Civil Estimator

Key Responsibilities

• Review and interpret bid documents, plans, specifications, geotechnical reports, and addenda for heavy civil projects (deep foundations, pipelines, hydro excavation, site development, earthwork, utilities, and related work).
• Perform detailed quantity takeoffs and validate quantities against field production rates and historical data.
• Develop project-specific means and methods in collaboration with the Construction Manager and operations team, incorporating equipment selection, crew configurations, sequencing, and site constraints.
• Pricing all direct costs: labor (union/non-union rates, productivity factors), equipment (ownership/operating costs, fuel), materials, and subcontractors; obtain and evaluate vendor/sub quotes.
• Build and maintain unit cost databases, production rates, and historical cost information tailored to civil work.
• Assemble complete bid packages including scope narratives, assumptions, clarifications, exclusions, and risk assessments; prepare for internal bid reviews and client presentations.
• Analyze project risks and opportunities; recommend contingency levels, alternate pricing, and value engineering options.
• Support post-bid activities: participate in scope reviews, hand off estimate details to project managers and controls specialists, and track actual vs. estimated performance for continuous improvement.
• Maintain bid history and lessons-learned documentation to refine future estimates and support company-wide standards.
• Collaborate with project controls on cost coding structures and with field teams on realistic scheduling inputs.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, or related field (or equivalent heavy civil estimating experience).
• 5–10 years of progressive experience as a Civil Estimator focused on heavy civil, industrial, pipeline, foundation, or infrastructure projects (minimum $10M+ project size preferred).
• Strong proficiency with estimating software and takeoff tools.
• Deep knowledge of heavy civil means and methods, equipment productivity, labor rates, and regional market conditions.
• Excellent analytical and mathematical skills with high attention to detail; ability to work under tight bid deadlines.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills; comfortable presenting estimates to leadership and clients.
• Valid driver’s license and willingness to travel occasionally for site visits, pre-bid meetings, or client engagements.
• Alignment with our core values: safety-first mindset, transparency, accuracy, accountability, and team advancement.

Preferred

• Experience with Louisiana DOTD, PHMSA pipeline regulations, USACE, or environmentally sensitive projects.
• Familiarity with scheduling tools (Primavera P6 or MS Project) and job-cost systems.
• Professional certifications such as Certified Professional Estimator (CPE) or ASPE membership.
• Prior exposure to a high-growth construction environment where estimating accuracy directly impacted scaling success.