Estimator, Construction Salary

The job of construction estimator is essential to a contractor or any company that performs many building or material improvements or renovations to their facilities. The estimator assesses all costs - material and labor - for potential construction projects. They normally work within a firm to come up with their best estimates for a project so that the company can then implement this work into a budget for a bid; their estimates are often for internal use only, although some contractors have their estimators write actual bids as well.

A construction estimator needs to have strong analytical skills. They work with designers, engineers, and architects to take schematics and blueprints and work up the cost of materials required. They may be asked to work up multiple estimates for a variety of materials in a typical construction project as well. The estimator must also have a strong working knowledge of their firm’s construction procedures and manpower to develop good projections on the amount of labor required.

Construction estimators may have to do a bit of traveling, as on-site visits and information-gathering are frequently a key part of determining the accuracy of their projections. Normally, a person in this position works regular business hours, but certain projects may require after hours or predawn site visits as well.

If the estimator miscalculates the costs of material, labor, or time, the cost overrun can hurt a company; as a result, there are usually education requirements that include some postsecondary technical education. Additionally, three to five years in construction management work is strongly recommended. (Copyright 2017 PayScale.com)

Estimator, Construction Tasks

• Create estimates and cost or expenditure statements for use in future project consideration.
• Create cost tracking and reporting operational systems.
• Consult with outsides sources and analyze documents to create time, cost, materials and labor estimates.

With a pay rate for Construction Estimators that is 38 percent greater than the national average, San Francisco offers a comfortable salary for those in this profession. Construction Estimators can also look forward to large paychecks in cities like Jacksonville (+24 percent), Salt Lake City (+20 percent), Denver (+13 percent), and Phoenix (+8 percent). Those in the field find the lowest salaries in Richmond, 10 percent below the national average. Not at the bottom but still paying below the median are employers in Detroit and St. Louis (10 percent lower and 8 percent lower, respectively).