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Senior estimator skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
6 min read
Senior estimator example skills
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical senior estimator skills. We ranked the top skills for senior estimators based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 10.5% of senior estimator resumes contained construction management as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a senior estimator needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 senior estimator skills for your resume and career

1. Construction Management

Here's how senior estimators use construction management:
  • Handle claims from estimation to construction management.
  • Governed the preconstruction management agenda in concert with the Marketing Manager.

2. Cost Estimates

Here's how senior estimators use cost estimates:
  • Contributed in the development of cost estimates, marketplace pricing studies and financial analysis to develop optimal purchasing and manufacturing strategies.
  • Review contract cost estimates prepared by external consultants for accuracy and reasonableness; perform reconciliation exercises; make recommendations.

3. 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 senior estimators use construction projects:
  • Estimate construction projects and review subordinate estimates submitted for application.
  • Developed company electrical labor units for new construction projects.

4. Project Management

Here's how senior estimators use project management:
  • Developed client relationships for follow-on project opportunities as well as project management support.
  • Provide mechanical estimating and project management for the Planning and Estimating Department.

5. 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 senior estimators use value engineering:
  • Work with mechanical engineers to address insulation requirements, as well as material substitutions and value engineering.
  • Conduct value engineering analysis including cost, construction feasibility, and schedule impact.

6. 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 senior estimators use quantity take-offs:
  • Performed detailed quantity take-offs in drywall, paint and insulation utilizing in-house exclusive computer program and excel.
  • Provided quantity take-off and pricing in all construction divisions for new construction and facility modifications.

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7. Design

Here's how senior estimators use design:
  • Reviewed blueprints and specifications to determine design intent, isolated features into groups of operations.
  • Assist with development of design build requirements required by federal acquisition regulations or private clients.

8. Work Breakdown Structure

Here's how senior estimators use work breakdown structure:
  • Established work breakdown structure and bid packages for subcontractor's estimates.
  • Reviewed and developed cost estimate databases and work breakdown structures.

9. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how senior estimators use customer service:
  • Trained all incoming customer service representatives, new estimators on current computer systems.
  • Established trusting relationships with outside dealerships by acquiring their collision service needs and providing 100% customer service.

10. Cost Data

Cost data refer to the information collected about operating expenses, which is then used to determine the price of products, the gross margin of a company, and how an asset of the company is valued. Using the cost data collected over a number of years allows a company to project the company's future income and, based on this income, future operating decisions.

Here's how senior estimators use cost data:
  • Prepared and analyzed estimates for validity and consistency and maintained computerized cost data to generate follow-on cost proposals.
  • Developed historical cost data from earlier estimates to utilize in future conceptual estimates.

11. Historical Data

In a large context, historical data is the total collected data about all/some past events and circumstances about a particular field. Historical data comprises data that is generated either automatically or manually within a given enterprise. This data is used to study and understand correlations, trends, patterns, and other statistical relationships that drive insight into the performance of a business. Historical data has two sub-categories called descriptive and diagnostic data. Descriptive data aims at explaining WHAT is happening while diagnostic data focuses on explaining the WHY behind it.

Here's how senior estimators use historical data:
  • Develop historical database for better accuracy in future estimates.
  • Coordinate, maintain and update price library, NYCHA historical database and other reference material with current cost variations.

12. HCSS

Here's how senior estimators use hcss:
  • Prepare a quote for each activity including equipment, labor materials and production on HCSS Heavy Bid estimating software.
  • Implemented HCSS Heavy bid estimating software and Standard Operating Procedure for Estimation for Bauer foundations.

13. Bid Packages

A Bid Package is a term used in relation with construction projects and subcontractors. The phrase refers to the collected set of documents which are necessary in order to respond to an invitation by a company or, less often, an individual to bid on one of the said construction projects. The necessary contents of the package may differ from one invitation to the next, but they will most definitely include such items like an offered price package for the whole project, with the various expected costs labeled within.

Here's how senior estimators use bid packages:
  • Prepared comprehensive bid packages including trade-specific scopes of work and detailed instructions to bidders.
  • Prepared subcontractor bid package and compilations.

14. Sage

Here's how senior estimators use sage:
  • Lead and conduct Sage Estimating software implementation.
  • Assist in the development of the Sage (Timberline) data base which incorporated CSI and Uniformat codes/structure.

15. Project Scope

Here's how senior estimators use project scope:
  • Coordinated estimate turnover to construction; coordinated with purchasing on project scope of work for buyout of equipment and subcontractors.
  • Estimate material cost and man-hours for adders to the project scope of work that a client specifically asks for.
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List of senior estimator skills to add to your resume

Senior estimator skills

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

  • Construction Management
  • Cost Estimates
  • Construction Projects
  • Project Management
  • Value Engineering
  • Quantity Take-Offs
  • Design
  • Work Breakdown Structure
  • Customer Service
  • Cost Data
  • Historical Data
  • HCSS
  • Bid Packages
  • Sage
  • Project Scope
  • Business Development
  • Timberline
  • GMP
  • Project Estimates
  • Autocad
  • Conceptual Estimates
  • MEP
  • Asphalt
  • Bid Proposals
  • Design Development
  • Lump SUM
  • HVAC
  • RFP
  • Material Take-Offs
  • Plumbing
  • Labor Estimates
  • Construction Cost
  • General Contractors
  • Bid Process
  • Project Cost
  • Cost Analysis
  • Sketch
  • Customer Satisfaction
  • Subcontractor Bids
  • MC2
  • Hard Bid
  • OSHA
  • Leed
  • CSI
  • Demolition
  • Budget Estimates
  • Structural Steel
  • RFQ

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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