Construction Estimator

Job Title: Construction EstimatorJob Description

This role focuses on preparing accurate budgetary, conceptual, and competitive bid estimates for commercial construction projects while balancing company profitability with high levels of customer satisfaction. You will provide comprehensive estimating and pre-construction services, support project teams throughout the project lifecycle, and contribute to project planning, logistics, and client presentations. The position offers exposure to commercial building projects from design and bidding through completion and can lead to senior project management responsibilities for individuals who demonstrate strong project management, budgeting, client relationship, and marketing capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Prepare budgetary, conceptual, and competitive bid estimates for commercial construction projects while maintaining a balance between profitability and customer satisfaction.
• Provide estimating services that include detailed labor and material quantity take-offs as required for all divisions.
• Perform carpentry and other trade-specific take-offs for self-performed work.
• Perform pre-construction services to support project planning and early-phase decision making.
• Develop and fully understand the complete scope and parameters of each project.
• Lead bidding and estimating efforts, including managing project leads and presenting estimates to clients.
• Attend pre-bid and de-scope meetings with clients to clarify scope, answer questions, and refine estimates.
• Develop a clear basis of scope for bidding and estimating purposes to ensure accurate and comprehensive proposals.
• Qualify all estimates and bids relative to the defined scope, identifying inclusions, exclusions, and assumptions.
• Review change orders and negotiate with owners, architects, and subcontractors to reach fair and accurate agreements.
• Develop project logistics plans and assist with planning and scheduling the work.
• Manage workloads according to department deadlines, commitments, and priorities to ensure timely delivery of estimates and project support.
• Build and maintain positive relationships with internal and external customers, subcontractors, and design professionals.
• Assist in value engineering efforts to optimize cost, quality, and constructability.
• Support constructability analysis to identify potential issues and propose practical solutions.
• Support the project team with daily tasks such as document management and organization.
• Assist with purchasing and procurement activities, including obtaining and evaluating quotes from vendors and subcontractors.
• Record job meeting minutes and distribute them to relevant stakeholders to ensure clear communication.
• Review and process shop drawings to support timely approvals and field coordination.
• Process building and utility permit applications and track their status.
• Assist with other ongoing project tasks as needed to support successful project delivery.

Essential Skills

• Minimum of 5+ years of experience with a general contractor, well-versed in estimating all divisions for commercial construction projects.
• Strong construction estimating skills with the ability to prepare budgetary, conceptual, and competitive bid estimates.
• Experience with commercial construction, including understanding of structural, architectural, civil, mechanical, and electrical systems.
• Proficiency in reading and interpreting blueprints and construction documents.
• Experience with bidding processes and estimating software tools.
• Knowledge of preconstruction practices, purchasing, and procurement in a construction environment.
• Solid understanding of construction project management and construction management principles.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, managing multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, and related tools used for estimating and documentation.
• Strong skills in pricing, cost estimation, and analysis of labor and material quantities.
• Experience in project estimation, project coordination, and working with general contractors.
• Effective communication skills for presenting estimates and negotiating change orders with owners, architects, and subcontractors.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or Architecture strongly preferred.
• Previous experience working with general contractors or construction managers is preferred.
• Experience with P6 or similar project scheduling software is a plus.
• Familiarity with building modeling tools is a plus.
• Background in civil, electrical, mechanical, or structural aspects of construction is beneficial.
• Experience in proposals and marketing support for construction projects is advantageous.
• Ability to develop and maintain strong client relationships.
• Attention to detail in document management, shop drawing review, and permit processing.

Work Environment

This position operates within a commercial building construction environment that is competitive, fast-paced, and highly rewarding for individuals interested in the construction industry. You will work closely with project teams, design professionals, subcontractors, and clients from the design and bidding phases through project completion. The role involves both office-based tasks, such as estimating, document management, and meeting coordination, and interaction with project sites and stakeholders during pre-bid meetings, de-scope sessions, and project logistics planning. You will use estimating software, Microsoft Office, scheduling tools such as P6, and various construction documents and models to perform your work. The environment encourages professional growth, offering opportunities to progress into senior project management roles for those who demonstrate strong project management, budgeting, client relationship, and marketing capabilities.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Ardmore, PA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $85000.00 - $185000.00/yr.

You will gain experience in working on commercial building construction projects from the design and bidding phases through purchasing. Building construction is competitive, fast-paced, and can be a rewarding career.

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Ardmore,PA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 17, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.