Construction Estimator

Construction Estimator

Job Overview 

The Construction Estimator is the primary owner of cost development and bid strategy at RCCS. This role carries full accountability for quantity takeoffs, conceptual and detailed cost estimating, subcontractor bid solicitation and leveling, scope of work development, and buyout support from early design through contract award. The ideal candidate is a disciplined, detail-driven professional who builds accurate, defensible estimates and protects margin before the first dollar is ever spent in the field.

RCCS builds townhomes, condos, multifamily, and select commercial projects across the Southeast. The Estimator operates within a structured preconstruction platform using Procore, Bluebeam, and industry standard takeoff and cost database tools, and is expected to enforce documentation and process discipline across every bid. This position reports to the VP of Preconstruction and collaborates daily with the Director of Product Development, Operations, Project Managers, and outside design and ownership teams.

Essential Duties, Roles and Responsibilities

This position owns the full estimating lifecycle - from conceptual budgeting through detailed bid-day estimates, subcontractor solicitation, scope development, and buyout handoff to the construction team. The Estimator is accountable for accuracy, completeness, and defensibility of every number that leaves preconstruction.

Conceptual and Budget Estimating 

• Develop conceptual and schematic-level budget estimates using historical cost data, unit pricing, and square-footage benchmarks to support early feasibility and go/no-go decisions.

• Maintain and continuously update RCCS’s historical cost database across multifamily, townhome, and BTR product types; ensure unit pricing reflects current market conditions and recent project actuals.

• Identify and communicate scope, design, or budget gaps to the VP of Preconstruction and the Director of Product Development early enough to influence design decisions before they become costly to change.

Detailed Estimating and Quantity Takeoffs

• Perform detailed quantity takeoffs from DD and CD-level drawings across all CSI divisions; produce accurate, well-organized estimates that withstand internal and client scrutiny.

• Build and maintain detailed estimate templates by CSI division; ensure consistency, traceability, and accuracy across every estimate produced regardless of project type or size.

• Reconcile estimates against design progression at each milestone; document and communicate cost variance, scope creep, or material escalation risk before it threatens project budgets.

Subcontractor Bid Solicitation and Leveling

• Assemble and distribute complete, well-organized bid packages to qualified subcontractors; ensure plans, specifications, and scope clarifications are accurate and current at time of issue.

• Level subcontractor bids by trade to confirm full scope coverage and apples-to-apples comparison; identify and close scope gaps, exclusions, and qualifications before bids are presented for award.

• Maintain and expand a qualified subcontractor and vendor database by trade and region; track bid performance, responsiveness, and reliability to inform future solicitation decisions.

Scope of Work and Buyout Support

• Develop detailed, trade-specific scopes of work for every bid package; eliminate ambiguity that leads to scope disputes, change orders, or coverage gaps once a project moves to construction.

• Lead the buyout process by seeking and achieving targeted buy out percentages on projects, transferring complete, accurate estimate and bid data to the Project Manager and Contract Administration; ensure scope, pricing, and qualifications carry forward without loss or ambiguity.

• Participate in the estimating to construction handoff meeting for every awarded project; ensure the receiving PM has full context on assumptions, exclusions, and qualifications carried in the estimate.

Value Engineering and Cost Optimization

• Identify and present value engineering options when budgets are at risk; quantify cost impact, schedule impact, and quality tradeoffs clearly enough for leadership and ownership to make informed decisions.

• Participate in constructability reviews with the design team and Director of Product Development; flag design decisions that drive unnecessary cost without a corresponding value to the owner.

Documentation and Process Discipline

• Maintain complete estimate files, bid tabulations, and supporting documentation in Procore for every project pursued; ensure every number in an estimate is traceable to its source.

• Track win rates, estimate accuracy versus actual cost, and bid coverage by trade; report findings to the VP of Preconstruction to drive continuous improvement in estimating accuracy.

Other duties as assigned.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, or a related field preferred. Equivalent estimating experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.

• Minimum 5 years of estimating experience in commercial construction; multifamily, townhome, or built-to-rent estimating experience strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated proficiency with estimating and takeoff software, with a strong working knowledge of Procore.

• Strong working knowledge of CSI MasterFormat divisions, construction means and methods, and current material and labor cost trends across the Southeast market.

• Ability to read, interpret, and take off quantities from architectural, structural, civil, and MEP construction documents with confidence and minimal oversight.

• Experience with Stipulated Sum, GMP, CM at Risk, and competitive hard bid delivery methods; familiarity with AIA contract structures and standard preconstruction services agreements.

• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel; strong analytical and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple bids and deadlines simultaneously.

Leadership and Behavioral Profile

• Detail-Driven: Catches what others miss; treats a missed quantity or scope gap as a serious error, not a rounding issue.

• Analytically Rigorous: Builds estimates on data and documented assumptions, not gut feel; can defend every number with a clear basis.

• Deadline Driven: Manages multiple bid deadlines simultaneously without sacrificing accuracy; never lets the clock become an excuse for a weak estimate.

• Collaborative Partner: Works closely with design, Business Development, operations and production teams; communicates cost implications clearly enough to influence decisions before they become expensive.

• Process Oriented: Follows consistent estimating methodology on every bid; builds systems and templates that make the next estimate faster and more accurate than the last.

What Success Looks Like

• Estimates are accurate, complete, and consistently land within a tight variance of actual project cost at completion.

• Bid packages are complete and well-organized; subcontractors rarely have basic scope questions because the package answered them upfront.

• Bid coverage by trade is strong; every package receives multiple qualified, leveled bids and no project proceeds on a single, unchecked number.

• Scope of work documents are clear and complete; change orders driven by scope ambiguity at buyout become rare rather than routine.

• The handoff to construction is clean - PMs receive estimates and bid data with full context and no scrambling to figure out what was assumed.

• RCCS’s historical cost database is current and trusted; future estimates get faster and more accurate because the data behind them is sound.

• Leadership trusts the numbers; estimates are presented with confidence and rarely require significant revision before they go to the client or to construction.

Compensation

• $110,000-$160,000 Dependent on experience.

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.

• 401(k) retirement plan.

• Paid time off (PTO).

• Performance and incentive based bonus opportunities.

• Growth potential within a rapidly expanding construction platform.

Schedule

• Monday through Friday, standard daytime hours; 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Additional hours may be required around bid deadlines.

Job Type

• Full-time position, exempt; averaging 40+ hours per week.

Ability to Commute / Relocate

• Charlotte, NC: Reliable commute or willingness to relocate before start date required.

Work Location

• Hybrid | Office: 1710 Camden Rd, Charlotte, NC 28203. Occasional site visits for existing condition verification as required.

Work Environment

Office-based environment with a business casual dress code. Standard office equipment including computers, large format plan review monitors, and document management systems are used daily. Occasional jobsite visits will require appropriate PPE in accordance with RCCS safety standards.

Physical Demands 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Ability to sit for extended periods while performing detailed takeoff and estimating work.

• Manual dexterity to operate a computer, dual monitors, and standard office equipment for extended periods.

• Ability to lift and carry up to 15 pounds; vision acuity sufficient to review detailed construction drawings and specifications for extended periods.

• Valid driver’s license required for occasional site visits.

Red Cedar Construction Services, LLC. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

We do not discriminate based on race, traits historically associated with race, hair texture and protective hairstyles, color, national origin, ancestry, creed, religion, physical and mental disability, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, sexual orientation, age, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable law.