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Chief estimator skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
6 min read
Chief estimator example skills
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical chief estimator skills. We ranked the top skills for chief estimators based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 11.1% of chief estimator resumes contained construction management as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a chief estimator needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 chief estimator skills for your resume and career

1. Construction Management

Here's how chief estimators use construction management:
  • Trained construction management and City personnel in the preparation of change order estimates and strategies for negotiating with contractors.
  • Bid types were for negotiated projects, cost plus, construction management projects and hard bid.

2. Cost Estimates

Here's how chief estimators use cost estimates:
  • Develop cost estimates and construction schedules for general construction and historic rehabilitation projects throughout the Southeast United States.
  • Identified items omitted by subcontractor pricing and cost estimates to ensure appropriate accounting in overall bid package.

3. Project Management

Here's how chief estimators use project management:
  • Maintain direct accountability for the coordination, planning and execution of project management functions for concrete rehabilitation projects.
  • Catalyzed project management improvements through examining completed projects and delivering Lessons Learned conclusions.

4. Design-Build

Here's how chief estimators use design-build:
  • Contracted and managed design-build, lump-sum, and negotiated-bid contracts Budgets ranged from $600- 1,500/SF
  • Worked with Design Professionals on Design-Build bids.

5. General Contractors

A general contractor is a person who has the job of overseeing a construction project after a contract has been signed between the property owner and the contractor. A general contractor is also called a direct contractor and provides all of the labor, material, equipment like tools, and transport. Most of the time, a general contractor also hires multiple subcontractors to do all or different parts of the construction work.

Here's how chief estimators use general contractors:
  • Prepared and follow-up on construction documents for bidding and effective skills negotiating contracts with general contractors and subcontractors.
  • Started a new division working with General Contractors, introduced computerized estimating.

6. Value Engineering

Value engineering is used to identify, solve problems, and eliminate unnecessary costs to improve quality and function. This set of methodical steps in the value engineering process optimise primary and long-term investment while pursuing the best value at the lowest cost.

Here's how chief estimators use value engineering:
  • Coordinate with design team to identify and evaluate value engineering opportunities.
  • Generated and implemented cost savings/value engineering solutions for clients.

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7. Construction Projects

A construction project is an organized process of constructing, redeveloping, renovating, or otherwise improving a building, or structure. The project phase begins usually as a broad criterion that is then made with the help of a brief, feasibility analysis, funding, and planning. The majority of construction projects are one-time jobs.

Here's how chief estimators use construction projects:
  • Charged with auditing, designing, estimating, planning, organizing and coordinating the direction and completion of various construction projects.
  • Provide Engineering Expertise and Support for all Construction Projects, including AutoCad shop drawings, line sizing, and layouts.

8. Business Development

Business development is the ideas or initiatives that work to make business work better. Selling, advertising, product development, supply chain management, and vendor management are only a few of the divisions involved with it. There is still a lot of networking, negotiating, forming alliances, and trying to save money. The goals set for business development guide and coordinate with all of these various operations and sectors.

Here's how chief estimators use business development:
  • Key responsibilities included business development, new customer relations and primary income for the company.
  • Engaged in numerous business development activities and solicitation of new customers through outside prospecting.

9. HCSS

Here's how chief estimators use hcss:
  • Performed complex financial analysis on the company's cost structure and completely revised their HCSS estimating database.
  • Utilized HCSS and AGTEK software to track and provide estimates.

10. Screen Takeoff

Here's how chief estimators use screen takeoff:
  • Used computer software to quantify diverse materials and accomplish on-screen takeoffs.
  • Experience with ACCUBID, McCormick, Excel and On-Screen Takeoff.

11. Cost Control

Cost control is a process in which actual costs are recorded and incorporated into a format that allows comparison with project budgets to regulate and control operating costs within an organization. The goal of cost control is to manage project delivery within the approved budget and reduce expenses to increase profits.

Here's how chief estimators use cost control:
  • Cost controls and marketing for projects.
  • Increased profitability through job cost control.

12. GMP

GMP stands for Good Manufacturing Practice. It is a system that ensures that all products like food, beverages, and medicinal drugs that are produced comply with the quality standards. It helps in minimizing the risks and hazards that cannot be eliminated after the testing of final products.

Here's how chief estimators use gmp:
  • Completed GMP's for a Town Center of $8M,.
  • Produced conceptual through GMP estimates in the $5mm to $50mm range.

13. Plumbing

Here's how chief estimators use plumbing:
  • Managed and supervised up to 40 employees for this Septic Tank, Plumbing and Site Development Company.
  • Worked for Sam Bloom Plumber Inc. as an estimator for plumbing and fire protection.

14. Quantity Take-Offs

A quantity takes off or known as Construction or Material takeoff, is a thorough measurement of machines, materials, equipment, and labor needed for a construction project to complete. It is usually managed by what you call an estimator during the project's pre-construction stage and eventually divides it into the smaller category for the project to estimate, measure, and assess easier.

Here's how chief estimators use quantity take-offs:
  • Perform quantity take-off for project-related construction costs.
  • Managed staff of 8 in estimating, pricing, and quantity take-offs at the Southwest Regional Office of this construction firm.

15. Cost Analysis

Cost analysis, also known as cost-benefit analysis, refers to analyzing how a company's money is used, whether this is expenses of the company itself or the cost of the current production method. This method also takes the number of products sold into consideration to determine whether the manufacturing process is benefiting or harming the company's profits.

Here's how chief estimators use cost analysis:
  • Provided estimates and cost analysis for residential and commercial projects.
  • Manage the overall estimation and bidding process of each project, qualitative and quantitative bid review and job cost analysis.
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List of chief estimator skills to add to your resume

Chief estimator skills

The most important skills for a chief estimator resume and required skills for a chief estimator to have include:

  • Construction Management
  • Cost Estimates
  • Project Management
  • Design-Build
  • General Contractors
  • Value Engineering
  • Construction Projects
  • Business Development
  • HCSS
  • Screen Takeoff
  • Cost Control
  • GMP
  • Plumbing
  • Quantity Take-Offs
  • Cost Analysis
  • Labor Estimates
  • Cost Data
  • Budget Estimates
  • Bid Packages
  • Historical Data
  • Conceptual Estimates
  • Timberline
  • Structural Steel
  • Bid Proposals
  • HVAC
  • Hard Bid
  • Bid Schedule
  • Autocad
  • Quantity Surveys
  • Bid Process
  • Project Estimates
  • Client Relationships
  • Labor Costs
  • Retrofit
  • Site Work
  • RFP
  • Construction Schedule
  • RFI
  • CSI
  • Shop Drawings
  • Competitive Bids
  • Contract Negotiations
  • Site Development
  • Commercial Buildings

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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