Accounting, Analysis Skills, Budgeting, Calendar Management, Civil Engineering, Cloud Computing, Communication Skills, Concrete, Construction, Construction Estimates, Construction Management, Construction Planning, Continuous Improvement, Cost Analysis, Cost Control, Cost Estimates, Detail Oriented, Documentation, Driver's License, ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), Earthmoving/Earthworks, Equipment Selection, Excavation, File Systems, Financial Projections, Financial Reporting, Historical Cost Principle, Leadership, Logistics, Materials Testing, Mathematics, Mentoring, Microsoft Excel, Needs Assessment, Negotiation Skills, Organizational Skills, Presentation/Verbal Skills, Pricing, Process Improvement, Production Costing, Project Engineering, Project Estimates, Project Evaluation, Project Execution, Project Schedule, Project Start-Up, Project/Program Coordination, Project/Program Management, Proposal Writing, Purchase Orders, Quality Control, Request for Information (RFI), Risk, Risk Analysis, Risk Management, Sales/Support Engineering (SE), Scalable System Development, Schedule Development, Staff Requirements, Structural Evaluation, Team Lead/Manager, Technical Support, Test Requirements, Time Management, Trucking, Vendor/Supplier Evaluation, Writing Skills
Senior Estimator
We are seeking an experienced Senior Estimator who can help expand our estimating capacity while maintaining accurate pricing, disciplined risk review, clear project documentation, and profitable growth.
Position Summary
The Senior Estimator is responsible for leading complete estimates for heavy civil and site-development projects from initial invitation to bid through final submission, post-bid clarification, award, buyout support, and turnover to operations.
This is not a takeoff-only position.
The Senior Estimator must understand how the work will actually be built, determine appropriate construction means and methods, establish realistic crew productions, evaluate project risks, coordinate supplier and subcontractor pricing, and develop complete estimates.
The position also requires strong working knowledge of HCSS/Procore, Bluebeam Revu, Microsoft Excel, and other construction technology used to manage plans, pricing, scope, budgets, cost codes, buyout, and project handoff.
The Senior Estimator will independently manage complex estimates, review work prepared by other estimators, mentor estimating personnel, maintain estimating standards, and ensure awarded estimates are transferred clearly and accurately into project execution.
Primary Responsibilities
Complete Estimate Ownership
Manage assigned opportunities from initial document receipt through final bid submission.
Review invitations to bid, plans, specifications, geotechnical reports, permits, addenda, bid forms, contracts, schedules, and other project documents.
Identify the complete scope of work required by the bid documents.
Develop an estimating plan and schedule for each assigned opportunity.
Confirm bid deadlines, internal review dates, quote due dates, site-visit requirements, and submission instructions.
Determine which scopes will be self-performed, subcontracted, vendor-supplied, or otherwise coordinated.
Perform or validate detailed quantity takeoffs.
Organize work into logical bid items, activities, phases, crews, and cost components.
Develop detailed estimates for labor, equipment, materials, trucking, subcontractors, indirect costs, bonds, permits, testing, supervision, and project-specific requirements.
Prepare estimates that are complete, understandable, reviewable, and ready for transfer to operations.
Manage multiple estimates simultaneously while meeting firm deadlines.
Project Scopes
The Senior Estimator must have experience estimating complete site-development packages that may include:
Project Startup and General Conditions
Demolition and Clearing
Earthwork and Grading
Underground Utilities
Base, Concrete, and Asphalt
Subcontracted and Specialty Work
Construction Planning and Production Development
Determine practical and efficient construction means and methods.
Develop realistic construction sequences and project phasing.
Select appropriate labor crews and equipment.
Establish production rates based on actual field capabilities.
Evaluate access, staging, haul routes, disposal areas, stockpile locations, and trucking cycles.
Analyze excavation depth, groundwater, soil conditions, utility congestion, weather exposure, and site restrictions.
Consider project schedule, sequencing, traffic requirements, testing, inspections, and permit limitations.
Identify operations that can occur concurrently and those that must be sequenced.
Review project requirements with operations personnel when field input is needed.
Avoid relying solely on generic production assumptions when project conditions require adjustment.
Document the basis for significant production assumptions.
Supplier and Subcontractor Coordination
Level competing proposals on a consistent basis.
Identify missing scope, duplicate scope, allowances, and pricing risk.
Communicate with vendors and subcontractors to resolve scope discrepancies.
