimensions clearly written, buyers and suppliers can interpret the same nominal size differently, particularly across metric and imperial conventions. For reference, buyers can check a Stainless Steel Pipe Dimensions and Weight Chart or a Stainless Steel Pipe Schedule Chart before finalizing the order.

4. Pipe Length and Quantity

The PO should specify whether pipes are fixed length or random length, along with total quantity and the unit of measure.

Example entries: 500pcs×6m or 20 tons, random length

Quantity units matter more than they might seem — pieces, meters, and tons are not interchangeable, and an order stated only in tons without a length reference can lead to a different piece count than the buyer expected.

5. End Type and Surface Requirements

Common end type options include plain end, beveled end, and threaded end, along with couplings where required. The PO should also note any surface condition or finish requirement.

For stainless steel pipe, this may include pickling or passivation. These are worth mentioning briefly in the order, though the process details themselves don't need to be spelled out in the PO.

6. Coating Requirements

Depending on the project, the PO may need to specify a coating requirement — bare/black surface, galvanized, FBE, 3LPE, or another specified coating. If coating is required, the order should state the coating type, the applicable standard, and thickness or other project-specific requirements where known.

If exact coating parameters haven't been confirmed yet, it's better to note that they're pending confirmation than to leave the field blank.

7. Inspection and Testing Requirements

Inspection and testing requirements are often where PO details get skipped, and where the cost of a missing spec shows up later. Requirements to specify may include visual inspection, dimensional inspection, chemical composition testing, mechanical testing, hydrostatic testing, non-destructive testing (NDT), and third-party inspection.

If a buyer needs a specific inspection or test method, it should be written into the PO before production starts — not raised after the pipes are already manufactured, since retesting or reworking finished pipe is far more costly than confirming requirements up front. For a closer look at what's typically covered, see Steel Pipe Inspection.

8. Required Documents

Common documents to request include the Mill Test Certificate (MTC), inspection reports, test reports, a certificate of conformity, packing list, and commercial invoice.

The MTC confirms that the material's chemical composition and mechanical properties meet the order's requirements and the applicable standard. If a specific document format or content is required by the buyer's own procurement rules, this should also be stated on the PO.

9. Packing, Marking, Delivery and Payment

Packing
State bundling method, end protection, and caps or other protective measures where needed.

Marking
Specify pipe marking, bundle identification, and shipping marks, especially for orders with mixed sizes or grades.

Delivery
Include destination, required delivery date, and any loading or shipping requirements.

Payment
State the payment method, terms (such as advance payment percentage or balance on shipment), and currency, so there's no ambiguity once the order is confirmed.

Clear packing, delivery, and payment terms reduce the chance of confusion during loading, transit, receiving, or settlement — particularly on mixed orders shipped in multiple lots.

Final Takeaway

A clear steel pipe purchase order should cover product, material, standard, dimensions, quantity, quality requirements, documents, and delivery requirements. Skipping any of these leaves room for the supplier to fill in the gaps with their own assumptions. The clearer the PO, the less room there is for misunderstanding between the buyer and supplier — and the fewer surprises show up once the pipe arrives.

Download our Steel Pipe Purchase Order Checklist (PDF) to keep this list on hand when preparing your next order.