Fire & Security Estimator - South Africa

D2B; United States; Remote; USD 12,000 - 14,000; Part time

Job summary

D2B is seeking a Fire & Security Estimating Coordinator to analyze site survey data, floor plans, and media to design accurate system solutions. This technical role involves estimating equipment and producing sharp commercial quotes to fuel project success.

The position is 100% remote under an Independent Contractor Agreement, with monthly salary in the 18,000–20,000 ZAR range and UK business-hour alignment.

Qualifications

• Proven background in estimating, desktop surveying, or system design within Fire & Security.
• Familiarity with fire alarms, intruder alarms, IP CCTV, and access control platforms.
• Ability to read scale floor plans and extract measurements.
• Knowledge of British Standards for fire and security installations.
• Experience in calculating margins, labor estimates, and project costs.
• Proficient in MS Office (Excel/Word) and standard quoting software.

Responsibilities

• Analyze media such as floor plans, survey notes, photos, and videos to define project scope.
• Specify equipment and hardware for fire and security systems.
• Estimate quantities, cable runs, device counts, and labor from remote data.
• Prepare itemized quotes and material lists while maintaining margins.
• Source supplier pricing to keep component costs competitive.
• Identify opportunities for upgrades during design reviews.
• Translate field notes into professional client-facing quotes.
• Coordinate with engineers and clients; arrange site visits as needed.
• Ensure designs comply with manufacturer guidelines and British Standards.
• Support Operations by answering technical queries.
• Leverage CAD or PDF tools for digital takeoffs (nice-to-have).

Skills

Estimating

Desktop surveying

System design

Fire & Security

Costing & margins

MS Office

Quoting software

Reading floor plans

British Standards

Tools

CAD

Bluebeam

Job description

Position: Fire & Security Estimating Coordinator

Salary: 18,000 - 20,000/mo ZAR

Working Hours: Observing UK business hours

Holidays: Observing UK public holidays

Work Set-up: 100% Remote work under an Independent Contractor Agreement

Target Start Date: ASAP

Our client is a leading security and life safety specialist dedicated to protecting commercial and residential properties across the region. In this technical role, you will analyze site survey data, floor plans, and visual media to design accurate, compliant system solutions. Your precision in estimating equipment and producing sharp commercial quotes will directly fuel the company’s growth and project success.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Analyze Media: Review architectural floor plans, survey notes, photos, and site videos to evaluate layouts and define project scope.
• Specify Equipment: Assess existing fire and security infrastructure to determine required systems, components, and hardware.
• Calculate Quantities: Estimate material requirements, device counts, cable runs, and labor needs based on remote survey data.
• Produce Quotations: Prepare clear, itemized quotes and material lists while maintaining target profit margins.
• Manage Costs: Source supplier pricing for specialized hardware to keep component costs competitive.
• Spot Upgrades: Identify opportunities for system upgrades, additions, or modernizations during design reviews.
• Translate Findings: Convert field engineer notes and site reports into professional client-facing quotes.
• Liaise with Stakeholders: Coordinate with engineers and clients to clarify technical details or request site visits when needed.
• Maintain Compliance: Ensure all designs align with manufacturer guidelines and relevant British Standards.
• Support Operations: Answer technical queries to assist the internal Operations and Service teams.
• Industry Experience: Proven background in estimating, desktop surveying, or system design within Fire & Security.
• Technical Knowledge: Familiarity with fire alarms, intruder alarms, IP CCTV, and access control platforms.
• Plan Literacy: Ability to read and extract measurements from scale floor plans and schematic drawings.
• Compliance Awareness: Working knowledge of relevant British Standards for fire and security installations.
• Commercial Skills: Ability to calculate margins, estimate labor, and build accurate project costs.
• Software Skills: Proficient in MS Office (Excel/Word) and standard quoting software.

Preferred Skills: (Nice-to-Haves)

• Field Background: Previous hands-on experience as an installation or service engineer.
• Digital Tools: Experience using CAD or PDF markup tools (e.g., Bluebeam) for digital takeoffs.
• Vendor Knowledge: Familiarity with major industry brands (e.g., Texecom, Hikvision, Paxton, C-TEC, Ajax, EMS Smartcell, Pyronix).