Construction Estimator Job Description

Before construction can begin, a project must be planned in preconstruction: its preliminary study, design, and estimation tasks. Progressing from planning to active construction largely depends on a project’s estimated cost. A Construction Estimator considers a building project’s design, that design’s requirements, and the prices of everything involved (e.g., labor, materials, equipment, and licenses) to produce detailed cost estimates. Most Construction Estimators produce bids and budget estimates for construction companies, contractors, or developers. Others work for government agencies, insurers, or design firms like architects and interior decorators. This overview will explain more about what a Construction Estimator does, what they usually earn, and how you can learn the skills needed to land a construction estimation job.

What is a Construction Estimator?

Construction estimation, also called quantity surveying, is a specialized type of cost estimation. Construction Estimators predict, as accurately as possible, what a building project will cost, considering the project's full scope to produce detailed cost breakdowns and summarized estimates. Construction Estimators may produce multiple estimates for the same project, starting with a general conceptual estimate and then generating progressively more detailed estimates as information becomes available.

To perform this work accurately, Construction Estimators must have a detailed understanding of construction work, including:

• Reading building plans;
• Listing the materials, labor, and equipment needed for a project;
• Knowing the prices for these needs;
• Anticipating other possible costs like insurance and fees; and
• Anticipating factors that could alter those costs.

Some of this knowledge comes from formal studies, some from construction experience, and some from active research. Construction Estimators must be good communicators, able to discuss projects with clients, supervisors, government agencies, tradespersons, subcontractors, vendors, and financial officers. These discussions elicit information and clarify a project’s requirements and limitations so that the Estimator can fully calculate its details. Attention to detail is another crucial skill. The success of an Estimator’s work relies on their ability to spell out every possible aspect of construction projects and correctly anticipate their cost or influence on costs.

Construction Estimators frequently work for building contractors, creating bids for proposals or helping them decide what jobs are worth bidding on. Construction Estimators also help with budgeting for construction projects at building companies, real estate developers, or government agencies like transportation, urban planning, or civil engineering. Some Construction Estimators are direct employees of these industries, often part of a construction planning team, while other Construction Estimators are self-employed, freelancers serving whenever and wherever their skills are needed. Freelance Construction Estimators often assist smaller businesses that only need occasional estimates, but such independent Estimators may also be hired to produce estimates for comparison against contractor bids or internal budgeting.

Some Construction Estimators work remotely, collecting information from local clients and contacts and then building their estimates from these reports. Other Estimators travel as necessary, examining construction sites, talking to local contacts, and meeting with clients. Additionally, depending on their position, a Construction Estimator’s work might not be done after preconstruction. Some Estimators monitor jobs in progress to watch for potential savings, cost overruns, inventory and labor problems, and other concerns that could alter a project’s final cost. 

Construction Estimator Job Requirements

To become a Construction Estimator, a candidate should have significant mathematical, data management, and business communication skills. Some employers expect a Construction Estimator to have a relevant degree to prove this education. The most applicable degrees are in fields like civil engineering, urban planning, or architecture, though related areas like business, accounting, mathematics, or engineering are also appropriate. A training certificate in cost estimation or construction estimation can often substitute for a formal degree, proving that a candidate already possessed the necessary skills to learn this profession. Most Construction Estimators also need training and/or experience in construction work. Job experience or certification in general construction or a building trade like carpentry, roofing, or electrical work works well here, but other construction-related work can also count, such as management, accounting, or transportation.

Some construction estimation jobs have more specific requirements, like particular types of knowledge or tools the employer wants an Estimator to use. For example, a Construction Estimator for a transportation board or paving contractor should be familiar with road construction, while an Estimator for an interior designer would need design training. An employer might also prefer Estimators already familiar with popular estimation software like Stack, ProEst, or Procore, specifically or in general.

