Commercial Construction Estimator
Pinecrest Construction & Development Co. — Reno, Nevada
Full-time | In person
Base salary: $90,000–$150,000 per year, depending on experience
About Pinecrest
Pinecrest Construction & Development is a locally owned commercial general contractor established in 1991 and based in Reno, Nevada. For more than 35 years, we have delivered projects throughout Northern Nevada across a range of markets, including affordable multifamily housing, public and nonprofit facilities, commercial and institutional buildings, medical facilities, tenant improvements, renovations, metal buildings, and self-storage.
Much of our work is negotiated, CMAR, or design-assist, allowing our preconstruction team to become involved early, collaborate closely with owners and design professionals, and help shape projects before construction begins. Pinecrest also self-performs several trades, giving our estimating team valuable insight into labor productivity, material costs, scheduling, constructability, and risk.
We are seeking an experienced Commercial Construction Estimator who combines technical estimating ability with strong communication, organization, judgment, and follow-through. This position is for someone who understands that a successful estimate is more than a final number—it must include complete scope coverage, realistic costs, clearly documented assumptions, thoughtful risk analysis, and a clean transition to the operations team.
Position Summary
The Estimator will work closely with the Lead Estimator, ownership, company leadership, design professionals, subcontractors, and project-management staff to develop projects from early budgeting and design coordination through final pricing, contract preparation, and turnover to operations.
The position will manage multiple projects and pursuits in different stages of development. Depending on size and complexity, this may include approximately five to ten active preconstruction assignments at a time. The successful candidate will be able to establish priorities, maintain accurate information, communicate regularly with the project team, and move each assignment toward its next required decision or deliverable.
Key ResponsibilitiesEstimating and Bid Management
- Prepare conceptual estimates, schematic-design budgets, design-development estimates, GMP estimates, competitive bids, and final contract pricing for assigned projects.
- Review plans, specifications, narratives, addenda, geotechnical reports, civil documents, design revisions, and other bid information to determine complete project requirements.
- Perform and verify quantity takeoffs across multiple trades to improve estimate accuracy and reduce scope and cost risk.
- Develop detailed bid packages and trade-specific scopes of work before subcontractor solicitation.
- Solicit bids from qualified subcontractors and suppliers and maintain sufficient bid coverage for each major trade.
- Review, level, and normalize subcontractor proposals for scope, pricing, exclusions, qualifications, alternates, allowances, and completeness.
- Identify scope gaps, overlaps, design conflicts, missing information, and potential cost exposure before bid submission.
- Prepare clear estimate summaries, clarifications, inclusions, exclusions, allowances, alternates, and risk items for internal and client review.
- Maintain complete estimate files and supporting documentation so the basis of pricing can be easily understood and verified.
Preconstruction and Design Coordination
- Participate in preconstruction strategy meetings with ownership, company leadership, project executives, estimators, and operations personnel.
- Communicate with owners, architects, engineers, consultants, subcontractors, and suppliers throughout the preconstruction process.
- Track open design questions, pricing decisions, owner selections, permitting issues, and other items required to advance the project.
- Lead or support constructability reviews and identify opportunities to improve cost, schedule, quality, and project execution.
- Develop practical value-engineering options and clearly communicate the cost, scope, schedule, and performance implications of each alternative.
- Assist with project feasibility studies, preliminary schedules, site logistics, general conditions, permitting requirements, and long-lead procurement planning.
- Track design development and reconcile estimates as drawings progress so ownership understands the reasons for material budget changes.
- Support preparation of owner proposals, exhibits, contract scope documents, and other preconstruction deliverables.
Subcontractor and Market Relationships
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with qualified subcontractors, suppliers, design professionals, and other market partners.
- Communicate directly with bidders to confirm interest, answer scope questions, improve bid participation, and obtain complete proposals.
- Maintain awareness of current labor availability, material pricing, escalation, lead times, subcontractor capacity, and local market conditions.
- Help expand Pinecrest's subcontractor and supplier network and maintain accurate bidder information.
- Conduct subcontractor outreach in a professional, consistent, and relationship-oriented manner.
Self-Perform Estimating
- Coordinate with Pinecrest's field and operations teams to estimate self-performed scopes when assigned.
- Develop labor, material, equipment, productivity, and schedule assumptions for self-performed work.
- Clearly separate estimated self-perform cost, subcontracted cost, and expected contribution within the estimate.
- Compare estimated production and contribution assumptions with completed-project results and use that feedback to improve future estimates.
Project Turnover and Estimate Feedback
- Prepare complete and organized turnover packages for the Project Manager, Superintendent, Project Engineer, and Accounting team as projects move into construction.
