Cost Estimator

Volumod Indy LLC; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) with company contributions

Paid time off

Paid holidays

Tuition reimbursement

Employee assistance program

Production bonus programs

Job summary

Volumod, located on the Far East Side of Indianapolis, Indiana, is seeking a Cost Estimator to develop accurate project estimates, Bills of Materials, and bid packages across Sales and Pre-Production. You’ll work with Sales, Production, Purchasing, and Engineering to define pricing, materials, and specifications for modules and multi-family housing.

The role advances project costing from initial plan reviews through contract development and production readiness, aiming to improve estimating

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred – may substitute work experience for education.
• Three years’ experience in cost estimating.
• Experience performing cost estimating responsibilities in the construction or relevant field.

Responsibilities

• Develop, complete, and maintain project Bills of Materials (BOMs) to support accurate project costing and production requirements.
• Perform detailed or 'hard' plan reviews of pre-engineered plans, account/prospect plans, supplied for costing only.
• Create initial bid packages prior to the completion of internal drawings, including Pricing, ’Hard’ print review, Build specifications (both standard and optional items).
• Develop and continue refinement of standard build specifications in collaboration with Sales, Production, Purchasing, and Engineering.
• Define and document project inclusions and exclusions during the initial BOM and pricing development process and maintain updates throughout the sales process through the contract stage.
• Develop and maintain ship-loose material lists throughout the sales process, through contract execution, and for applicable change orders.
• Develop the Preliminary Project Package after receipt of the engineering deposit and prior to contract execution.
• Participate in continuous improvement initiatives related to estimating, pricing, contracts, project documentation, and communication between Sales, Production, Purchasing, and Engineering.
• Assist with the continued development and improvement of the Production Order template and supporting documentation used by Production.
• Partner with Production to identify potential improvements, efficiencies, best practices, and necessary updates to BOMs and estimating processes.
• Maintain accurate and timely project information as specifications, pricing, materials, or customer requirements change throughout the estimating and sales process.
• Support effective handoff of project information from estimating and sales to Engineering, Purchasing, and Production.
• Perform other duties and provide support in other areas of the organization as business needs require.

Skills

Cost estimation

BOM development

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

Volumod (Vol-U-mod) is a multi-family modular construction company located on the Far East Side of Indianapolis, Indiana.

Volumod’s team of more than 100 skilled professionals builds apartment buildings and other multi-family housing in sections - called modules - within a heated-and-cooled facility. On the factory floor, each home moves through 20 different stations, including framing, electrical, plumbing, flooring, drywall, siding, roofing, and interior finish, with kitchens and bathrooms installed, to produce a home that is 90% complete!

The modules are then wrapped, transported by semi-truck, and lifted with a crane to form multifamily communities. Modular construction improves speed, consistency, quality, and efficiency compared with traditional, onsite construction, bringing value to our clients.

At Volumod, we’re not just delivering a better product to our clients, we’re helping transform lives by creating beautiful, affordable housing - sacred spaces where people live and are proud to call home. We’re also passionate about seeing lives transformed within the Volumod organization as our employees improve their lives with a great job and whole-person support that helps them thrive in every area. We offer living wages, major medical coverage, 401K contributions, and a culture of hope. Will you join us?

Position Summary:

The Cost Estimator is responsible for developing accurate and comprehensive project estimates, Bills of Materials (BOMs), bid packages, specifications, and supporting documentation throughout the sales and pre-production process. This position works cross-functionally with Sales, Production, Purchasing, and Engineering to ensure project requirements, pricing, materials, specifications, inclusions, and exclusions are clearly identified and communicated. The Estimator plays an integral role in transitioning projects from initial costing and plan review through preliminary design, contract development, and production readiness while identifying opportunities to improve estimating accuracy, operational efficiency, and internal processes.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Develop, complete, and maintain project Bills of Materials (BOMs) to support accurate project costing and production requirements.
• Perform detailed or "hard" plan reviews of pre-engineered plans, account/prospect plans, supplied for costing only. Share in plan review and project discussions with Sales, Production, Purchasing, and Engineering to identify project requirements, potential concerns, and cost implications.
• Create initial bid packages prior to the completion of internal drawings, including Pricing, “Hard” print review, Build specifications (both standard and optional items).
• Develop and continue refinement of standard build specifications in collaboration with Sales, Production, Purchasing, and Engineering.
• Define and document project inclusions and exclusions during the initial BOM and pricing development process and maintain updates throughout the sales process through the contract stage.
• Develop and maintain ship-loose material lists throughout the sales process, through contract execution, and for applicable change orders. Collaborate with Sales, Production, Purchasing, and Engineering to review changes that may impact pricing, materials, specifications, production requirements, or project scope.
• Develop the Preliminary Project Package after receipt of the engineering deposit and prior to contract execution. The package may include: Updated project pricing, Internal project drawings, Build specifications, Updated inclusions and exclusions, Other project-specific information required for review and contract development
• Participate in continuous improvement initiatives related to estimating, pricing, contracts, project documentation, and communication between Sales, Production, Purchasing, and Engineering.
• Assist with the continued development and improvement of the Production Order template and supporting documentation used by Production.
• Partner with Production to identify potential improvements, efficiencies, best practices, and necessary updates to BOMs and estimating processes.
• Maintain accurate and timely project information as specifications, pricing, materials, or customer requirements change throughout the estimating and sales process.
• Support effective handoff of project information from estimating and sales to Engineering, Purchasing, and Production.
• Perform other duties and provide support in other areas of the organization as business needs require.

Volumod offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package designed to support our employees’ health, financial well-being, and work-life balance. Eligible employees receive medical, dental, and vision insurance, along with company-paid life and disability coverage. We provide a 401(k) plan with company contributions, generous paid time off, and paid holidays. Additional benefits include ancillary coverage such as critical illness, hospitalization, accident, tuition reimbursement, employee assistance programs, and production bonus programs. Our goal is to invest in our team by providing meaningful benefits that help you thrive both personally and professionally.

We are not accepting candidates from recruiters or staffing firms.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree preferred – may substitute work experience for education
• Three years’ experience in cost estimating
• Experience performing cost estimating responsibilities in the construction or relevant field