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Construction Estimator Job Responsibilities

Most Construction Estimators have the following common responsibilities:

• Takeoff:
• Reading construction plans,
• Generating detailed lists of their requirements, and
• Estimating all possible costs
• Preparing and reporting bids and budgets
• Meeting with clients, managers, staff, and subcontractors
• Resolving disagreements by gathering and analyzing information
• Keeping their knowledge current by:
• Tracking local building codes and safety requirements
• Studying improvements in construction materials and methods
• Contacting vendors and subcontractors
• Maintaining a database of resources and their current pricing

Depending on their specific position, some Construction Estimators have other duties:

• Traveling to construction sites, client offices, or government agencies
• Processing paperwork such as permits, invoices, or approvals
• Resolving differences between initial estimates and final expenses
• Evaluating submitted bids or budgets for validity and relative merit
• Monitoring ongoing construction to detect cost overruns or opportunities for savings
• Evaluating purchase proposals for building sites by generating estimates of existing property values and any required renovations or construction

Construction Estimator Job Skills

The basic skills for construction estimation start with strong mathematical ability and experience managing large amounts of information. Accounting or similar financial management ability adds an understanding of pricing, price variations, anticipating unplanned expenses, and budgeting. Each of these fields requires strict attention to detail, which Construction Estimators apply at varying scales, from counting the nails needed for a wall to listing the permits needed for a full construction project. Estimators must also organize and prioritize multiple tasks, as a single estimate includes multiple interacting tasks, and an Estimator often works on multiple estimates at once. Strong verbal and written communication skills are important both to gather information from contacts as well as to generate and explain reports.

Construction Estimators must understand construction in significant detail, including reading construction documents, breaking projects into tasks, and detailing the materials, equipment, and labor required for those tasks. Estimators must be able to assign approximate costs to each item and also build in estimates for incidentals like transportation and cleanup, overhead like licenses and insurance, and contingencies (unplannable variables like weather or material shortages). Finally, Construction Estimators use their estimates to generate and present structured reports like bid proposals and working budgets.

Technical skills are increasingly important throughout the construction industry. Construction Estimators need to use multiple technical tools to gather information, discuss projects, perform analyses, prepare reports, and file documents. These tools include familiar software like Microsoft Office but also cloud-based work platforms, clients’ enterprise applications, and specialized software for tasks like computer-aided design (CAD), inventory management, personnel tracking, and accounting. Various programs specifically assist construction estimation by storing and organizing information, automating estimation tasks, and generating reports. Fluent use of these programs makes an Estimator’s work more orderly and efficient, letting them generate estimates faster and with greater accuracy. Such speed and precision are necessary to meet employers’ expectations, whether a Construction Estimator is a direct employee or a freelancer.

Why Do Businesses Need Construction Estimators?

Contractors form the backbone of the construction industry, and accurate estimation is critical to their success. An inflated estimate can prevent a contractor from securing work, but an artificially low estimate will lead to cost overruns that lose money, damage reputations, and potentially cause delays, broken contracts, and defaulted loans. A Construction Estimator must find reasonable cost-cutting measures but also build in enough profit to make a job worth taking. They must also anticipate any factors that could increase costs. On the other side of the bidding process, a Construction Estimator helps organizations evaluate the validity of incoming bids, identifying both unreasonably low and unnecessarily high bids and even breaking down proposed estimates to address their details.

Similarly, an estimate is the basis for a builder’s budget, guiding their financing, evaluation of subcontractor bids, initial purchase orders, payment scheduling, and monitoring of ongoing construction. Financial monitors compare actual expenditures to the initial estimate to ensure accountability and require explanations for any unexpected costs. This monitoring is especially necessary for mega-projects with multiple large phases since a small early discrepancy can expand into major expenses and delays. Public works projects must also account for their real costs versus estimates to justify how public funds are spent. 

A Construction Estimator’s expertise is valuable beyond bidding, budgeting, and accounting. A good Estimator can identify potential savings and help revise construction plans to reduce costs and shorten building time. The estimation process can also catch overlooked details and provide reminders for needs like uncommon materials, equipment rentals, specialized workers, and necessary permits. Estimators’ research and updated cost catalogs are also useful to find and evaluate vendors and subcontractors. Estimators even sometimes act as negotiators, talking to labor unions, vendors, and agencies to obtain better rates and stable pricing agreements that reduce the variability in their estimates.

Where Do Construction Estimators Usually Work?

