What are the responsibilities and job description for the ESTIMATOR position at Strong Excavation & Construction?
Estimator - Civil Construction
Company Overview:
We’re a Utah-based excavation and civil construction company that builds projects from the ground up. Our work covers site development, earthwork, underground utilities, and concrete for commercial, municipal, and infrastructure jobs across the region.
What we do is the foundation everything else sits on. If we don’t get it right, nothing else will. That’s why we hold the line on quality, precision, and doing the job the right way every time.
We’re a crew of hardworking people who take pride in tough jobs. The work isn’t easy, and it’s not for everyone. We work side by side with project managers, contractors, and clients to keep jobs moving, stay safe, and deliver results that hold up.
Around here, reliability matters. Skill matters. Showing up and pulling your weight matters. Everyone on the team is expected to take ownership of their work and contribute to getting the job done right.
Job Summary:
The Estimator is responsible for preparing accurate and competitive cost estimates for excavation, earthwork, underground utility, and civil construction projects. This role reviews plans, specifications, quantities, subcontractor pricing, and production requirements to build complete project estimates and proposals.
The Estimator works closely with project managers, superintendents, vendors, subcontractors, and company leadership to support bidding, budgeting, and project planning efforts.
This position requires strong attention to detail, the ability to manage deadlines, and a solid understanding of excavation and utility construction methods.
Essential Functions:
- Review project plans, specifications, geotechnical reports, and bid documents for excavation and civil construction projects
- Perform quantity takeoffs for earthwork, utilities, grading, concrete, and related scopes of work
- Develop detailed project estimates including labor, equipment, materials, trucking, subcontractors, and production costs
- Solicit and review pricing from subcontractors, vendors, and suppliers
- Attend pre-bid meetings, site walks, and project review meetings as needed
- Identify project risks, access issues, utility conflicts, and scheduling concerns during the estimating process
- Work with operations teams to verify production assumptions, equipment needs, and construction methods
- Prepare bid proposals, clarifications, and supporting documentation
- Coordinate bid submissions and ensure deadlines are met
- Track and maintain estimate files, bid logs, and historical cost information
- Support project handoff meetings with operations teams after award
- Assist with budgeting, value engineering, and change pricing as needed
- Communicate with clients, engineers, subcontractors, and internal teams professionally and clearly
- Perform other tasks as needed to support preconstruction and operational goals
Supervisory Responsibility:
- No direct supervisory responsibilities
- May assist with training or mentoring junior estimators or project engineers as assigned
Required Qualifications:
- 3 years of experience in excavation, underground utilities, estimating, or heavy civil construction
- Strong understanding of excavation methods, grading, trenching, and underground utility installation
- Ability to read and understand construction drawings, specifications, and civil plans
- Experience performing quantity takeoffs and building construction estimates
- Knowledge of construction means, methods, labor production, and equipment costs
- Strong math, organizational, and problem-solving skills
- Ability to manage multiple bids and deadlines simultaneously
- Clear communication skills with field teams, subcontractors, vendors, and clients
- Proficient computer skills including estimating software, spreadsheets, email, and document management
- Valid driver’s license
- Previous experience estimating excavation, sitework, or utility projects
- Experience with HCSS or similar estimating software
- Knowledge of local subcontractor and supplier markets
- Civil construction field experience
- Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management or related field preferred but not required
Physical Requirements:
- Ability to sit and work at a computer for extended periods of time
- Ability to review plans, drawings, and digital documents in detail
- Ability to occasionally walk active construction job sites and uneven terrain
- Ability to lift up to 25 pounds occasionally
- Ability to travel to job sites, pre-bid meetings, and vendor locations as needed
Work Environment:
- Work is primarily performed in an office environment with occasional job site visits
- Job site visits may involve exposure to heavy equipment, dirt, dust, noise, mud, and changing weather conditions
- Fast-paced environment with multiple deadlines and changing priorities
- Requires coordination with field operations, subcontractors, vendors, engineers, and clients
- Requires strong attention to detail and the ability to work accurately under time constraints