Negotiate pricing and terms when appropriate.
Document selected pricing and the basis for vendor selection.
Confirm that quotes remain valid through the anticipated project schedule.
Support vendor and subcontractor buyout following award.
Bid Review and Risk Management
Identify scope gaps, design conflicts, constructability concerns, and unusual requirements.
Review project access, phasing, schedule, and logistics.
Evaluate liquidated damages, warranties, maintenance periods, retainage, testing, permits, and bond requirements.
Identify contract language that may create cost or schedule exposure.
Review geotechnical information and determine its impact on excavation, groundwater, unsuitable soils, and pavement construction.
Identify quantity risk and incomplete design information.
Develop clear estimate assumptions and qualifications.
Prepare a risk and opportunity assessment for major estimates.
Identify value-engineering opportunities.
Evaluate alternate materials and construction methods.
Confirm that all addenda have been incorporated.
Complete a detailed self-review before submitting the estimate for management review.
Review estimates prepared by other team members.
Identify unreasonable productions, missing activities, pricing errors, and scope inconsistencies.
Present estimate strategy, major costs, risks, assumptions, and recommended pricing to company leadership.
Participate in final markup and pricing discussions.
Maintain confidentiality regarding company costs, pricing, markup, and bid strategy.
Proposal and Bid Submission
Prepare clear proposal scope based on the completed estimate.
Confirm that proposal line items agree with HeavyBid.
Reconcile proposal quantities, bid forms, and estimate totals.
Develop clear inclusions, exclusions, assumptions, and clarifications.
Prepare alternates and unit prices when required.
Coordinate bid-document requirements with the Bid Coordinator.
Attend pre-bid meetings and site visits.
Prepare questions and requests for information.
Review responses and incorporate relevant changes into the estimate.
Confirm that required bid forms, acknowledgments, certifications, and attachments are complete.
Ensure assigned bids are ready before the submission deadline.
Participate in post-bid scope reviews and contractor interviews.
Assist with proposal revisions and pricing negotiations.
Maintain organized final bid records.
Post-Award Buyout and Project Handoff
Explain the intended means and methods, construction sequence, crews, productions, and major assumptions.
Identify high-risk activities and areas requiring early management attention.
Provide the final vendor and subcontractor quote comparison.
Confirm selected suppliers and subcontractors.
Organize buyout information by scope.
Support preparation of purchase orders, commitments, and subcontract scopes.
Identify long-lead materials and early submittal requirements.
Assist with establishing the Procore budget and cost-code structure.
Confirm that project budget values reconcile to the final estimate.
Provide scope sheets and pricing backup for the project team.
Identify allowances, alternates, exclusions, and unpurchased scope.
Remain available during project startup to answer estimate-related questions.
Support estimate-versus-actual reviews.
Incorporate lessons learned into future estimates and HeavyBid standards.
Team Leadership and Quality Control
Serve as a technical resource for other estimators.
Mentor developing estimators and estimating support staff.
Assign takeoff, quote, and estimate tasks on larger opportunities.
Review work before final management review.
Provide constructive feedback and identify training needs.
Establish clear standards for estimate organization and documentation.
Promote consistent HeavyBid practices across the estimating team.
Help standardize earthwork, underground, concrete, base, and asphalt estimating procedures.
Ensure estimates are understandable to someone other than the original estimator.
Support the development of repeatable estimating workflows.
Help increase department capacity without reducing estimate quality.
Promote accountability, accuracy, communication, and deadline compliance.
Historical Cost and Process Improvement
Compare estimated labor, equipment, material, and subcontractor costs against actual project performance.
Review estimated productions against field production.
Identify recurring estimating errors or cost-code issues.
Update HeavyBid crews, activities, resources, and productions based on verified information.
Maintain historical supplier and subcontractor pricing.
Improve quote-leveling and buyout procedures.
Recommend improvements to estimating templates and estimate structure.
Support integration between HeavyBid, Procore, accounting, and field reporting systems.
Work with operations and financial personnel to improve cost feedback.
Help create reliable historical data that can be used for future pricing and planning.
Required Technology Experience
Required
Preferred
Excel Expectations
The Senior Estimator must be able to use Excel to:
Prepare bid-leveling sheets.
Compare supplier and subcontractor proposals.
Review large pricing schedules.
Reconcile estimate quantities against bid forms.
Calculate unit costs and extended amounts.
Verify markups and estimate totals.
