What Does A Construction Estimator Do?
The Types and Responsibilities of an Estimator
In construction, using an estimator is a core part. There are various stages in a construction project involving numerous materials, equipment, timelines, and budget fixing that all need an accurate calculation done by professionals. A construction contractor can make plans for the building of the structure, but the planning and budgeting will not go as intended until a cost estimator steps in to provide accurate construction estimation. We know that a construction estimator is crucial to the planning, but what exactly does a construction estimator do? This blog will dive into the part of a construction estimator in the project and its importance.
Who Is a Construction Estimator?
Before we answer the question of what a construction estimator does, the first thing that needs to be clear is who is a construction estimator.
A construction estimator has the most vital role in the construction project planning process. When you make plans about a building, they need to have pricing attached to them. The costs should be accurate and within the set budget. That is the role of a construction estimator; it makes project predictions of a task. In short, their main task is to determine the cost involved in a project by estimating the material, labor, equipment, overhead, and permit costs.
What Does a Construction Estimator Do?
A construction estimator has many responsibilities to cover to be able to generate accurate cost analysis. Whether commercial or residential, here is a list of the tasks a construction estimator is assigned to.
1) Examine the Entire Project
A construction estimator examines and understands the entire project from its designs to engineering specifications to have an idea of how much resources are required.
2) Quantity Takeoff
Quantity takeoffs mean the amount of materials used in the residential or commercial project. The constructor estimator's job is to conduct accurate calculations of concrete, steel, lumber, wood, flooring types, interior and exterior paint, electrical elements, and insulation.
3) Researching Prices for Materials and Workforce
It is their job to contact the project location workforce union and gather information about the labor rates to estimate the labor required. Similarly, they research the market prices of materials to find high-quality materials at a cost-effective price.
4) Location Visits
The estimator visits the location for an exhaustive review of the condition of the soil and ground that could influence the calculation.
5) Indirect Cost Responsibility
Along with the direct cost, the estimator ensures that the indirect costs, which are permit costs, insurance, and utilities, are all included in the overall accounting of the financial budget.
6) Knowing the Industry
Their job also includes knowing the current trends, pricing data, and cost malfunctions to meet a good profit margin.
7) Working Together
A project has many parts, and each part has a leading member. The goal of the construction estimator is to work closely with all the team members to ensure that the estimated numbers align with the planning of the team.
8) Eliminate Risk
They identify the risks and incorporate strategies and solutions to ensure they are eliminated from the financial plan.
9) Cost Report Preparation
After collecting all the information and working with the team, the primary task for a construction estimate begins- preparing a cost report. In the report, the pricing for all the factors will be included with precision, assisting in maintaining the budget and giving a successful touch to the structure.
The Many Faces of Construction Estimator
For different construction types of projects, there is a construction estimator for them. There are estimators for:
1. Contractors
The estimator for contractors studies the entire project plan, from the site to permits and their pricing. Once the two steps are completed, a final estimate is accomplished.
2. Commercial Construction Estimators
The estimators deal with the cost of material estimation, labor calculation, and finishes of commercial buildings.
3. Residential Construction Estimators
Whether building a multi-family apartment, single-family house, large-scale project, or renovation, the estimators help the residential project team with accurate costs and efficient planning.
4. Subcontractor Estimator
A subcontractor can hire a personal estimator with the job of handling the site checking, the responsibility of monitoring each step, and reviewing the blueprints. The estimator has to make sure everything goes according to the plan.
5. Civil Estimators
Civil estimators have the most complex job to undergo. In their work, they have to calculate the pricing of infrastructure projects- highways and large-scale development projects.
How Do Construction Estimators Find Calculations?
Since accurate calculation is the reason why contractors hire construction estimators, no calculation is made manually or roughly. Advanced software is used as a calculator, helps customize the sections, highlights each calculation, and provides the latest data.
- The standard software used for estimations are PlanSwift, Bluebeam Revu, and RS Means.
- Excel spreadsheets individually organize the cost data of the resources.
- RS Means is the software that keeps updating with new data, providing estimators with new pricing data or market trends.
Skills Of a Construction Estimator
An estimator fails to commit to their task and handles calculations without skills. Therefore, when you hire an estimator for your residential, commercial, or industrial construction project, ensure they are skilled. But what skills should they hold? Here are the following..
- Communication Skills: The estimator should have sufficient verbal and non-verbal communication skills to explain their estimations.
- Attentive: An estimator being attentive can detect errors and miscalculations before the cost planning is finalized.
- Math Skills: As the entire job is based on maths, one of the most crucial skills required is being good with numbers.
- Problem-Solving Skills: Calculating estimations is not an easy job. There are many ups and downs. Hence, construction estimators should have the talent to go through numerous tracks to find the correct and cost-effective cost estimations for the project.
In conclusion, the job of a construction estimator is to solve the budgeting issues of a project with their skills and accurate estimations. With software and professionalism, a construction estimator is what promises a prosperous project!
Share Your Project Plans With Us!
Email us your drawings or blueprints, and let our experts handle the takeoff process with precision and speed.