Estimator - Excavation, Earthwork & Underground Utilities

Job Description

Job Description

The Opportunity

This is a hands-on Civil / Sitework Estimator role focused on self-performed excavation, earthwork, underground utilities, and site-development work. This is not a general building-estimator position.

In this role, you will:

• Prepare complete, production-based civil/sitework estimates.
• Review plans, specifications, geotechnical reports, addenda, and other bid documents.
• Work directly with suppliers, subcontractors, general contractors, engineers, owners, and Indiana Earth operations personnel.
• Participate in bid reviews and final-pricing discussions.
• Help turn winning estimates into well-prepared projects through an organized operations handoff.
• Use estimated-versus-actual job-cost feedback to improve future bids.

Key Responsibilities

Plans, Takeoffs, and Scope

• Review civil plans, specifications, geotechnical reports, addenda, and related bid documents.
• Independently perform quantity takeoffs.
• Identify inclusions, exclusions, clarifications, and scope gaps before bid submission.
• Prepare estimates for:

- Site preparation and grading

- Excavation and earthwork

- Demolition and site clearing

- Building pads and subgrade

- Erosion control and related sitework

- Storm sewer, sanitary sewer, and water services

- Pipe, structures, manholes, inlets, hydrants, and related utility work

- Stone, aggregate, backfill, and materials such as #53 limestone

- Trucking, spoils, import/export, disposal, and haul requirements

Estimating and Cost Development

• Build estimates using realistic crew production, labor hours, equipment, material, trucking, subcontractor, and supplier costs.
• Develop clear labor, equipment, material, trucking, and subcontractor cost codes.
• Apply appropriate union labor classifications, wage rates, fringes, burdens, and overtime assumptions.
• Analyze cut/fill, dirt balance, stripping, undercut, unsuitable soils, haul distances, imports, exports, and disposal requirements.
• Solicit, review, and level supplier and subcontractor quotations.
• Document quantities, production assumptions, vendor pricing, and exclusions supporting each estimate.

Bidding and Customer Follow-Up

• Prepare public and municipal bid packages, including unit-price schedules, bid forms, alternates, addenda, and applicable bonding requirements.
• Prepare proposals for general contractors and private customers.
• Participate in bid-day review and final-pricing discussions.
• Maintain an organized electronic bid log and supporting estimate files.
• Track bid results and follow up with owners, general contractors, and customers after bid day.
• Identify opportunities through ConstructConnect, BuildingConnected, public bid sites, plan rooms, contractor invitations, and other approved sources.

Operations Handoff and Continuous Improvement

• Turn awarded work over to operations with complete quantities, production assumptions, vendor pricing, exclusions, and cost-code information.
• Support a smooth transition from estimating to field execution.
• Review estimated-versus-actual job costs and production results.
• Use field feedback to improve pricing, productivity assumptions, and future bids.

Required Qualifications

• Three or more years of estimating experience with an excavation, sitework, underground-utility, civil, or closely related self-perform contractor.
• Ability to independently read civil plans and specifications.
• Experience performing quantity takeoffs and developing detailed estimates.
• Strong understanding of labor, equipment, material, trucking, subcontractor, and disposal costs.
• Microsoft Excel skills.
• Ability to manage multiple bid deadlines and keep estimate files organized.
• Ability to communicate effectively with suppliers, subcontractors, general contractors, engineers, owners, and field operations personnel.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience estimating self-performed sitework.
• Experience with excavation, grading, earthwork, and site-construction production.
• Working knowledge of underground utility and pipe work.
• Experience with public or municipal bidding.
• Experience with prevailing-wage or union construction and labor costing.
• Experience bidding as a prime contractor, subcontractor, or both.
• Construction Management or Civil Engineering degree; equivalent estimating and field experience is strongly valued.
• Experience with one or more of the following tools:
• HCSS HeavyBid
• ConstructConnect
• BuildingConnected
• Procore
• RocTek
• AGTEK
• Bluebeam
• B2W
• Comparable estimating, takeoff, or bid-management software

What Success Looks Like

In Your First 90 Days

• Learn Indiana Earth’s bid log, estimate files, cost-code structure, and bid-review process.
• Build productive working relationships with operations, suppliers, and subcontractors.
• Contribute to active estimates with clear quantities, pricing support, and documented assumptions.
• Understand the company’s approach to production rates, field conditions, labor costing, and bid risk.

As You Grow in the Role

• Take ownership of complete civil/sitework estimates.
• Help produce competitive, well-scoped bids.
• Strengthen the estimating-to-operations handoff.
• Improve estimating accuracy through estimated-versus-actual job-cost feedback.

Compensation and Application

• Base salary: $75,000–$90,000 per year.
• Additional compensation: Discretionary performance bonus.
• Benefits: PTO.
• Indiana Earth may consider compensation outside the stated range for a candidate with particularly strong and directly relevant estimating experience.

If you have estimating experience in excavation, earthwork, site development, underground utilities, public work, or related self-performed civil construction, we encourage you to apply.

Indiana Earth, Inc. is an established Northern Indiana excavation and site-development contractor. We have served the region for more than 34 years and perform public, municipal, commercial, industrial, manufacturing, and private work throughout Northern Indiana and the Michiana region.

Indiana Earth is an equal-opportunity union contractor. We are looking for an experienced estimator who understands how field production, equipment, trucking, labor classifications, union rates, fringes, and job conditions affect a bid.

Company Description

Indiana Earth, Inc. is an established Northern Indiana excavation and site-development contractor. We have served the region for more than 34 years and perform public, municipal, commercial, industrial, manufacturing, and private work throughout Northern Indiana and the Michiana region.\n\nIndiana Earth is an equal-opportunity union contractor. We are looking for an experienced estimator who understands how field production, equipment, trucking, labor classifications, union rates, fringes, and job conditions affect a bid.