The majority of Construction Estimators work for construction companies, evaluating potential jobs, generating bids, preparing budgets, and monitoring ongoing costs. Such companies range from general contractors and renovators to specialized subcontractors in trades like masonry, roofing, or electrical work, and might perform residential, commercial, or industrial construction. Other Construction Estimators perform similar work for construction-adjacent businesses like architects and interior designers.

A smaller but still significant proportion of Construction Estimators work for the businesses and other organizations that employ building contractors. This category includes real estate developers, building owners, and government agencies that build and maintain infrastructure like public housing, transportation, and utilities. For these employers, Construction Estimators create project estimates for advance budgeting and financing, evaluate bids from contractors, and review ongoing expenses to ensure consistency with original estimates. Other Construction Estimators work within insurance companies to generate estimates for reconstruction after disasters and evaluate bids from contractors hired for reconstruction projects. 

Another group of Construction Estimators is self-employed and available for hire as needed. They usually work for smaller contractors or tradespersons but may serve any organization that requires estimation work, including overflow from large building projects or understaffed departments. Certain self-employed Construction Estimators specialize to serve a particular industry’s needs, such as transportation. 

Many freelancers and some direct employees work from home, gathering information and submitting estimates remotely. More often, Construction Estimators divide their time between home and office, also occasionally traveling to meet with clients or observe work sites.

Construction Estimator Salary and Job Outlook

Currently, Construction Estimators across the United States earn an average annual salary between $60,000 and $100,000, varying depending on industry, location, and experience level, with an overall average of around $80,000. A typical entry-level salary is $75,000, given sufficient training and related experience. Lower salaries tend to represent interns or other trainees. The highest incomes are for senior Estimators and those working in areas that require additional training and experience, such as civil engineering or industrial construction.

Demand for Construction Estimators has been in a recent decline, which may stem from a combination of reduced construction due to the COVID quarantine, the subsequent drop in on-site work and need for business facilities, and the increasing automation of estimation work thanks to improved cost estimation software. However, construction estimation is a consistent requirement across many industries, and this downturn is expected to slow in coming years. Over 18,000 cost-estimation jobs become available each year due to turnover. A worker can also increase their employment options and their potential salary by learning both construction estimation and a related trade. For example, a Construction Manager who can perform their own estimates is doubly valuable, as is a Construction Estimator who can also manage a business’s finances.

How Long Does it Take to Become a Construction Estimator?

Traditionally, a Construction Estimator needs from five to eight years to complete their training, including a four-year Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field plus one to four years of on-the-job training in the construction industry. This experience could include construction work, management, accounting, or other positions within a construction-related business. While it is possible to start working as an entry-level or intern Estimator with a related degree like accounting or engineering, one or more years of work experience are still necessary before a worker can be considered a fully capable Construction Estimator.

As an alternative, those who already have several years of construction or cost estimation experience may be able to learn construction estimation through a non-degree training program. Depending on their specific experience, this additional training might take from several weeks to several months, perhaps up to a year if they need courses on multiple topics. This training covers skills like reading building plans and translating them to inventory lists, preparing and reporting bids and budgets, researching vendors and costs, and using cost estimation software. 

Around eight years of combined training and experience is necessary to qualify for certification as a professional Construction Estimator. Earning certifications, which can involve further coursework and examinations, is especially important for Estimators pursuing more competitive positions or freelancers seeking better-paying clients.

Construction Estimator vs. Construction Manager

Construction estimation can be compared most directly to other kinds of cost estimation work like manufacturing estimation. These jobs have similar workflows, differing mainly in the subjects for which they estimate costs.

However, the job most often confused with construction estimation is construction management. Both positions deal with construction plans, bids, budgets, and accounting, and they have many similar training and experience requirements. However, a Construction Manager’s responsibilities extend far beyond planning and financial concerns. They must organize and oversee each part of a construction project: evaluating building plans, purchasing materials, hiring subcontractors, setting schedules, issuing work assignments, contacting government agencies, checking work progress, responding to problems, and reporting results to their superiors. In small businesses, a Construction Manager may handle these jobs personally while also contributing as an on-site worker. They may even perform estimation and other financial duties themselves. For large projects, though, a Construction Manager is more of a supervisor, delegating responsibilities to subordinates, which might include one or more Construction Estimators. A Construction Estimator may only provide services during the preconstruction process, or they may collaborate with a Construction Manager throughout all stages of construction.

