Residential Construction Estimator

Contractor Staffing Source • Oakhurst, NJ

2d • Onsite

About The Position

A reputable, growing custom luxury home builder in Monmouth County, New Jersey is hiring a Residential Construction Estimator to own estimating for high-end custom homes, additions, and major renovations. The company manages projects from pre-construction planning and design coordination through construction and long-term homeowner care. This is a client-facing role, not solely a back-office takeoff position: the estimator develops and supports accurate, transparent pricing, works with homeowners and project partners, identifies scope and pricing risks, and helps clients move from early planning to a signed construction agreement.

The estimator prepares and presents estimates, supports contract pricing and negotiations, and ensures agreements reflect the approved scope and estimate. After a project is sold, the estimator provides a thorough handoff to the Project Manager and continues to support pricing for changes, upgrades, allowance overages, and unforeseen conditions during construction. The role is accountable for estimate accuracy, project margins, proposal conversion, and change-order turnaround, and contributes to the improvement of estimating systems and pricing strategy. The position is office and field-based in Monmouth County, NJ.

Requirements

• At least 7 years of residential construction estimating experience; custom homes, luxury residential construction, or major renovations are preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to independently develop complete estimates from plans and specifications.
• Strong working knowledge of residential construction methods, materials, sequencing, and trade scopes.
• Ability to read and interpret architectural drawings, structural plans, specifications, and engineering documents.
• Experience performing detailed takeoffs and developing project budgets.
• Experience soliciting, reviewing, leveling, and negotiating subcontractor and supplier proposals.
• Strong understanding of trade scope and ability to identify missing or unclear work before a project is sold.
• Experience presenting estimates directly to homeowners or clients and explaining costs, allowances, alternates, exclusions, and budget considerations.
• Experience helping convert estimates and proposals into signed contracts.
• Comfort negotiating with clients, subcontractors, suppliers, and vendors.
• Strong commercial understanding of margins, markups, contingencies, and project profitability.
• Experience preparing construction change-order pricing.
• Proficiency with estimating or takeoff software.
• Strong Excel or Google Sheets skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail and discipline in checking one's own work.
• Ability to manage multiple estimates, deadlines, revisions, and competing priorities.
• Comfort working in an office and visiting project sites as required.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with custom homes, luxury residential construction, or major renovations.
• Square Takeoff experience.
• Buildertrend experience; strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of New Jersey residential construction practices and permitting.

Responsibilities

• Prepare complete estimates for custom homes, additions, major renovations, and other complex residential projects.
• Review architectural drawings, structural plans, specifications, selections, engineering documents, and site conditions.
• Perform detailed quantity takeoffs and build project budgets by trade using established cost codes.
• Solicit pricing from subcontractors, suppliers, and vendors and ensure sufficient bid coverage.
• Review and compare proposals for scope gaps, exclusions, inconsistencies, duplicated costs, and pricing risks.
• Maintain internal pricing for labor, materials, subcontractors, and suppliers.
• Improve estimating templates, workflows, historical cost data, and processes.
• Develop allowances, alternates, assumptions, qualifications, and exclusions that clearly define estimates.
• Identify value-engineering opportunities to help clients manage budgets while protecting quality and design intent.
• Compare estimated costs with actual project costs and apply completed-project data to future estimates.
• Meet with homeowners, architects, and designers to understand scope, priorities, and budget expectations.
• Present estimates and explain inclusions, exclusions, allowances, assumptions, pricing, and the cost implications of design, material, and scope decisions.
• Address budget concerns constructively and develop alternatives when needed.
• Follow up on active proposals and help qualified clients progress from estimating through contract execution.
• Work with company ownership on contract pricing, allowances, exclusions, payment schedules, and commercial terms.
• Ensure construction agreements accurately reflect the estimate, approved scope, assumptions, and pricing.
• Prepare a thorough handoff for the Project Manager after a project is sold.
• Price client-requested changes, upgrades, design revisions, allowance overages, and unforeseen construction conditions.
• Obtain updated subcontractor and supplier pricing when scope changes.
• Develop change-order pricing that accounts for materials, labor, subcontractor costs, overhead, and appropriate margin.
• Support Project Managers with budget reviews, cost-to-complete analysis, and pricing decisions.
• Ensure legitimate additional work is identified, priced, approved, and billed to protect profitability.
• Continually improve estimating accuracy, speed, organization, presentation, and profitability.

Benefits

• Commission opportunity on signed construction contracts.
• Additional benefits to be discussed during the interview process.
• Opportunity to work on distinctive, high-end custom residential projects.
• Direct interaction with company ownership and meaningful influence over estimating systems and pricing strategy.
• Professional growth opportunity within an expanding custom residential construction company.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed