Estimator

Cognisant; West Midlands; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

Cognisant is working with an established housebuilder to appoint an Estimator into its West Midlands team. The role supports commercial and land functions from early site stages through pre-construction, delivering accurate cost information for residential developments.

You will prepare detailed estimates, review drawings and specs, produce cost plans, benchmark costs, and collaborate with Land, Commercial, Technical and Construction teams to identify risks and opportunities early in the process.

Qualifications

• Experience in residential development or housebuilding.
• Ability to work with cost plans and development appraisals.
• Strong understanding of residential build costs and technical information.

Responsibilities

• Preparing detailed build cost estimates for new residential schemes
• Reviewing drawings, specifications and technical information
• Producing cost plans to support land appraisals and viability assessments
• Benchmarking build costs across current and future developments
• Working closely with Land, Commercial, Technical and Construction teams
• Identifying cost risks and opportunities at an early stage
• Liaising with suppliers and subcontractors to obtain current market pricing
• Supporting value engineering and design development
• Maintaining accurate cost databases and historical benchmarking information

Skills

Estimation

Pre-construction

Cost planning

Residential development

Job description

Estimator.

Housebuilding.

West Midlands.

Cognisant is working with an established housebuilder looking to appoint an Estimator into its West Midlands team.

The role will support the commercial and land functions across new and existing residential developments, providing accurate cost information from the early stages of a site through to pre-construction.

You’ll be involved in:

• Preparing detailed build cost estimates for new residential schemes
• Reviewing drawings, specifications and technical information
• Producing cost plans to support land appraisals and viability assessments
• Benchmarking build costs across current and future developments
• Working closely with Land, Commercial, Technical and Construction teams
• Identifying cost risks and opportunities at an early stage
• Liaising with suppliers and subcontractors to obtain current market pricing
• Supporting value engineering and design development
• Maintaining accurate cost databases and historical benchmarking information

We’re looking for someone with experience in residential development or housebuilding, ideally in an Estimator, Cost Planner or Quantity Surveying role with strong pre-development exposure. You’ll need a good understanding of residential build costs and be comfortable working with technical information, cost plans and development appraisals. The role could suit an existing Estimator or an experienced Quantity Surveyor looking to move into a more front-end, pre-construction focused position.