Estimator

Walker & Sloan; West of England; On-site; GBP 59,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Car allowance

Company pension

Benefits package

Annual leave

Career progression

Project variety

Pre-construction team

Job summary

Walker & Sloan is seeking an experienced Estimator in Bristol to lead tendering across a varied portfolio of new-build, refurbishment and complex construction schemes. You will review drawings and specifications, develop detailed estimates, and engage with supply chains to secure competitive pricing.

The role offers strong pre-construction involvement and clear handover to delivery teams. The successful candidate will have main contracting experience, be commercially aware and collaborative,

Qualifications

• Experience in main contracting environments.
• Ability to review drawings and specifications and perform take-offs.
• Skilled at engaging with subcontractors and suppliers and analyzing quotations.

Responsibilities

• Owns tender processes from opportunity review to submission and handover.
• Reviews drawings, specs and tender information to develop accurate cost estimates.
• Prepares subcontractor/supplier enquiries and analyses quotations to ensure competitive pricing.
• Identifies risks and opportunities and supports value engineering within bids.
• Presents basis of estimate in internal reviews and ensures clarity before final submission.

Skills

Estimating experience

Main contracting

Tendering

Communication

Job description

Estimator

Location: Bristol

Sector: Main Contracting / Construction

Salary: Up to £65,000 + Package

The Opportunity

An excellent opportunity has arisen for an experienced Estimator to join a highly regarded main contractor based in Bristol.

You’ll become part of an established pre-construction team working across a varied portfolio of projects throughout Bristol and the wider South West. Rather than being focused on one particular sector or repetitive project type, you’ll have exposure to a broad range of new-build, refurbishment and complex construction schemes.

This is an opportunity to join a contractor with a strong regional presence, an excellent reputation for the quality of its projects and a genuine focus on developing and retaining its people.

You’ll be trusted to take ownership of your tenders while working closely with experienced colleagues across pre-construction, commercial, design and operations to put together competitive, considered and commercially robust bids.

Role Overview

As Estimator, you’ll be involved throughout the tender process, from the initial review of an opportunity through to final submission and successful handover into the delivery team.

You’ll review drawings, specifications and wider tender information to understand exactly what is required before developing accurate cost estimates and pricing. You’ll consider construction methodology, programme, logistics and buildability alongside the numbers, ensuring each tender properly reflects how the project will actually be delivered.

Supply chain engagement will form an important part of your role. You’ll prepare subcontractor and supplier enquiries, analyse returned quotations and work with trusted supply chain partners to achieve competitive and accurate market pricing.

You’ll also identify risks and opportunities within tender information, challenge assumptions where appropriate and work with the wider team to explore value engineering solutions that could improve the bid.

As tenders progress, you’ll contribute to internal reviews and adjudications, clearly presenting the basis of your estimate before making any required adjustments ahead of final submission.

Following a successful tender, you’ll provide a comprehensive handover to the operational and commercial teams, ensuring the people delivering the project understand the pricing strategy, key risks, opportunities and assumptions made during pre-construction.

About You

You are an experienced Estimator with a background working within main contracting and a good understanding of how construction projects are priced and delivered.

You’ll be comfortable reviewing drawings and specifications, completing take-offs and developing detailed estimates while understanding the commercial implications behind your decisions.

You are confident engaging with subcontractors and suppliers and can analyse quotations properly rather than simply selecting the lowest price. You’ll understand scope, exclusions and risk and be able to identify where additional clarification is required before committing to a figure.

You’ll be commercially aware, methodical and naturally attentive to detail, but you’ll also enjoy working collaboratively. You’ll regularly interact with design, commercial and operational colleagues, so being able to communicate your thinking clearly will be just as important as your technical estimating ability.

Experience across a mixture of construction sectors and project types would be advantageous, although the quality of your main contracting estimating experience will be more important than having worked within one particular sector.

Company Profile

You’ll be joining an established main contractor with a long‑standing presence across the South West and an excellent reputation within the regional construction market.

The business delivers a diverse range of projects for both public and private sector clients, combining the resources and project capability of an established contractor with a collaborative and people-focused working environment.

With a healthy pipeline of opportunities across the region, this is a strong long‑term opportunity for an Estimator who wants to continue developing without necessarily moving into the environment of a huge national contractor.

What’s in it for you?

• Salary up to £65,000
• Competitive car allowance / package
• Company pension
• Additional company benefits
• Competitive annual leave entitlement
• Genuine opportunities for career development and progression
• Varied pipeline of projects across Bristol and the South West
• Established and experienced pre-construction team