What does an estimating assistant do?
Estimating assistant responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real estimating assistant resumes:
- Manage the estimating of a commercial & industrial plumbing and mechanical contracting business.
- Perform equipment and material takeoff of HVAC blueprint drawings.
- Perform typing of letters, RFI's, filing, and certify payroll.
- Receive phone calls or email from potential clients who have a RFP (request for proposal).
- Prepare all invitations to bids, addendum and RFI's notifications, confirm subcontractors bidding interest and pricing.
- Perform civil takeoffs, produce estimates, and create high level schedules that are submitted to clients in response to RFP.
- Estimate new and retrofit construction measures for roofing and insulation in both commercial and residential construction.
- Review plans and specifications to address RFIs, address conflicts, and support plan MEP construction.
- Procure LEED specifications on various products to ensure compliance with customer preferences including reclaim material.
Estimating assistant skills and personality traits
We calculated that 20% of Estimating Assistants are proficient in Cost Estimates, Bid Proposals, and Purchase Orders. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Detail oriented, and Math skills.
We break down the percentage of Estimating Assistants that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Cost Estimates, 20%
Conferred with engineers, contractors, estimators and subcontractors on changes and adjustments to cost estimates.
- Bid Proposals, 10%
Solicited bid proposals and prepared estimates from vendors/suppliers in commercial construction industry.
- Purchase Orders, 7%
Created purchase orders and Subcontract Agreements, and processed insurance certificates and receiving documents for a retail storefront contractor.
- Worksheets, 7%
Utilized Lotus and Excel spreadsheets for reduction of time to prepare cost estimates by replacing manual worksheets.
- Subcontractor Database, 6%
Maintained large company Subcontractor Database and office archives.
- Sub Contractors, 5%
Managed web based plan room, sub contractors' database, and office filling.
"cost estimates," "bid proposals," and "purchase orders" are among the most common skills that estimating assistants use at work. You can find even more estimating assistant responsibilities below, including:
Detail oriented. Another essential skill to perform estimating assistant duties is detail oriented. Estimating assistants responsibilities require that "cost estimators must be precise, because minor changes may greatly affect the overall expense of a project or product." Estimating assistants also use detail oriented in their role according to a real resume snippet: "assist in the development of detailed project scope, budget and schedule. "
Math skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of estimating assistants is math skills. This skill is critical to many everyday estimating assistant duties, as "cost estimators need excellent math skills to calculate labor, material, and equipment estimates for construction projects." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "utilized math skills and fast type writing. "
Analytical skills. A big part of what estimating assistants do relies on "analytical skills." You can see how essential it is to estimating assistant responsibilities because "cost estimators must review and evaluate different construction and manufacturing methods to find cost-effective options." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical estimating assistant tasks: "track and analyze progress of each job after inputting man hours/labor, actual work performed, purchase orders and invoices. "
Time-management skills. Another crucial skill for an estimating assistant to carry out their responsibilities is "time-management skills." A big part of what estimating assistants relies on this skill, since "cost estimators must plan in advance and work efficiently to meet their deadlines." How this skill relates to estimating assistant duties can be seen in an example from an estimating assistant resume snippet: "submit bid proposals to appropriate parties by the deadline. "
The three companies that hire the most estimating assistants are:
- Layton Construction3 estimating assistants jobs
- Granite Construction2 estimating assistants jobs
- OHL USA2 estimating assistants jobs
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Compare different estimating assistants
Estimating assistant vs. Construction coordinator
A construction coordinator is in charge of overseeing the workforce and the workflow on a construction site, ensuring that all operations adhere to the standards, deadlines, budgets, and goals. Typically, it is their responsibility to liaise with clients and other professionals, organize work schedules, delegate tasks, and conduct regular inspections to ensure the quality of work. Furthermore, as a construction coordinator, it is essential to implement the safety rules and regulations to maintain a healthy and safe work environment for everyone.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an estimating assistant are more likely to require skills like "bid proposals," "worksheets," "subcontractor database," and "labor estimates." On the other hand, a job as a construction coordinator requires skills like "work ethic," "strong work ethic," "customer service," and "project management." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Construction coordinators really shine in the energy industry with an average salary of $65,498. Comparatively, estimating assistants tend to make the most money in the technology industry with an average salary of $56,112.construction coordinators tend to reach similar levels of education than estimating assistants. In fact, construction coordinators are 3.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Estimating assistant vs. Production cost estimator
A construction estimator is responsible for determining project requirements, estimating metrics, including cost-analysis procedures and area inspection to spot potential inconsistencies, mitigate risks, and address production gaps. Construction estimators work closely with the engineers to identify construction requirements and specifications for forecasting. They also coordinate with construction suppliers and third-party vendors to negotiate pricing contracts for high-quality materials according to budget limitations. A construction estimator reports findings to management, recommending solutions and adjustments to achieve desired output and deadlines.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real estimating assistant resumes. While estimating assistant responsibilities can utilize skills like "bid proposals," "purchase orders," "worksheets," and "subcontractor database," production cost estimators use skills like "cost effectiveness," "repair process," "cnc," and "account executives."
Production cost estimators earn similar levels of education than estimating assistants in general. They're 2.5% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Estimating assistant vs. Assistant estimator/project manager
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, an estimating assistant is likely to be skilled in "worksheets," "subcontractor database," "sub contractors," and "bid bonds," while a typical assistant estimator/project manager is skilled in "construction management," "project management," "assist project," and "value engineering."
Assistant estimator/project managers earn the best pay in the manufacturing industry, where they command an average salary of $69,857. Estimating assistants earn the highest pay from the technology industry, with an average salary of $56,112.assistant estimator/project managers typically earn similar educational levels compared to estimating assistants. Specifically, they're 0.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Estimating assistant vs. Construction estimator
Types of estimating assistant
Updated January 8, 2025
