PAINTING/WALLCOVERING ESTIMATOR

Vancouver Paint Group, Inc•Camas, WA

1d•$55,000 - $80,000•Hybrid

About The Position

JCW Management Inc. is hiring a Painting / Wallcovering Estimator to support Vancouver Paint Group and Hooton Wallcovering. This role involves plan review, finish schedule review, quantity takeoff, bid preparation, customer communication, sales support, light project management support, and project handoff support. The Painting / Wallcovering Estimator is responsible for reviewing plans, finish schedules, specifications, addenda, and project requirements to prepare accurate painting and wallcovering estimates and proposals. This role helps identify scope, build takeoffs, review labor and material requirements, coordinate with project managers, communicate with customers, and support clean handoffs from bid to production. The ideal candidate understands commercial finishes, communicates clearly, and can track details across multiple bids. Experience in painting, coatings, wallcovering, or field leadership is valuable, especially for someone looking to move into estimating and customer-facing sales support. This is not a desk-only estimating role; face time with customers is important. The estimator is expected to help sell the job by building trust, asking good questions, understanding customer priorities, and presenting the company as the right partner. The role may also include light project manager support, especially during project handoff, early coordination, change pricing, and customer follow-up. The estimator does not replace the project manager but should be willing and able to help carry the job from bid opportunity through award and into production when needed.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED preferred.
Previous painting, wallcovering, coatings, or construction estimating experience preferred.
Strong field experience in painting, wallcovering, or commercial finishes may be considered in place of formal estimating experience.
Ability to read and understand construction drawings, finish schedules, specifications, addenda, and scopes of work.
Ability to communicate professionally with customers, general contractors, vendors, project managers, and field crews.
Comfortable with customer-facing sales conversations, site walks, follow-up calls, and scope clarification.
Strong attention to detail and ability to work with deadlines.
Basic computer skills, including email, PDF plan review, and spreadsheets.
Valid driver license and reliable transportation preferred for jobsite visits when needed.

Nice To Haves

Experience with commercial painting, wallcovering, coatings, specialty finishes, tenant improvements, hospitality, retail, or maintenance work.
Experience with estimating software such as Bluebeam, PlanSwift, On-Screen Takeoff, or similar tools.
Experience with BuildingConnected, Procore, Smartsheet, Microsoft Excel, or similar platforms.
Ability to organize multiple bids, deadlines, revisions, finish schedules, customer follow-ups, and priorities at one time.
Understanding of labor productivity, material waste, surface preparation, product limitations, access, phasing, and field sequencing.
Ability to build relationships and communicate value, not just price.

Responsibilities

Review plans, specifications, finish schedules, elevations, addenda, and bid documents for painting and wallcovering scope.
Prepare quantity takeoffs for interior painting, exterior painting, coatings, wallcovering, specialty finishes, and related scope as applicable.
Identify substrates, finish types, prep requirements, primers, coatings, wallcovering materials, quantities, alternates, and exclusions.
Review bid documents for clarifications, RFIs, scope gaps, schedule concerns, and addenda changes.
Build clear estimating worksheets, pricing summaries, and bid notes for internal review.
Coordinate with project managers, superintendents, vendors, suppliers, general contractors, and customers as needed.
Solicit and review vendor pricing for paint, coatings, wallcovering, specialty materials, equipment, and related scope.
Help prepare proposals, bid clarifications, alternates, and scope letters that are clear, professional, and sell the value of the company.
Participate in site walks, bid review meetings, scope reviews, finish discussions, and customer-facing conversations.
Follow up on submitted bids and help answer questions that can lead to award.
Track bid deadlines and support timely completion of estimates.
Support project handoff after award so production understands scope, budgets, finish requirements, exclusions, schedule expectations, and customer commitments.
Assist with light project management duties, including change order pricing, budget updates, schedule support, material coordination, finish clarification, and scope revisions when needed.
Maintain organized estimate files, plans, finish schedules, notes, supplier quotes, customer communication, and bid documentation.
Perform duties in compliance with company policies, processes, and procedures.
Represent Vancouver Paint Group and Hooton Wallcovering professionally with general contractors, owners, customers, project managers, and jobsite superintendents.
Attend site walks, pre-bid meetings, customer meetings, and finish/scope review conversations when needed.
Ask good questions early to understand finish expectations, schedule pressure, budget concerns, phasing, access, product selections, and customer priorities.
Help position the company before proposal submission by explaining our experience, responsiveness, safety standards, product knowledge, quality expectations, and ability to execute.
Follow up on bids, answer customer questions, clarify scope, and help move opportunities toward award.
Communicate value clearly so the customer understands our finish standards, preparation assumptions, product requirements, inclusions, exclusions, and why our number is built correctly.
Support project managers with job handoff, scope review, budget setup, finish requirements, schedule notes, and production assumptions after award.
Assist with change order pricing, customer clarification, material coordination, small project coordination, finish questions, and follow-up when needed.
Help identify issues that could affect budget, manpower, schedule, quality, finish expectations, or customer satisfaction.
Stay involved enough after award to make sure the estimate turns into a clean, buildable project plan.