ABSTRACT A stepwise method is one of the efficient approaches in the calibration of transient flow in viscoelastic pipes. However, there is the lack of comprehensive research on the calibration method for retarded time and creep compliance. Therefore, the sensitivity of the order of magnitude of the creep parameters in the presence of interactions to transient flow pressure damping and phase in the case of the two-element Kelvin–Voigt model is investigated. Also, the calibration methods of retarded time and creep compliance in the stepwise method of transient flow parameter calibration for viscoelastic pipes are proposed. The results indicate that the creep compliances do not affect the phase of the pressure fluctuations when the selected retarded times are greater than the order of magnitude 10−1. For the first Kelvin–Voigt element, when the order of magnitude of the retarded time exceeds 10−2, an increase in creep compliance results in an increase in the degree of damping of pressure fluctuations. When the order of magnitude of the retarded time is less than 10−2, the rule is reversed. For the second Kelvin–Voigt element, an increase in creep compliance results in an increase in the degree of damping of transient flow pressure fluctuations independent of the retarded time.