Residential Construction Estimator

Job Description

Job Description

Nashville, TN | Full-Time | In-Office

At Zurich Homes, we believe great projects start long before construction begins. Through thoughtful planning, accurate budgeting, strong trade partnerships, and disciplined financial management, we deliver homes that reflect quality craftsmanship and lasting value.

We are seeking an experienced Residential Construction Estimator to lead estimating, budgeting, purchasing coordination, and job-cost management for our residential construction projects. This role is ideal for a detail-oriented construction professional who enjoys turning plans into actionable budgets, identifying opportunities to improve profitability, and collaborating closely with project teams to ensure successful project outcomes.

If you are passionate about residential construction and take pride in delivering accurate, well-organized estimates that drive project success, we'd love to hear from you.

Learn more about us:

What You'll Do

Estimating & Preconstruction

• Prepare detailed residential construction estimates from conceptual design through final construction documents
• Review plans, specifications, and scopes of work for accuracy and completeness
• Perform quantity take-offs and pricing for all project scopes, including site work, concrete, framing, utilities, and interior finishes
• Solicit and evaluate vendor and subcontractor pricing proposals
• Develop project budgets, allowances, contingencies, and cost projections
• Participate in preconstruction and design meetings to support budgeting, scope alignment, and value engineering efforts
• Identify potential cost risks, escalation concerns, labor shortages, and long-lead items early in the process

Purchasing & Change Orders

• Prepare and manage purchase orders for residential projects
• Coordinate purchasing activities to ensure alignment with approved budgets and vendor proposals
• Prepare and price project change orders
• Ensure all change orders are properly documented, approved, and incorporated into project cost forecasts
• Work closely with project managers and accounting to verify invoice accuracy and contracted pricing

Job Costing & Financial Oversight

• Monitor estimate-versus-actual job costing throughout the project lifecycle
• Track committed and uncommitted project costs
• Identify budget variances and recommend corrective actions
• Participate in regular job-cost review meetings
• Conduct post-project cost analyses to improve future estimating accuracy
• Support feasibility budgeting for speculative homes and future development opportunities

Vendor & Trade Partner Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with vendors and trade contractors
• Maintain an organized vendor and subcontractor database
• Evaluate trade partner performance related to pricing, quality, responsiveness, and schedule adherence
• Identify and onboard new vendors and subcontractors as needed
• Support purchasing programs, rebates, and cost-saving opportunities

Systems & Process Improvement

• Maintain estimating templates, cost libraries, and purchasing systems
• Keep labor and material pricing current with market conditions
• Maintain organized digital estimating and purchasing files
• Continuously improve estimating, purchasing, and job-cost tracking processes

What We're Looking For

• Minimum 5 years of residential construction estimating experience
• Strong understanding of residential construction methods, sequencing, and building plans
• Proven experience preparing detailed project budgets and quantity take-offs
• Knowledge of purchasing, subcontractor management, and job costing
• Strong spreadsheet, analytical, and organizational skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects while maintaining exceptional accuracy
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with custom homes, luxury residential construction, or design-build projects
• Familiarity with construction management and accounting software
• Experience identifying value engineering and cost-saving opportunities
• Knowledge of the Nashville residential construction market and trade network

What Success Looks Like

• Consistently produce accurate estimates and budgets
• Help maintain strong project profitability through proactive cost management
• Build productive relationships with vendors and trade partners
• Identify financial risks before they impact project performance
• Maintain organized systems, documentation, and historical cost data
• Collaborate effectively with ownership, project managers, accounting, and field teams