Preconstruction Estimator

Preconstruction Estimator – Affordable Housing Renovations

Position summary

Paragon Construction is hiring a Preconstruction Estimator to build accurate, funding-ready budgets for the renovation of occupied affordable housing. You will turn capital needs assessments, architectural drawings and site walks into detailed estimates that owners, developers and lenders rely on to close financing.

This role sits between the field and the finance table. Most projects are LIHTC, HUD or state-funded rehabs where scope, schedule and compliance costs must be right before the deal closes. You will report to the Director of Preconstruction and work closely with project managers, superintendents, architects and development teams.

Location: Phoenix, AZ · Type: Full-time, exempt · Reports to: Director of Preconstruction

Key responsibilities

Estimating and budgeting

• Prepare conceptual, schematic, design-development and GMP estimates for multifamily rehab projects, typically [50–300] units.
• Translate Physical Needs Assessments (PNAs/CNAs) and owner scope narratives into quantified, unit-by-unit and building-wide scopes.
• Perform quantity takeoffs across all CSI divisions, with a focus on interiors, MEP replacements, envelope, roofing, site work and accessibility upgrades.
• Build unit-type matrices that price kitchens, baths, flooring, fixtures and finishes across typical and non-typical units.
• Carry realistic allowances and contingencies for hidden conditions common in older buildings, such as rot, structural repair and concealed MEP deficiencies.

Affordable housing and compliance costs

• Price prevailing wage requirements (Davis-Bacon or state equivalents) and the payroll, reporting and labor-classification impacts that come with them.
• Account for Section 3, MBE/WBE/DBE participation goals and local hiring requirements in subcontractor strategy and budget.
• Estimate hazardous materials work, including lead-based paint, asbestos and mold abatement, in line with HUD and EPA RRP rules.
• Include costs for UFAS, ADA and Section 504 accessible unit conversions, and for green standards such as Enterprise Green Communities, ENERGY STAR or state QAP energy criteria.
• Format budgets to match lender, syndicator and agency requirements, including HUD 2328 cost breakdowns, tax credit application cost certifications and draw schedules.

Occupied rehab planning

• Develop phasing plans and logistics costs for work with residents in place, including unit turn sequencing, hotel or hospitality-suite relocation and temporary facilities.
• Coordinate with superintendents on realistic per-unit durations and crew productivity.
• Price resident-relations items such as notices, protection, daily clean-up and storage.

Bidding and subcontractor management

• Solicit, level and analyze subcontractor and supplier bids; build and maintain a diverse, qualified bidder list.
• Run pre-bid meetings and site walks; answer bidder questions and issue clarifications.
• Prepare bid packages, scope sheets and inclusion/exclusion lists that hold up during buyout.

Design and value engineering

• Review drawings and specifications for constructability, gaps and conflicts, and issue RFIs.
• Propose value engineering options that protect durability and resident experience while staying inside the funding gap.
• Track estimate changes between design phases and explain variances clearly to owners and development teams.

Handoff and continuous improvement

• Turn awarded projects over to operations with a clean budget, buyout log, schedule assumptions and risk register.
• Compare final costs to estimates and maintain a historical cost database by unit type and scope item.
• Support business development with feasibility estimates, qualification packages and owner presentations.

Qualifications

Required

• [3–5] years of estimating experience with a general contractor or construction manager, including multifamily residential work.
• Experience estimating renovation or rehab projects, where existing conditions drive scope and risk.
• Working knowledge of prevailing wage pricing and public or agency-funded project requirements.
• Proficiency with takeoff and estimating software such as [Bluebeam, PlanSwift, On-Screen Takeoff, Sage Estimating, ProEst or Procore Estimating].
• Advanced Excel skills, including building unit matrices and cost models from scratch.
• Ability to read and interpret architectural, structural and MEP drawings and specifications.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel to project sites across the Phoenix metro area and Arizona.

Preferred

• Direct experience with LIHTC, HUD (Section 8, RAD, 221(d)(4), 223(f)), public housing authority or state housing finance agency projects.
• Familiarity with HUD Form 2328, cost certification and lender draw processes.
• Experience with occupied rehab phasing and resident relocation planning.
• Background with green building programs such as Enterprise Green Communities, LEED or ENERGY STAR Multifamily.
• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture or a related field, or equivalent field experience.
• Field experience as a carpenter, foreman, assistant superintendent or project engineer.
• Bilingual English/Spanish or another language common in the communities we serve.

Skills and competencies

• Field judgment: You can walk an occupied 1970s garden-style complex and spot what the CNA missed.
• Accuracy under pressure: You hit funding application and closing deadlines without cutting corners on scope.
• Clear communication: You explain cost drivers to developers, architects and agency reviewers in plain terms, and defend the numbers.
• Commercial sense: You understand how sources and uses, contingency and the funding gap shape what the owner can build.
• Organization: You manage several estimates at different design phases at once and keep assumptions documented.
• Relationship building: You grow and support a subcontractor base that includes small, local and minority- and women-owned firms.
• Mission alignment: You care about delivering safe, durable, dignified housing for low- and moderate-income residents.

Working conditions, compensation and how to apply

Working conditions

• Primarily office-based, with regular site visits to occupied and vacant buildings, including attics, crawlspaces, basements and roofs.
• Must be able to climb ladders and stairs, walk sites for extended periods and wear required PPE.
• Occasional extended hours around bid and funding application deadlines.

Compensation and benefits

• Salary range: $90,000 to $140,000 per year, based on experience.
• Annual bonus.
• Medical, dental and vision, 401(k) with match, paid time off and holidays, professional development and certification support.

How to apply

Submit your resume through our website at paragonconstructionco.com. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

Paragon Construction is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and encourage Section 3 residents, veterans and people from the communities we build in to apply.

Paragon Construction Company focuses on affordable housing—both preserving existing multifamily and building new communities as well. With over 45 years in construction Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), the Team at Paragon are Affordable Housing experts who genuinely care and have an honest enthusiasm for improving experiences and preserving the industry. Our mission at Paragon is to revolutionize the Affordable Housing industry with a customer-focused mentality, bringing honesty, flexibility, and value back to construction. Here at PCC, communication is free-flowing. Trust is built. Jobs finish on-time or early. It all starts with you, no matter who you are. In the build phase, our field team works diligently to manage sub-contractors and other entities involved to achieve the schedule presented at the front of the project. They work closely with the project management team as well as ownership and architects to ensure the level of work desired is executed in a safe, yet efficient manner. We creatively think about how to schedule and sequence the projects in a way that is beneficial to all stakeholders to ensure our clients see the most value. Most importantly, we consider how construction will impact the residents and management and take in to account the daily inconveniences that the renovation presents and ensure the smooth transformation of the communities we serve.