Main Responsibilities and Required Skills for Construction Estimator

A Construction Estimator is responsible for preparing time, cost, materials, and labor estimates. They Work closely with Project Managers and operations team to produce accurate cost estimates. In this blog post we describe the primary responsibilities and the most in-demand hard and soft skills for Construction Estimators.

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Main Responsibilities of Construction Estimator

The following list describes the typical responsibilities of a Construction Estimator:

Adhere to

Adhere to all company policies and procedures.

Advise

Advise on proposal procedures to follow.

Analyze

Analyze blueprints and other documentation to prepare time, cost, materials, and labor estimates.
Analyze construction drawings and other documents and prepares detailed cost estimates.
Analyze documents, specifications, proposals, addendum's in preparation for pricing.

Assemble

Assemble accurate well-organized estimates and proposals in a timely manner.

Assess

Assess extent of damage and establish work scope.

Assist in / Assist with

Assist bid process by driving and communicating strategies to the project team to help win bids.
Assist in completion of tender package.
Assist in purchasing of subcontracts.
Assist in the development of project budget estimates.
Assist with estimating, budgeting and procurement for various and diverse projects.
Assist with preparing preliminary project budgets.
Assist with Pre-qualification submissions, RFQ's and RFI's as required.
Assist with the development of systems and procedures for the estimating department as needed.

Attend

Attend active construction project change management meetings.
Attend and / or conduct meetings with clients, subtrades, office personnel.
Attend bid meetings and develop and execute bid strategy.
Attend Pre-estimate site visits / meetings in order to fully understand the scope of the project.
Attend project and consulting meeting with Architects, General contractors and project managers.
Attend site meetings and inspections for reroofing tenders, and new construction projects.
Attend site meetings as required.
Attend site meetings, field observations, measurements and photos.
Attend tender award meetings and contribute to the successful award of contracts.

Break

Break projects into doable actions and set timeframes.

Build

Build and maintain relationships with clients, adjusters and property managers.

Calculate

Calculate project pricing and put together proposals.

Communicate

Communicate and coordinate material quotations / requisitions with purchasing and suppliers.
Communicate and coordinate proposal documentation.
Communicate, solicits, and interacts with subcontractors to obtain quotes.
Communicate with clients in a polite and courteous manner.

Compare

Compare and analyze competitive subcontractor and supplier bids.

Compile

Compile detailed roofing replacement or new roofing quotation.

Conduct

Conduct monthly project Work in Progress (WIP) update and meeting.
Conduct site visits as required.

Consider

Consider all risks, such as procurement, contracts, scope, methodology, cost, quality and schedule.
Consider project schedule as well as construction challenges in all estimates.

Contribute to

Contribute current cost and productivity information for SAP upload sheet.
Contribute to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.
Contribute to team efforts by accomplishing related results as needed.

Coordinate

Coordinate and create the project schedule of each estimate.
Coordinate project management activities, resources, equipment and information.

Create

Create and issue tenders for sub-contracting pricing.
Create estimating software environment for the entire division as well as continually update it.
Create Purchase Orders for materials.
Create RFIs and analyzes and distributes responses.

Delay

Delay damages other estimating requests as needed to assist with project decision making.

Determine

Determine work crews, production rates and list of materials.

Develop

Develop and continuously improve the estimation process (Level Bidding).
Develop and maintain design professional and client relationships in developing future sales.
Develop and prepare quotations for commercial and residential customers.
Develop a preliminary construction schedule using labour calculations.
Develop bid strategy and manage big team (s) and subcontractor relationships.
Develop high-level budgets using preliminary design documents.
Develop pricing changes to existing projects.
Develop relationships with builders / vendors.
Develop relationships with members of A / E firms and project team members.
Develop scope of work for proposal submissions.

Document

Document activities and communication in company software.

Draft

Draft scope of work to be all inclusive for each subcontractor, with no scope gaps / overlaps.

Enhance

Enhance relationships with clients, architects, and engineers.

Ensure

Ensure bids and proposals are completed on time for team review prior to submission.
Ensure that preconstruction schedule is achieved.
Ensure that the Company has the proper coverage from subcontractors on bid day.
Ensure that there is proper coverage from subcontractors on bid day.
Ensure that we have the proper coverage from insurance carriers, managers including HOA's.

