What are the responsibilities and job description for the Construction Estimator position at Bardwell Homes?
Department: Construction
Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Bardwell Homes helps create unique residential communities by building homes that bring the development to life. Our extensive experience, deep knowledge, and commitment to the homeowner are present in every home we build. We are looking for individuals who want to bring their skills and passion to our team.
ABOUT THE JOB
The Construction Estimator will be responsible for assisting to create house budgets and establish sale pricing. Should also be able to determine costs and estimates for custom changes and review and understand all specifications, scopes of work, building codes, ACC requirements.
Key Responsibilities
- Create material take-offs for all new and revised plans.
- Prepare construction budgets by studying home plans; specifications; identifying and projecting costs, based on established unit pricing.
- Obtain bids from vendors and subcontractors by specifying materials.
- Act as main source of budget communication to the field, including site visits to track and validate material takeoffs.
- Maintain cost keys and price masters by updating information. Use these to measure progress and accuracy of actual construction to the budget and have minimal misses.
- Assist in the review of material VPO requests to ensure in accordance with take-offs and scopes of work, and eliminate the need for material EPO’s.
- Maintain quality service by following organization standards.
- Assist in preparation of detailed cost estimates for all jobs using architectural drawings, specifications, and selection sheets.
- Assist in monitoring variance between estimated costs and actual costs
- Assist in preparation of detailed cost estimates for all optional features offered in each residential housing series.
- Updates yearly and maintains an estimating notebook with updated unit costs for all Trade Contractors.
- Assist and initiates a Bid Summary Sheet when bidding out new product that clearly displays the comparison of pricing between Trade Contractor bids.
- Participate in meetings with Trade Contractors and vendors as needed to complete the bidding, contracting, and negotiating processes for each new job.
- Assist in responding to all clarification concerns from Trade Contractors regarding scope of Work and Specifications.
- Assist in resolving all issues with Purchase Orders including: accuracy, clarity of description, pricing, and computer software.
- Assist in resolving Purchase Order and Change Order questions regarding the intended Scope of Work and/or material detail.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
Critical competencies should include strong organizational skills, intense attention to detail, ability to meet deadlines and work within strict timeframes, problem solving (analyze problems and make sound decisions in a timely manner). Candidates should have exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, and strong interpersonal skills with an ability to consistently balance the interests of multiple stakeholders.
Ideal candidate will have industry knowledge of residential construction. Must be able to work as a team with our sales and construction staff along with outside trade partners.
- A minimum of 2-3 years of experience in the construction field
- Previous estimating experience required
- Working knowledge of Builder Trend Software a plus
- Strong computer skills
- Strong Excel Skills
- COMPENSATION based on experience.