Estimator (Commercial Construction)

Leoforce; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Leoforce in Denver seeks a senior estimator to prepare detailed cost estimates for commercial projects, from restaurants to banks, ground-up to tenant improvements, guiding pricing strategy with clients and design partners.

You will review drawings, perform quantity takeoffs, solicit bids, coordinate with PMs and leadership, and maintain organized bid records while building strong subcontractor relationships to win quality work.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of commercial construction estimating with a general contractor.
• Experience estimating restaurants, financial institutions, tenant improvements, historical, ground-up, office, or retail projects.
• Ability to price work across a range of project sizes and types.
• Strong interpretation of drawings, specs, scopes, and bid documents.
• Proficiency with Excel and estimating software; client-facing capability.

Responsibilities

• Prepare detailed estimates for commercial construction projects (restaurants, banks, TI, historical, ground-up, office, retail).
• Review drawings, specifications, addenda, bid documents, scopes of work, and project requirements.
• Perform quantity takeoffs and develop pricing for labor, materials, equipment, subs, and general conditions.
• Solicit bids from subs and vendors and ensure strong bid coverage.
• Review, compare, and level subs' and vendors' proposals.
• Identify scope gaps, risks, constructability concerns, and value engineering opportunities.
• Prepare bid summaries, proposal documents, qualifications, clarifications, and supporting estimate documentation.
• Participate in pre-bid meetings, site walks, scope reviews, and internal estimate reviews.
• Represent the company with clients, architects, and design partners throughout pursuit and preconstruction.
• Work with Project Managers, Superintendents, and leadership to review approach, logistics, schedule, phasing, and pricing strategy.
• Support handoff from estimating/preconstruction to operations.
• Assist with pricing for change orders, budgets, conceptual estimates, and negotiated work.
• Maintain organized estimating files, bid records, subcontractor communication, and cost history.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with subcontractors, vendors, clients, and project partners.

Skills

Reading drawings

Bid management

Client relationships

Excel proficiency

Communication

Team collaboration

Tools

Bluebeam

Procore

BuildingConnected

OST

Quick Bid

Job description

Job Description

Experience: Senior Level
Salary: $90,000 - $130,000 per year

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Prepare detailed estimates for commercial construction projects, including restaurants, banks, tenant improvements, historical projects, ground-up projects, office, retail, and specialty commercial spaces.
• Review drawings, specifications, addenda, bid documents, scopes of work, and project requirements.
• Perform quantity takeoffs and develop pricing for labor, materials, equipment, subcontractors, and general conditions.
• Solicit bids from subcontractors and vendors and ensure strong bid coverage.
• Review, compare, and level subcontractor and vendor proposals.
• Identify scope gaps, exclusions, risks, constructability concerns, and value engineering opportunities.
• Prepare bid summaries, proposal documents, qualifications, clarifications, and supporting estimate documentation.
• Participate in pre-bid meetings, site walks, scope reviews, and internal estimate reviews.
• Represent the company directly with clients, architects, and design partners throughout the pursuit and preconstruction process.
• Work with Project Managers, Superintendents, and executive leadership to review project approach, logistics, schedule, phasing, and pricing strategy.
• Support project handoff from estimating/preconstruction to operations.
• Assist with pricing for change orders, budgets, conceptual estimates, and negotiated work as needed.
• Maintain organized estimating files, bid records, subcontractor communication, and historical cost information.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with subcontractors, vendors, clients, architects, and project partners.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 4+ years of commercial construction estimating experience with a general contractor.
• Experience estimating restaurant, financial institution, tenant improvement, historical, ground-up, office, retail, or similar commercial projects.
• Experience pricing work in the range our market supports, from smaller out-of-the-ground projects through tenant finish work
• Strong ability to read and interpret construction drawings, specifications, scopes, schedules, and bid documents.
• Experience with quantity takeoffs, subcontractor solicitation, bid leveling, proposal preparation, and cost analysis.
• Strong understanding of commercial construction means and methods.
• Client-facing presence, emotional intelligence, and diplomacy. This role sits with clients throughout a pursuit and is as much relationship work as it is technical work.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, especially Excel and Outlook.
• Experience with Bluebeam, Procore, BuildingConnected, OST, Quick Bid, or similar estimating/construction software preferred.
• Strong attention to detail, organization, follow-through, and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple bids, deadlines, and project types.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

We are looking for an estimator who is accurate, practical, and easy to work with. This person should be able to dig into the details, communicate clearly, build strong subcontractor coverage, and understand how estimating decisions impact the project team in the field. Just as important, this person can read a room and hold a client relationship. Estimating here is a sales seat as much as a technical one. The right person will be comfortable working on fast-moving commercial projects and will bring a thoughtful, team-focused approach to helping us pursue and win quality work.

A bit about us:

We are a privately held commercial general contractor with decades of history in the Colorado market and a portfolio built across the Denver metro and Front Range. Our work spans ground-up commercial construction, banks and financial institutions, restaurants and hospitality, historical and adaptive reuse projects, corporate interiors and tenant improvements, office, and retail. Tenant finish projects can run into the $10M to $20M range, and out-of-the-ground work covers small to mid-size. Much of what we build comes from repeat clients and long-standing relationships with owners, architects, and designers. We are a leadership-accessible shop: our executives are in the office daily, on jobs, and in the problems alongside our teams.

Why join us?

• You report to the executives, not through three layers. Our leadership is in the building every day, working jobs and solving problems with the team, not behind a closed door.
• Bonus is tied to what you profitably land. At year-end, we open the books, look at what you landed and what it earned, and you share in it. Your estimating shows up in your compensation.
• We invest in estimators instead of replacing them. Misses happen in this seat. When they do we slow down, teach, and train. We also fund professional certifications for estimators who want to go deep on how to bid specific project types.
• Genuine project variety. Banks, restaurants, historical work, tenant finish, and ground-up in the same year.
• A brand that opens doors. Decades in this market and a portfolio people in Denver recognize. Our reputation precedes us on pursuits, and it will precede you.
• Real work-life sanity. Standard business hours out of the Denver office
• A company that shows up for its people. When employees hit illness, family crises, or hard seasons, leadership is present. That is the culture here, not a line in a handbook.

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