Senior Estimator (Vertical Construction)

Trueline

$95K — $115K *
Real Estate & Construction
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5-15 years of estimating experience within commercial general contracting
  • Proven ability to independently manage complete estimates
  • Strong grasp of construction methods and pricing
  • Experience in soliciting and evaluating subcontractor bids
  • Excellent Excel skills and hands-on estimating capabilities
  • Strong relationship-building and communication skills
  • Ability to thrive in a less formalized environment and propose process improvements

Responsibilities

  • Own and manage all aspects of General Contracting estimates from budgeting to bidding
  • Develop various types of estimates including conceptual and GMP
  • Perform thorough quantity takeoffs and price evaluations
  • Review project documents including drawings and specifications
  • Negotiate subcontractor and vendor proposals while developing clear scopes
  • Identify gaps and constructability concerns, contributing to project risk assessments
  • Support bid strategy decisions and project handovers post-award

Benefits

  • Discretionary bonus potential tied to performance
  • Generous medical insurance coverage with significant company contribution
  • 401(k) plan with company matching contributions
  • Flexible PTO structure for senior roles
  • Situational work-from-home options available
  • Direct access to executive leadership for professional growth
  • Opportunity to influence estimating processes and technology selection
Full Job Description
We are seeking a Senior Estimator - General Contracting to join the team in Maryland. This is a hands-on opportunity to become the company's primary dedicated estimator, take ownership of complete GC estimates, and help build a more formal preconstruction function as the business continues to grow.

What You'll Do as the Senior Estimator - General Contracting:
  • Own General Contracting estimates from early budgeting through final bid
  • Develop conceptual, schematic, design-development, negotiated, GMP, and hard-bid estimates
  • Perform detailed quantity takeoffs and pricing
  • Review drawings, specifications, contracts, addenda, and bid documents
  • Solicit, review, level, and negotiate subcontractor and vendor proposals
  • Develop clear scopes, assumptions, exclusions, and clarifications
  • Evaluate labor, materials, equipment, subcontractor costs, and general conditions
  • Identify scope gaps, constructability concerns, project risks, and value-engineering opportunities
  • Support bid strategy and go/no-go decisions
  • Participate in project turnover from preconstruction to Operations after award
  • Maintain and improve historical pricing and cost information
  • Build repeatable estimating workflows and standards
  • Improve estimating consistency, accuracy, and internal communication
  • Develop and maintain cost databases
  • Conduct bid post-mortems and evaluate estimating performance
  • Recommend improvements to estimating technology and process
  • Help establish stronger preconstruction meetings and handoff procedures
  • Build and maintain strong subcontractor and supplier relationships throughout Maryland, DC, and Virginia
  • Expand the company's trade-partner network
  • Maintain awareness of local pricing, market conditions, and subcontractor capacity
  • Support smaller metal fabrication estimates during lighter GC bid periods when appropriate
  • Contribute to light business-development and market outreach as needed
  • Help determine future estimating and preconstruction staffing needs as the department grows

Must-Haves as the Senior Estimator - General Contracting:
  • Strong commercial General Contractor estimating experience
  • Ability to independently produce complete estimates without relying on a Chief Estimator
  • Strong understanding of construction means, methods, sequencing, scopes, and pricing
  • Experience soliciting and leveling subcontractor bids
  • Ability to manage multiple bids and deadlines simultaneously
  • Strong Excel skills
  • Hands-on takeoff and estimating capability
  • Strong communication and relationship-building skills
  • Ability to work autonomously in a smaller contractor environment
  • Comfort working in an organization where every process may not already be formalized
  • Willingness to challenge and improve existing processes constructively
  • Ability to work primarily onsite in Woodbine, Maryland

Nice-to-Haves as the Senior Estimator - General Contracting:
  • 7-15+ years of GC estimating or preconstruction experience
  • Maryland, DC, or Northern Virginia market experience
  • Existing local subcontractor relationships
  • Government or federal estimating experience
  • Davis-Bacon or prevailing wage experience
  • Commercial tenant improvement experience
  • Commercial fit-out experience
  • Occupied renovation experience
  • Historic renovation experience
  • Higher education or institutional construction experience
  • Secure facility experience
  • Healthcare experience
  • Gaming or hospitality construction experience
  • Sacred-space or church construction experience
  • Design-build experience
  • Negotiated work experience
  • Conceptual budgeting experience
  • Experience improving estimating systems or processes
  • Structural steel or miscellaneous metals estimating exposure
  • Vista Viewpoint experience
  • ProContractor experience
  • Bluebeam experience

Benefits Offered:

  • Discretionary bonus opportunity
  • Senior-level discretionary bonuses have historically ranged approximately $5,000-$20,000 depending on contribution and performance
  • Medical insurance with approximately 80% of employee-only premium currently paid by the company
  • Dental insurance
  • Vision insurance
  • 401(k) with company match
  • PTO with flexibility for senior hires
  • Professional hires often start around three weeks of PTO
  • Situational work-from-home flexibility
  • Potential car allowance or company vehicle under consideration
  • Direct access to executive leadership
  • High level of autonomy and visibility
  • Opportunity to become the company's primary dedicated estimator
  • Ability to shape estimating and preconstruction processes
  • Opportunity to influence technology selection and workflow
  • Potential to build and eventually lead a larger estimating team
  • Established family-owned company with strong recurring client relationships
  • Small-company environment with meaningful impact and limited bureaucracy

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