Due to their greater requirements and responsibilities, salaries for Construction Managers average around $105,000 per year in the United States, higher than the $75,000-$80,000 average annual salary for Construction Estimators. Employment rates are also higher and rapidly increasing for Construction Managers, with over 45,000 new jobs opening every year. However, unlike Construction Estimators, Construction Managers are rarely self-employed or work from home; in fact, they must frequently travel to offices, suppliers, and worksites. 

Learn the Skills to Become a Construction Estimator at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop and the Visual Design and Construction Institute (VDCI)offer online classes that teach the skills Construction Estimators need. In addition to classes on construction estimation, their curricula include general construction skills and construction and visualization software like 3D modeling, Computer-Assisted Drafting (CAD), and Building Information Model (BIM) systems. For each class, students complete one or more portfolio-quality projects, receive a certificate of completion, and can retake the course within 1 year, if needed.

Students new to construction estimation should start with VDCI’s Construction Estimator Course, a self-paced course including video lessons, practice exercises, training projects, and supplemental reference materials. The course assumes no prior experience and explains the primary skills of a Construction Estimator: reading construction drawings, translating those plans into component lists, calculating component costs, and accounting for various other expenses. 

Another set of self-paced courses explains how to read construction documents, often called blueprints. Construction Estimators need to completely understand building plans in any format, physical or virtual, to accurately extract information for their estimates. VDCI’s Blueprint Reading Fundamentals Course Bundle includes courses on both residential and commercial construction, combined at a discounted rate. This bundle can also be combined with the Construction Estimator Course as a Blueprint Reading & Construction Estimating Course Bundle.

For those without previous construction experience, VCDI’s self-paced Construction Fundamentals Course Bundle provides a thorough introduction to the processes, systems, and materials of building construction through video lectures and active projects. This series of six class units covers site surveying and foundation work, steel and concrete building structures, the components of the building envelope (including walls, floors, and roofing), interior and finishing work, utility systems like electrical and plumbing, fire protection, and final cleanup steps. The bundle also includes a one-hour, 1-on-1 mentoring session with an expert instructor.

Alongside programs specifically for construction estimation, Construction Estimators often use Building Information Modeling (BIM) software like Autodesk Revit to itemize the details of a construction project. BIM programs combine 2D and 3D modeling tools with informational resources representing materials, work stages, and other components. VDCI’s Revit Fundamentals Course Bundle combines an introduction to the program and BIM systems in general with an intermediate course that extends and expands students’ ability to create and read detailed building models. Students learn how to create a full-featured 3D building model, create and use 2D representations within that model, and generate architectural graphics, working building plans, and schedules that list material and labor requirements. These courses also address workflow design to improve efficiency in Revit. 

Like BIM, Computer-Aided Drafting (CAD) is also frequently used to visualize building projects, both to guide estimates and to collaborate with clients and colleagues. CAD programs like Autodesk AutoCAD create detailed visual and spatial representations that can depict buildings and construction sites. Construction estimation students will benefit most from VDCI’s Autodesk CAD Certification Bundle, a set of five self-paced classes that include an introduction to the program, an intermediate class explaining the creation of construction documents, two extended units building further construction document skills, and a class on smaller-scale detail drawings in CAD. This bundle is designed to prepare students for Autodesk Certified User in AutoCAD certification, and the course includes a voucher for the certification exam and a free exam retake if needed. Students also receive a 1-on-1 training session they can use for exam preparation or career advising.

Alternately, students prepared to pursue complete training in both CAD and BIM systems can combine both their certificate bundles into a single CAD/BIM Certificate Program. In addition to introductory and intermediate classes and two units of extended practice with construction documents for both programs, the combined program includes a professional-level capstone project, 120 hours of added elective classes (including advanced AutoCAD or specialized versions of Revit), and eight 1-on-1 mentoring sessions to address difficult topics or get help with career preparation.