Head Estimator

We're looking for a Head Estimator who brings serious underground utilities and general engineering experience, a deep familiarity with California's public works landscape, and the instincts to price complex work accurately in a competitive market. If you've spent your career in California — building expertise on public agency work — this role is built for someone like you. What You'll Own Lead the full estimating function, from bid strategy to final submission, across public agency projects including water, sewer, storm drain, and general underground infrastructure Evaluate bid documents, plans, and specifications to develop accurate, competitive cost estimates for public works projects Drive pre-bid site walks, subcontractor and supplier outreach, and scope clarification to build complete, defensible estimates Serve as the primary point of contact for estimating on multi-year on-call contracts and competitive public bids with cities, counties, and water districts Collaborate with operations and project management leadership to ensure estimates reflect realistic field conditions, crew productivity, and material costs Build and maintain a library of unit costs, historical data, and subcontractor relationships that continuously improve estimating accuracy Identify risk, flag scope gaps, and provide leadership with the information needed to make go/no-go decisions with confidence Requirements Substantial experience estimating underground utilities and general engineering work — water, sewer, storm drain, vaults, conduit, and related infrastructure A career built in California, with working knowledge of California public works contracting, prevailing wage requirements, and public agency bid procedures Strong preference for candidates with public works estimating experience; public agency contract work should represent a significant portion of your background Ability to read and interpret civil, structural, and utility plans with precision Familiarity with estimating software and Excel-based takeoff workflows Collaborative mindset and the ability to work closely with field operations to ground estimates in reality, not just paper A track record of winning work — and delivering projects that come in close to budget Benefits Competitive base salary commensurate with experience (to be disclosed to qualified candidates) Tenured, financially stable organization with long-standing public agency relationships and a consistent pipeline of contracted work Leadership-level visibility and meaningful influence over bid strategy and business development Stable, owner-led culture where decisions get made quickly and good work is recognized #J-18808-Ljbffr AlphaX