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Weld contour symbol: what it means on a drawing

Fillet Gauge editorial teamSources checked 3 min read

A weld contour symbol is a short line drawn beside the weld symbol: straight for a flat or flush face, bowed outward for convex, dished inward for concave. It sets the shape of the finished weld face on that side of the joint. A letter beyond it, such as G for grinding, names the method used to get there.

Four fillet weld symbols with contour marks above sections of the welds they call for: flat with a straight face, convex with a face that bulges out, concave with a face that dishes in, and flat with the letter G for grinding
The mark's shape matches the weld face it asks for.
Use this diagram

How to read it

  1. Find the weld symbol it belongs to. The contour mark sits on the face of the weld symbol, on the same side of the reference line. It applies to that side's weld only.
  2. Read the shape. Straight means a flat face. Curved outward means convex. Curved inward means concave. On fillet welds the straight mark is called flat; on groove, plug and slot welds the same idea is called flush.
  3. Look for a letter. A finish letter beyond the contour mark names how the contour is reached: C for chipping, G for grinding, H for hammering, M for machining, R for rolling.
  4. Read both sides separately. A double fillet or double groove can carry a contour on one side and none on the other.

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Symbols - Welding and NDE

On a welding symbol, what does a circle at the junction of the arrow and the reference line indicate?

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Why it matters

A contour callout usually has a reason behind it: a flush face where a part has to sit tight against another, a smooth concave fillet where fatigue matters, or a ground face that will be inspected or coated. When a contour is called for, the weld isn't finished until the face matches, and if a finish letter is given, the face is made by that method.

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Common mix-ups

  • Contour symbol or acceptance limits. The symbol says what shape the designer wants. How much convexity, concavity or underfill is acceptable comes from the governing code or contract, such as AWS D1.1, in its own clauses and tables. A weld can meet the code and still miss the drawing's contour, or the reverse.
  • Contour or melt-through. Melt-through is a filled half-circle opposite a groove weld. A contour mark is a line on the weld symbol's own face.
  • Flat or flush. Same idea, different weld types. Don't hunt for a separate symbol.
  • The letter on its own. A finish letter belongs with a contour mark. It tells you the method, not the shape.

On the CWI exam

Contour and finish marks are supplementary symbols under Symbols, Welding and NDE, at least 10% of CWI Part A, read from memory. Weld profiles come back in Part B, where you measure them, and Utilization of Specifications and Drawings is at least 8% of that practical exam.

Practice it

Switch between flat, convex and concave in the welding symbol builder and read each result. Then see the contour marks on the welding symbols chart, and the welds they sit on in the fillet weld symbol and V-groove weld symbol pages.

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Facts checked 24 October 2026 against the sources listed above. If something has changed, tell us and we will correct it within 2 business days.

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