Identify duplicate or missing line items.
Organize estimate-review information.
Prepare clear internal summaries.
Analyze historical cost and production data.
Required Qualifications
At least seven years of heavy civil, utility, earthwork, or site-development estimating experience.
Demonstrated experience independently leading complete estimates.
Recent, hands-on experience building complete estimates in HCSS HeavyBid.
Strong working knowledge of Procore.
Proficiency with Bluebeam Revu and Microsoft Excel.
Strong understanding of self-performed heavy civil construction.
Experience estimating earthwork, underground utilities, drainage, base, concrete, and asphalt.
Ability to read and interpret civil plans, specifications, geotechnical reports, permits, contracts, and bid documents.
Strong understanding of crew composition, equipment selection, labor productivity, and construction sequencing.
Experience developing production-based estimates.
Experience soliciting, evaluating, and leveling supplier and subcontractor quotes.
Experience identifying scope gaps, constructability issues, and project risk.
Ability to manage several concurrent estimates.
Ability to meet firm internal and external deadlines.
Strong mathematical and analytical skills.
Strong organizational and document-management skills.
Professional written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to present and defend an estimate during management review.
Ability to mentor estimating personnel and review their work.
Valid driver’s license.
Ability to attend project site visits, pre-bid meetings, and contractor meetings.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience estimating civil site-development projects in Florida.
Experience with municipal, county, FDOT, commercial, institutional, industrial, and private-development work.
Experience estimating projects in Volusia, Flagler, St. Johns, Seminole, and Brevard Counties.
Field experience as a Project Manager, Project Engineer, Superintendent, Foreman, or Field Engineer.
Experience with earthwork modeling software.
Experience developing HeavyBid codebooks, standard crews, activities, resources, and master estimates.
Experience transferring HeavyBid estimates into Procore budgets.
Experience reviewing actual project costs and field productions.
Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, or a related field.
Substantial relevant estimating and construction experience may be considered in place of a degree.
Key Competencies
Estimate ownership
Heavy civil construction knowledge
HCSS HeavyBid proficiency
Procore proficiency
Production-based estimating
Digital takeoff and plan review
Construction means and methods
Scope control
Risk identification
Constructability review
Vendor and subcontractor management
Bid leveling
Cost-code and budget organization
Estimate-to-operations handoff
Leadership and mentoring
Accountability
Attention to detail
Deadline management
Professional communication
Strategic thinking
Continuous improvement
Performance Expectations
Success in this position will be measured by:
Completeness and accuracy of assigned estimates.
Ability to independently manage complex bids.
Consistent and correct use of HCSS HeavyBid.
Effective use of Procore and supporting technology.
Accuracy of quantities, productions, crews, and pricing.
Identification of scope gaps and risks before submission.
Timely completion of estimates and internal reviews.
Quality of supplier and subcontractor quote leveling.
Clarity of proposals, assumptions, and estimate documentation.
Quality of awarded-project handoffs.
Accuracy of estimate-to-budget transfer.
Development and support of other estimators.
Improvement of historical cost and production information.
Contribution to profitable backlog and company growth.
Technology and Estimating Skills Evaluation
Candidates selected for further consideration may be asked to complete a practical evaluation demonstrating the ability to:
Navigate an existing HCSS HeavyBid estimate.
Set up or modify bid items and activities.
Create and adjust labor and equipment crews.
Explain how activity productions were developed.
Review a sample estimate for missing or incorrect costs.
Review supplier or subcontractor quotes for scope gaps.
Level competing proposals in Excel.
Review a sample plan set using Bluebeam.
Explain how estimate information should transfer from HeavyBid into Procore.
Present the major risks and pricing considerations of a sample project.
This evaluation is intended to confirm practical, hands-on proficiency rather than general familiarity with the software.
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate is a proven heavy civil estimator who understands both the cost of the work and the field operations required to complete it.
This person can review a set of plans, determine how the project should be constructed, develop appropriate crews and productions, validate quantities, obtain market pricing, build a complete estimate in HCSS HeavyBid, identify project risks, and clearly present a final pricing recommendation.
The ideal candidate is also comfortable using Procore, Bluebeam, Excel, and other construction systems to organize information and move an awarded estimate into project execution.
The successful candidate will take ownership of assigned work, communicate issues early, maintain high estimating standards, support other team members, and help Drewry Site Development build a scalable and disciplined estimating operation.
#hc253700