Cost Estimating Manager

Timberline Construction Group, LLC; Fort Myers (FL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Timberline Construction Group is seeking a Cost Estimating Manager to lead estimating operations for residential reconstruction and disaster recovery projects. The role oversees strategy, pricing, subcontractor cost analysis, and KPI reporting to ensure accurate, contract-compliant estimates.

The ideal candidate will be a strong leader with deep construction knowledge, excellent analytical skills, and the ability to build scalable estimating processes in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred; equivalent experience considered.
• Experience leading estimating teams in construction.
• Strong understanding of residential reconstruction and disaster recovery.
• Experience preparing, reviewing, and validating cost estimates.
• Proficiency with Xactimate, Excel, and cost analysis.
• Ability to read plans, specs, and field documents.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and leadership skills.
• Excellent cross-functional communication with internal teams and clients.

Responsibilities

• Lead, support, and develop the estimating team to meet accuracy and production goals.
• Oversee estimates, scopes of work, and change order pricing.
• Review engineering plans and construction documents for cost implications.
• Translate requirements into accurate estimates, budgets, and scopes.
• Validate labor, material, subcontractor, equipment, and production costs.
• Ensure estimates comply with contracts, pricing structures, and client standards.
• Manage change order review, pricing justification, and documentation.
• Drive efficiency with standardized templates, reporting, and QC.
• Collaborate with pre-construction, PMs, and operations to forecast and execute projects.
• Maintain pricing databases, tracking systems, and KPI reporting.
• Monitor estimator workload and estimate accuracy.
• Identify cost trends and pricing gaps to improve consistency.

Skills

Leadership

Analytical thinking

Cost analysis

Xactimate

Excel

Plans & specs

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Xactimate

Cost databases

Job description

Position Summary

Timberline Construction Group is seeking a driven and experienced Cost Estimating Manager to lead estimating operations for residential reconstruction and disaster recovery construction projects.

This role is responsible for overseeing estimating strategy, change order pricing, subcontractor cost analysis, estimator performance, and cost reporting. The Cost Estimating Manager will ensure estimates are accurate, timely, contract-compliant, and aligned with both company and client expectations.

The ideal candidate is a strong leader with deep construction knowledge, excellent analytical skills, and the ability to build scalable estimating processes in a fast-paced project environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, support, and develop the estimating team while ensuring accuracy, accountability, and production goals are met.
• Oversee construction estimates, scopes of work, and change order pricing.
• Review and interpret engineering plans, specifications, surveys, and construction documents.
• Translate engineering, design, and field requirements into accurate cost estimates, budgets, and scopes of work.
• Validate labor, material, subcontractor, equipment, and production costs.
• Ensure estimates comply with contract requirements, approved pricing structures, client standards, and program guidelines.
• Manage change order review, pricing justification, documentation, and tracking.
• Drive estimating efficiency through process improvement, standardized templates, reporting visibility, and quality control.
• Collaborate with pre-construction, construction managers, project management, and operations teams to support project execution and forecasting.
• Maintain estimating tools, pricing databases, tracking systems, and KPI reporting.
• Monitor estimator workload, performance, turnaround times, and estimate accuracy.
• Identify cost trends, pricing gaps, scope issues, and opportunities for improved estimating consistency.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Business, or related field preferred; equivalent experience will be considered.
• Previous leadership experience managing estimating teams or construction-related staff.
• Strong understanding of residential construction, reconstruction, repair scopes, and change order management.
• Experience preparing, reviewing, and validating construction cost estimates.
• Proficiency with Xactimate, Microsoft Excel, and construction cost analysis.
• Ability to read and interpret plans, specifications, scopes of work, surveys, and field documentation.
• Strong organizational, analytical, problem-solving, and leadership skills.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to work cross-functionally with internal teams, clients, and subcontractors.
• High level of accountability, accuracy, and attention to detail.

Preferred Experience

• Experience with CDBG-DR, FEMA, HUD, or other disaster recovery programs.
• Experience with manufactured housing, residential reconstruction, site-built homes, or storm recovery construction.
• Familiarity with government-funded construction programs, compliance requirements, and client-approved pricing structures.
• Experience building estimating processes, tracking systems, or KPI reporting tools.Background working with subcontractor pricing, production schedules, and field-based construction operations.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a hands-on leader who can balance speed, accuracy, and accountability. This person should be comfortable working in a fast-moving environment, managing multiple priorities, supporting team performance, and improving systems that help estimating operations run more efficiently.

Employment with Timberline Construction Group is contingent upon passing a pre-employment drug test and a background check, which may include criminal history and employment verification.

By submitting your application, you consent to agreeing to partake in a pre-employment drug test and a background check. Refusal to consent to testing may result in withdrawal of the offer. All candidates will be required to undergo a pre-employment drug test as a condition of employment.