Estimator - Transmission

Brink Constructors, Inc.; Rapid City (SD); On-site; USD 90,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Brink Constructors, Inc. seeks an Estimator based in Rapid City, SD, within the Pre-Construction department. The role focuses on producing time-and-equipment estimates and pricing for two major utility clients, using contract rate schedules and established markups.

The position supports the estimating team on hard-bid and unit-price work, with duties including take-offs, vendor solicitation, and audit-ready documentation. Travel is expected.

Qualifications

• Experience producing time-and-equipment (T&E) estimates for utility clients.
• Ability to work high-volume, fast-turnaround pricing.
• Knowledge of contract rate schedules, markup structures, and rate sheets.

Responsibilities

• Prepare T&E estimates, work-order pricing, and budgetary pricing for utility clients using contract rate schedules.
• Build crew makeup, hours, and equipment hour estimates for various scopes of work.
• Price materials, subcontracted work, rental, per diem, and mobilization per governing agreements.
• Turn around pricing requests within client-required timeframes.
• Document estimate assumptions and rate references for audit trails.
• Maintain copies of clients' rate schedules and billing terms.

Skills

Estimating

T&E pricing

Construction estimating

Labor scheduling

Tools

Rate schedules

Job description

About Us

Brink Constructors, Inc. is an electrical contractor with over 75 years of experience in high-voltage transmission line and substation erection. With a long and industrious history, our experienced team continues to help power the nation now and into the future.

About Us

Brink Constructors, Inc. is an electrical contractor with over 75 years of experience in high-voltage transmission line and substation erection. With a long and industrious history, our experienced team continues to help power the nation now and into the future.

At Brink, our success stems from the skilled personnel that we employ and the philosophy we instill to follow and uphold our core fundamental ideals including Safety First. Becoming a member of the Brink team is more than “just a job” or satisfactory employment—at Brink, we build careers, and we invest in the future of our people. Bring your skills to light and power your future with our team.

About This Role

Brink Constructors, Inc.

The Estimator is a Rapid City, SD –based estimating role within Brink's Pre-Construction department. The primary responsibility of this position is producing time-and-equipment (T&E) estimates, work-order pricing, and change-order pricing for two key utility clients served under master service, blanket, and alliance-type agreements. This work is high-volume, fast-turnaround, and rate-schedule driven: the estimator builds crew and equipment hour models against contract rate sheets rather than assembling full lump-sum bid packages.

When T&E workload allows, this position supports the broader estimating team on hard-bid and unit-price transmission and distribution pursuits — take-offs, quantity verification, vendor solicitation, and estimate assembly. The Estimator reports to the Lead Estimator – Transmission, who reviews and approves all deliverables before release.

Pay

This is an exempt/salary position. The pay range is $90,000 - $125,000. Pay may vary depending on your location, skills, and experience.

Location/Travel Requirements

Position is based at the Brink office in Rapid City, SD and requires approximately 10% - 20% travel for site visits and client meetings.

Primary Responsibilities

What You’ll Do

• Prepare T&E estimates, work-order pricing, and budgetary pricing for assigned utility clients, applying the labor classifications, equipment rates, and markup structures defined in each client's contract rate schedule.
• Build labor estimates from crew composition and productivity — determining the correct crew makeup (foreman, journeyman lineman, apprentice, groundman, operator), crew count, shift structure, and hour build-up for each scope of work.
• Develop equipment hour and duration estimates for digger derricks, cranes, bucket trucks, dozers, matting equipment, and support vehicles, distinguishing operated, standby, and bare-rental rate applications per contract terms.
• Price material, subcontracted work, rental, per diem, subsistence, travel, and mobilization/demobilization in accordance with the allowable cost categories and markup limits of the governing agreement.
• Turn around routine T&E pricing requests within client-required timeframes — often days rather than weeks.
• Estimate maintenance, small-capital, emergency restoration, and storm-response work, including scopes with incomplete or evolving design information.
• Price change orders and extra work orders on active projects, confirming scope and schedule impact before pricing is released.
• Document all estimate assumptions, exclusions, clarifications, and rate-schedule references so that pricing is traceable and defensible during client review and audit.
• Maintain current, accurate copies of each client's rate schedules, escalation provisions, and contract billing terms.

General Estimating Support

• Perform quantity take-offs for structures, foundations, conductor and OPGW, access roads, matting, and restoration from plan-and-profile drawings, specifications, and bid documents.
• Solicit and log vendor and subcontractor quotations