- Clearly communicate the final estimate, bid coverage, assumptions, exclusions, allowances, alternates, buyout opportunities, unresolved items, and identified risks.
- Assist with development of the initial project cost-control budget and verify that awarded scope is assigned to the proper cost codes.
- Participate in turnover meetings and remain available during early buyout to clarify scope and estimate intent.
- Review actual project costs, buyout results, change history, and final performance to identify estimating lessons and improve Pinecrest's historical cost data.
Procore and Information Management
- Use Procore as a platform for bid-document distribution, subcontractor solicitation, bidder communication, preconstruction records, and project turnover.
- Maintain current drawings, specifications, addenda, bid packages, bidder lists, proposals, clarifications, and supporting estimate documentation in the appropriate systems.
- Ensure that subcontractors and internal team members receive current bid information and that revisions are communicated promptly.
- Help maintain accurate, consistent preconstruction and estimating information in Procore so project teams can rely on it during turnover and construction.
- Become fully proficient in Pinecrest's Procore preconstruction processes within the first 90 days. Prior Procore experience is preferred but not required.
What Success Looks Like
- Estimates are complete, logically organized, clearly documented, and submitted on time.
- Bid packages produce strong subcontractor participation and proposals that can be compared accurately.
- Scope gaps, design conflicts, exclusions, escalation, and other risks are identified before the project is committed.
- Budget changes are explained clearly as the design progresses.
- Value-engineering ideas are practical, appropriately priced, and aligned with the owner's priorities.
- Operations receives a complete turnover package and understands how the project was estimated.
- Historical results and lessons learned are incorporated into future estimates.
- Owners, design professionals, subcontractors, and internal teams view the estimator as responsive, knowledgeable, fair, and dependable.
Required Qualifications
- At least five years of commercial construction estimating experience with a general contractor.
- Demonstrated ability to prepare complete estimates for commercial projects of varying size and complexity.
- Strong understanding of commercial construction methods, materials, sequencing, plans and specifications, contracts, subcontracts, and permitting requirements.
- Experience developing trade scopes, performing quantity takeoffs, soliciting subcontractors, leveling bids, identifying scope gaps, and preparing estimate clarifications.
- Experience with preconstruction, constructability review, design coordination, value engineering, and project turnover.
- Advanced working ability in Microsoft Excel and proficiency with Microsoft Word and Outlook.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate directly with subcontractors, clients, and design professionals.
- Ability to manage multiple deadlines and priorities while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail.
- Ability to work independently, ask questions when information is incomplete, and escalate significant risk promptly.
- Ability to handle confidential pricing, financial, client, and company information appropriately.
Preferred Qualifications
- Ten or more years of total commercial construction experience.
- Bachelor's or associate degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Architecture, Business, or a related field. Equivalent experience will be considered.
- Experience with negotiated, CMAR, GMP, design-assist, public, affordable-housing, institutional, or tenant-improvement projects.
- Experience estimating self-performed labor and material scopes.
- Experience with Procore, Bluebeam, Microsoft Project, or other construction-estimating and takeoff software.
- Familiarity with preliminary scheduling, site logistics, general conditions, and long-lead procurement planning.
The Person We Are Looking For
The strongest candidate will be:
- Accountable and committed to following assignments through completion.
- Organized and able to manage multiple active priorities without losing important details.
- Analytical and systematic when reviewing scope, cost, and risk.
- Proactive about obtaining missing information and communicating concerns early.
- Confident communicating by phone, email, and in person with subcontractors, clients, design professionals, and company leadership.
- Collaborative and respectful while still willing to challenge incomplete information or questionable assumptions.
- Self-motivated, dependable, and capable of working with limited supervision.
- Interested in improving estimating systems, procedures, historical data, and company best practices.
Compensation and Benefits
- Base salary of $90,000–$150,000, depending on commercial estimating experience and demonstrated capability.
- Medical insurance paid by the employer, subject to plan terms and applicable waiting periods.
- Dental insurance paid by the employer, subject to plan terms and applicable waiting periods.
- Vision insurance paid by the employer, subject to plan terms and applicable waiting periods.
- 401(k) plan with company matching; current eligibility begins after one year of employment.
- Two weeks of paid time off annually.
- Paid holidays and flexible days.
Benefit eligibility and waiting periods are governed by the applicable plan documents and company policies.
Schedule and Work Location
This is a full-time, in-person position based in Reno, Nevada. The typical schedule is Monday through Friday, generally 7:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. or 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., with occasional additional time or weekend work as bid deadlines and project needs require.
Candidates must be able to commute to Reno or relocate before beginning employment.
Pinecrest Construction & Development Co. is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.
Pay: $90,000.00 - $150,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