Enter

Enter notes and updates into insurance programs and company CRM.

Establish

Establish Preconstruction in Progress (PIP) form / KPI's and begin monthly updates.

Estimate

Estimate time, materials, and equipment required for job completion.

Evaluate

Evaluate and recommend allowances for indirect costs, design unknowns, escalation and contingency.

Examine

Examine and analyze tenders, recommend tender awards and conduct negotiations.

Execute

Execute all aspects of the inspection process.
Execute take-offs of construction plans and documents.

Facilitate

Facilitate coordination and communication with Subcontractor for related bid packages.

Fill out

Fill out pre-qualification tenders for public and private sectors.

Follow

Follow all company procedures.
Follow process which quickly and efficiently repair or replace disaster damaged homes.
Follow up with project success to update future estimates.

Help

Help develop pricing strategies.

Identify

Identify market opportunities.

Implement

Implement all components of the organization's SRA with the City of Columbia.

Interpret

Interpret and apply the necessary standards associated with the Ontario Building Code.

Keep

Keep informed on track and forecast labour, materials and equipment.
Keep track of costs and money spent during a project.

Lead

Lead preconstruction teams through the estimating, proposal, and value engineering processes.

Liaise with

Liaise with clients to identify and define requirements, scope and objectives.

Locate

Locate and evaluate potential new and reroofing tenders for quoting.

Maintain

Maintain all paperwork necessary for the project from beginning to end.
Maintain and complete tender processes, including administrative tasks.
Maintain cost estimating database in real time.
Maintain cost keys and price masters by updating information.
Maintain files and correspondence on active and completed projects.
Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops.
Maintain technical knowledge by attending educational workshops and reviewing technical publications.

Make

Make sure that clients' needs are met as projects evolve.

Manage

Manage and co-ordinate construction projects and prepare construction progress schedules.
Manage and co-ordinate construction projects and prepare construction progress schedules.

Meet

Meet or exceeds the projects required performance and scheduled profitability targets.
Meet or exceed these targets.

Monitor

Monitor and adjust contract expenditures.

Obtain

Obtain bids from vendors and subcontractors by specifying materials.

Offer

Offer insight to develop an bid submission process to mitigate the risk and increase the profits.

Organize

Organize strategic plan for pursuit of identified projects.

Oversee

Oversee construction transactions and their input into the system of record.
Oversee estimating efforts and review / approve proposals compiled by junior associates.
Oversee other estimator's work.
Oversee and review work performed by junior staff.
Oversee the tendering, risk assessment and award of sub - trade contracts.

Participate in

Participate in / attend pre-bid meetings, bid-strategy meetings, and presentations.
Participate in internal contract kick-off and conducts contract partnering session.
Participate in reconciliation of contract value.

Perform

Perform accurate quantity takeoffs of available design documents.
Perform and inspect service activities.
Perform detailed quantity takeoffs.
Perform Job Hand-offs to production teams.
Perform quantity take-off from construction drawings where applicable.
Perform quantity takes-offs and pricing of construction work in required CSI formats.
Perform Risk and Contract Management responsibilities as required.

Prepare

Prepare a level one schedule and thought process for sequencing the project.
Prepare an complete estimate by review of specifications,contracts documents and Drawings.
Prepare and follow-up on client quotation proposals.
Prepare and maintain a directory of suppliers and contractors.
Prepare and schedules meetings including minutes.
Prepare construction files for close out.
Prepare cost reconciliation between two or more estimates and explain variance cost drivers.
Prepare detailed and accurate cost estimates.
Prepare estimates at different levels of completion.
Prepare estimates for general expenses and overheads.
Prepare estimates for use in selecting vendors or subcontractors.
Prepare estimates of labour and / or material costs.
Prepare properly qualified and clarified conceptual budgets based on sometimes minimal information.
Prepare quantity takeoffs using computer aided technology such as plan swift or Bluebeam.
Prepare, review, coordinate, and execute complex proposals.
Prepare subcontractor bid packages.
Prepare Subcontractor bid packages.
Prepare subcontractor bid packages and material specification requests to suppliers.
Prepare work to be accomplished by gathering information and requirements.

