Chief Estimator

LT Plumbing, LLC; Florida; On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

LTPlumbing is hiring a Chief Estimator to lead and modernize its commercial plumbing estimating function. This succession-planning role will work alongside a long-tenured estimator who will remain as a technical resource and mentor.

The Chief Estimator will gradually assume department leadership, develop junior talent, and influence leadership decisions. The right candidate will drive takeoffs beyond standard work, pursue opportunities, improve bid volume and competitiveness, strengthen

Qualifications

• At least 8 years of commercial plumbing estimating experience with the ability to independently manage complex bids from review through submission.
• Experience estimating commercial plumbing scopes valued at $2 million or more, while remaining comfortable with smaller projects.
• Strong knowledge of plumbing systems, materials, labor, installation methods, codes, specifications, and construction sequencing.
• Experience across multiple building types, ideally including concrete commercial construction and wood-framed multifamily projects.
• Experience bidding to large regional or national general contractors and navigating their administrative, compliance, and proposal requirements.
• Strong plan-reading, takeoff, scope-development, vendor-pricing, and bid-analysisskills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the commercial plumbing estimating function, including department strategy, workflow, technology, quality standards, and talent development.
• Manage the full bid lifecycle: opportunity identification, bid qualification, plan and specification review, takeoffs, pricing, proposal development, submission, follow-up, award, and project handoff.
• Prepare and oversee accurate labor, material, equipment, subcontractor, allowance, alternate, exclusion, and risk estimates for projects.
• Maintain a healthy mix of larger anchor bids and smaller filler projects to support backlog and revenue goals.
• Proactively identify opportunities through bid boards, general contractor relationships, industry contacts, and market activity.
• Build and nurture relationships with general contractors, suppliers, and partners; attend industry events and follow up after bids are submitted.
• Lead bid reviews and clearly communicate scope, assumptions, risks, unusual conditions, and pricing strategy before submission.
• Create a disciplined handoff process so operations, field leadership, and procurement understand the awarded scope, budget, estimate, and project risks.
• Evaluate and implement modern takeoff, estimating tools and AI-enabled tools to improve speed, accuracy, documentation, and bid volume.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Communication

Relationship management

Plan-reading

Bid analysis

Takeoff skills

Technology-forward

Tools

FastPIPE

AccuBid

Trimble

QuoteSoft

Bluebeam

On-Screen Takeoff

Excel

Job description

AboutLTPlumbing

LTPlumbingisaprivatelyheldcommercialplumbingcontractorbasedinPalmetto,Florida,servingprojectsthroughoutManateeandSarasotaCounties.Since2006,thecompanyhasbuiltlastingrelationshipswithgeneralcontractorsanddeliveredplumbingscopesforschools,medicaloffices,surgerycenters,churches,shellbuildings,multifamilycommunities,apartments,andluxurycondominiums.

Underitscurrentownership,LTPlumbinghastripledinrevenueandiscontinuingtoexpand.Thecompanyisintentionallybuildingtheleadershipteam,systems,andprocessesneededforitsnextstageofgrowth.Asaprivatelyheldbusiness,LTPlumbingofferstheestabilityofanestablishedcontractorwiththeaccess,autonomy,andinfluencetomakeavisibleimpact.

TheOpportunity

LTPlumbingishiringaChiefEstimatortoleadandmodernizeitscommercialplumbingestimatingfunction.Thisisasuccession-planningrolewithmeaningfuloverlapalongsidethecompany’slong-tenuredestimator,whowillremainatechnicalresourceandmentor.ThenewChiefEstimatorwillgraduallyassumedepartmentleadership,developjuniorestimatingtalent,andholdaseatonLTPlumbing’sleadershipteam.

Therightpersonwilldomorethancompletetakeoffs.Theywillproactivelypursueopportunities,improvebidvolumeandcompetitiveness,strengthengeneralcontractorrelationships,implementmodernestimatingtools,andcreateamoreconsistentconnectionbetweenestimating,procurement,andoperations.

KeyResponsibilities

• Leadthecommercialplumbingestimatingfunction,includingdepartmentstrategy,workflow,technology,qualitystandards,andtalentdevelopment.
• Managethefullbidlifecycle:opportunityidentification,bidqualification,planandspecificationreview,takeoffs,pricing,proposaldevelopment,submission,follow-up,award,andprojecthandoff.
• Prepareandoverseeaccuratelabor,material,equipment,subcontractor,allowance,alternate,exclusion,andriskestimatesforprojects.
• Maintainahealthymixoflargeranchorbidsandsmallerfillerprojectstosupportbacklogandrevenuegoals.
• Proactivelyidentifyopportunitiesthroughbidboards,generalcontractorrelationships,industrycontacts,andmarketactivityratherthanrelyingonlyoninboundinvitations.
• Buildandnurturerelationshipswithgeneralcontractors,suppliers,andpartners;attendindustryeventsandfollowupconsistentlyafterbidsaresubmitted.
• Leadbidreviewsandclearlycommunicatescope,assumptions,risks,unusualconditions,andpricingstrategybeforesubmission.
• Createadisciplinedhandoffprocesssooperations,fieldleadership,andprocurementunderstandtheawardedscope,budget,estimate,andprojectrisks.
• Evaluateandimplementmoderntakeoff,estimating,CRM,automation,andAI-enabledtoolsthatimprovespeed,accuracy,documentation,andbidvolume.

RequiredExperienceandQualifications

• Atleast8yearsofcommercialplumbingestimatingexperience,withtheabilitytoindependentlymanagecomplexbidsfromreviewthroughsubmission.
• Experienceestimatingcommercialplumbingscopesvaluedat$2millionormore,whileremainingcomfortablewithsmallerprojects.
• Strongknowledgeofplumbingsystems,materials,labor,installationmethods,codes,specifications,andconstructionsequencing.
• Experienceacrossmultiplebuildingtypes,ideallyincludingconcretecommercialconstructionandwood-framemultifamilyprojects.
• Experiencebiddingtolargeregionalornationalgeneralcontractorsandnavigatingtheiradministrative,compliance,andproposalrequirements.
• Strongplan-reading,takeoff,scope-development,vendor-pricing,andbid-analysisskills.
• ProficiencywithdigitalestimatingortakeoffplatformssuchasFastPIPE,AccuBid,Trimble,QuoteSoft,Bluebeam,On-ScreenTakeoff,orcomparablesoftware,alongwithstrongExcelskills.
• Demonstratedleadership,mentoring,communication,andrelationship-managementability.
• Aproactive,technology-forward,accountable,andsolutions-orientedapproach.ExistingFloridaorSoutheastGCrelationshipsandfamiliaritywithpiece-rateestimatingarepreferred.

HowWeWork

LTPlumbing’scorevaluesarestraightforward:dotherightthing,buildstrongrelationships,solveproblems,careaboutpeopleandquality,andputtheprojectfirst.Successfulteammembersownmistakes,communicatebadnewsearly,followthroughoncommitments,askforhelpwhenneeded,andfocusonsolutionsratherthanblame.

EqualOpportunity

LTPlumbingprovidesequalemploymentopportunitiestoqualifiedapplicantsandemployees.Employmentdecisionsarebasedonbusinessneeds,jobrequirements,andindividualqualificationswithoutregardtolegallyprotectedcharacteristics.