Estimator

Job Description

Job Description

Estimator

Job Description

The Estimator plays a key role in the estimating and preconstruction process for residential construction and outdoor living projects. This position prepares detailed cost estimates, supports proposal development, coordinates with subcontractors and vendors, and ensures a smooth handoff of awarded projects to operations and project management teams. The Estimator uses Buildertrend and Microsoft Excel to maintain accurate cost data, track bids, and support informed decision-making throughout the project lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Prepare detailed and comprehensive cost estimates for residential construction, outdoor living, landscaping, pool construction, and general contracting projects.
• Analyze plans, specifications, and project requirements to develop accurate scopes of work and identify all necessary labor, materials, and subcontractor involvement.
• Perform quantity takeoffs and pricing for labor, materials, and subcontractors, ensuring estimates are complete, accurate, and aligned with project objectives.
• Develop and present proposals, budgets, and bid packages that clearly communicate scope, assumptions, and pricing to internal teams and clients.
• Maintain and update pricing databases, cost history, and estimating templates within Buildertrend to support consistent and reliable estimating practices.
• Collaborate with operations and field teams to ensure estimates align with execution capabilities, construction methods, and schedule requirements.
• Solicit bids from subcontractors and suppliers, ensuring that all relevant trades and vendors are included in the bidding process.
• Evaluate subcontractor and vendor proposals to verify scope coverage, pricing accuracy, timelines, and compliance with project requirements.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with trade partners and vendors to support competitive pricing and reliable project delivery.
• Assist in negotiating pricing and scope with subcontractors and suppliers when needed to achieve budget and value objectives.
• Partner with sales and leadership teams to support proposal development, providing detailed cost breakdowns and scope clarifications as required.
• Assist in reviewing project scope and pricing with homeowners when needed, helping to explain estimates and answer cost-related questions.
• Provide value engineering options to align projects with client budgets while maintaining quality and design intent.
• Ensure accurate and complete turnover of awarded projects to operations and project management teams, including all scope details and pricing information.
• Document all scope details, assumptions, and pricing within Buildertrend to create a clear record for project execution and future reference.
• Support change order pricing and scope adjustments as needed once projects are underway, updating budgets and documentation accordingly.
• Utilize Buildertrend for estimating, budgeting, documentation, and project tracking, ensuring data is current and well-organized.
• Maintain organized records of estimates, proposals, and supporting documentation to enable efficient retrieval and reporting.
• Use Microsoft Excel for cost tracking, quantity takeoffs, and financial analysis related to project estimates and bids.
• Participate in estimating reviews, pipeline discussions, and forecasting meetings to support business planning and workload management.

Essential Skills

• 3–5+ years of estimating experience in residential construction, outdoor living, landscaping, pool construction, or general contracting.
• Proven experience preparing detailed project estimates and managing bid processes from solicitation through final proposal.
• Experience working with subcontractors, vendors, and construction teams in a residential or outdoor living environment.
• Strong estimation skills with the ability to analyze plans, specifications, and project requirements to develop accurate scopes of work.
• Hands-on experience with construction bidding processes, including quantity takeoffs and pricing for labor, materials, and subcontractors.
• Ability to use Buildertrend for estimating, budgeting, documentation, and project tracking.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel for cost tracking, takeoffs, and financial analysis.
• Solid understanding of residential construction practices and outdoor living project components.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Background in construction, residential building, landscaping, pool construction, or general contracting.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with trade partners and vendors.
• Experience presenting proposals, budgets, and bid packages to internal teams and clients.
• Skill in value engineering to align project scope with client budgets while maintaining quality.
• Comfort collaborating with sales, leadership, operations, and field teams to support project success.
• Strong organizational skills for maintaining accurate records of estimates, proposals, and supporting documentation.
• Ability to participate effectively in estimating reviews, pipeline discussions, and forecasting meetings.

Work Environment

This role operates in a professional construction and preconstruction environment that combines office-based work with regular collaboration with field and operations teams. The Estimator primarily works with digital tools such as Buildertrend and Microsoft Excel to manage estimates, budgets, and documentation, and communicates frequently with subcontractors, vendors, and internal stakeholders. Work is typically performed during standard business hours, with occasional flexibility to meet proposal deadlines or participate in forecasting and pipeline meetings. The environment emphasizes organization, accuracy, and teamwork, with a focus on clear communication, thorough documentation, and alignment between estimating and project execution. Dress is generally business casual, suitable for an office setting with periodic visits to project-related meetings.

This is a Permanent position based out of Brentwood, TN.

The pay range for this position is $85000.00 - $115000.00/yr.

Estimating & Preconstruction Prepare detailed cost estimates for residential construction and outdoor living projects. Analyze plans, specifications, and project requirements to develop accurate scopes of work. Perform quantity takeoffs and pricing for labor, materials, and subcontractors. Develop and present proposals, budgets, and bid packages. Maintain and update pricing databases, cost history, and estimating templates within Buildertrend. Collaborate with operations and field teams to ensure estimates align with execution capabilities. Subcontractor & Vendor Coordination Solicit and evaluate bids from subcontractors and suppliers. Build and maintain relationships with trade partners and vendors. Verify scope coverage, pricing accuracy, and timelines within subcontractor proposals. Assist in negotiating pricing and scope where needed. Client & Sales Support Partner with sales and leadership teams to support proposal development. Assist in reviewing project scope and pricing with homeowners as needed. Provide value engineering options to align projects with client budgets. Project Handoff & Coordination Ensure accurate and complete turnover of awarded projects to operations and project management teams. Document all scope details, assumptions, and pricing within Buildertrend. Support change order pricing and scope adjustments as needed once projects are underway. Administrative & Systems Utilize Buildertrend for estimating, budgeting, documentation, and project tracking. Maintain organized records of estimates, proposals, and supporting documentation. Use Microsoft Excel for cost tracking, takeoffs, and analysis. Participate in estimating reviews, pipeline discussions, and forecasting meetings.

This is a fully onsite position in Brentwood,TN.

This position is anticipated to close on Jul 15, 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 View email address on ziprecruiter.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.