Provide

Provide accurate and comprehensive takeoffs.
Provide advice on proposal procedures.
Provide and maintain unit pricing database.
Provide and maintain unit pricing for labor, equipment, and material.
Provide and / or coordinate full estimating services on all types of construction projects.
Provide a weekly update on all current and upcoming estimates and budgets.
Provide clear detailed quantity take offs.
Provide clear detailed quantity take offs for material orders and cost.
Provide cost estimates for owner-initiated changes, construction delays, and other potential impacts.
Provide cost expertise to our clients and design team members to assist in making decisions.
Provide economic feasibility studies and preliminary estimates for proposed projects.
Provide feasibility studies and assist with Business Strategies.
Provide mentorship to junior estimators by assisting with coordination and sharing experience.
Provide technical assistance in negotiating contracts, change orders, etc. as required.
Provide technical support to field staff.

Quantify

Quantify labour requirements for prefabrication and installation.

Read

Read, interpret and understand building blueprints, specifications, contract documents, etc..

Repair

Repair / rebuild homes as required.

Review

Review all final estimate packages to ensure accuracy and completeness, prior to formal submission.
Review all relevant documents / information with Development and Project Manager.
Review and assess proposals to determine the desirability of the potential project.
Review and estimate costs of materials, labour, sub-trades, equipment for construction projects.
Review and study specifications and drawings.
Review and understand all bid documents and assess project risks.
Review contracts to ensure the scope of work match proposals.
Review final estimate and apply strategic cost factors where necessary.
Review job cost with Project Manager and discuss any areas of concern.
Review job files and become familiar with plans and specifications.
Review Landscape Designs and estimate all direct job cost.
Review proposal specificationns, drawings, and project documents, and prepare bond request forms.
Review requests for proposals (RFP).
Review take-offs checking for mathematical and technical accuracy.
Review technical Specifications and Drawings for pricing and scope review.

Schedule

Schedule and conduct hand-off meetings with Project Managers.

Select

Select advantageous deals by evaluating offers and quotes.
Select metrics to produce valid estimates.
Select vendors and / or subcontractors and determine cost-effectiveness of projects to be bid.

Send

Send bid information to subcontractors or meet with subcontractors to back up your scope if needed.

Set up

Set up cost monitoring and reporting systems.

Solicit

Solicit and maintain communication with the subcontractors and vendors.
Solicit and maintain communication with subcontractors, property managers, owners and adjusters.
Solicit subcontractors and vendors as needed.
Solicit supply pricing and develop a solid understanding of various products available in the market.

Source

Source and maintain relationships with suppliers and subcontractors.
Source new customers and close deals.

Submit

Submit 100% of bids and budgets by the bid deadline, with no exceptions.
Submit 100% of bids / scopes and budgets by the estimate deadline.

Support

Support Scheduling Engineer with establishing Project Schedule.
Support technical sales inquiries and initiatives as required.

Track

Track actual performance.
Track changes to the design and / or construction work and adjusting budget projections accordingly.
Track win-loss history for all tenders.

Transmit

Transmit addenda and other bid information to subcontractors.
Transmit addenda or other relevant info to Subcontractors for consideration in their bid.

Update

Update and complete all compliance task in Job management software.

Utilize

Utilize quantity take-off procedures.
Utilize Timberline in their efforts, and ensures all data is accurate and complete.

Validate

Validate quality and completion.

Verify

Verify profitability of jobs.

Work with

Work and contribute as a team member.
Work closely with assistant to obtain prospective sub-trades.
Work closely with engineering and field service departments to produce accurate cost estimates.
Work closely with operations team to create bid strategy, techniques, etc..
Work closely with Project Managers to create a bid strategy, techniques, etc..
Work near heavy equipment and other vehicles on a regular basis during site visits.
Work under time constraints efficiently and have the ability to work well with others.
Work with engineers, architects, owners, contractors and subcontractors.
Work with internal project teams to obtain greater results.
Work with subcontractors and vendors to ensure best numbers on bid day.

Most In-demand Hard Skills

The following list describes the most required technical skills of a Construction Estimator:

Most In-demand Soft Skills

The following list describes the most required soft skills of a Construction Estimator:

Written and oral communication skills
Attention to detail
Interpersonal skills
Organizational capacity
Problem-solving attitude
Time-management
Self-motivated
Analytical ability
Multi-task
Organized
Flexible
Team player
Critical thinker
Reliable
Tight deadlines
Work independently with little direction
Work under pressure
Detail-oriented
Personal suitability