Design Assist Estimator

Stout Building Contractors; Utah; On-site; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Stout Building Contractors in Utah is seeking a Design Assist Estimator who can guide clients from concept to bid package. You’ll work with architects and design teams early, translating budgets into workable designs and helping shape cost plans.

The role emphasizes consultative, relationship-driven selling and detailed take-offs to support accurate bids. You will collaborate with designers, subcontractors, and clients to ensure value engineering preserves design intent while meeting budgets.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Architecture, or equivalent related work experience.
• 5+ years of estimating or preconstruction experience.
• Experience with design-assist, value engineering, or target-value design preferred.
• Strong mathematics and analytical skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a first point of contact for prospective clients, providing consultative guidance on project feasibility.
• Partner with clients and their design team through schematic design, design development, and construction documents to provide ongoing budget guidance.
• Help clients identify, vet, and select an architect or design team when one isn't already in place.
• Develop and maintain conceptual, schematic, and design-development estimates that evolve with the design.
• Identify and recommend value-engineering options that protect design intent while conforming to budget.
• Benchmark material, labor, and building-system costs against current market data.
• Collect and qualify bids and pricing from subcontractors and vendors; assemble a final bid package aligned with the target budget.
• Complete quantity surveys (take-offs) and detailed pricing analysis.
• Clearly present cost comparisons, trade-off options, and budget updates to clients and design teams.
• Track and communicate budget variances as the design evolves, and proactively recommend options to close any gap.
• Build and maintain relationships with architects, designers, trade partners, and clients to support repeat business and referrals.

Skills

Estimating

Preconstruction

Client relationship

Value engineering

Budgeting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Architecture, or related field

Job description

Do you love turning a client's vision into something they can actually build? Can sit down with an architect, a first-time client, and a budget that doesn't quite add up yet — and walk out of the room with everyone on the same page? Do you get as much energy from relationships as you do from running numbers?

If the answer is yes, we would love to speak with you.

As a Design Assist Estimator at Stout, you'll get involved earlier than a typical estimator — often before the client has even hired an architect. Clients come to us with a budget and a vision that might be a fully developed plan or just an idea taking shape, and it's your job to partner with their design team to make sure the two connect. You'll bring real estimating rigor and cost expertise to the table, paired with a consultative, relationship-driven style, guiding clients through value-engineering decisions and helping shape a design that turns into a bid package they can build. At Stout, we strive to exceed expectations – both for our customers and our employees.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES MAY INCLUDE:

• Serve as a first point of contact for prospective clients, providing consultative guidance on PROJECT FEASIBILITY.
• Partner with clients and their design team through schematic design, design development, and construction documents to provide ongoing BUDGET guidance.
• Help clients identify, vet, and select an architect or design team when one isn't already in place.
• Develop and maintain CONCEPTUAL, SCHEMATIC, and DESIGN-DEVELOPMENT estimates that evolve alongside the design.
• Identify and recommend VALUE-ENGINEERING options that protect design intent while conforming to budget.
• Benchmark material, labor, and building-system costs against current market data.
• Collect and qualify bids and pricing from subcontractors and vendors; assemble a final BID PACKAGE aligned with the target budget.
• Complete quantity surveys (TAKE-OFFS) and detailed pricing analysis.
• Clearly present cost comparisons, trade-off options, and budget updates to clients and design teams.
• Track and communicate budget variances as the design evolves, and proactively recommend options to close any gap.
• Build and maintain relationships with architects, designers, trade partners, and clients to support repeat business and referrals.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE NEEDED:

To be successful in this position, you will be an outgoing, curious problem-solver who is as comfortable building relationships as you are running numbers. Client budgets and visions can range from a napkin sketch to a fully developed plan, so you'll need to be adaptable — reading what each client needs and adjusting your approach accordingly. Strong communication and presentation skills are essential, since much of your success will come from how clearly you can explain cost trade-offs to clients and design teams.

REQUIRED:

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Architecture, or equivalent related work experience.
• 5+ years of estimating or preconstruction experience.
• Experience with design-assist, value engineering, or target-value design preferred.
• Strong mathematics and analytical skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

ABOUT US:

Stout Building Contractors began as a family-owned business in 2006. With a background in high-end landscape architecture, we have an eye for detail and quality that drives customers back to Stout. We nimbly adapt to changing economic environments, geographic locations, and construction types. Our adaptability and customer-driven focus has fast-tracked us to compete with the most established construction companies in the state of Utah. We love what we do, and we love the people we work with. Come and be one of us!