PAINTING/WALLCOVERING ESTIMATOR

Vancouver Paint Group, Inc; Camas (WA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance (50% employer paid)

Dental insurance (50% employer paid)

401(k) with employer match

Paid time off (PTO)

Select paid holidays

Bonus program

Job summary

JCW Management Inc. is seeking a Painting / Wallcovering Estimator to support Vancouver Paint Group and Hooton Wallcovering. The role covers plan review, takeoffs, bid preparation, and customer communication from site walks to proposal submission.

The position emphasizes face-to-face client interaction, accurate estimating, and coordination with project managers and crews. It offers growth into estimating and sales support with light project management responsibilities.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED preferred.
• Experience in painting, wallcovering, coatings, or construction estimating preferred.
• Strong field experience may substitute formal estimating experience.
• Ability to read and understand construction drawings, finish schedules, specs, addenda, and scopes of work.
• Ability to communicate professionally with customers, general contractors, vendors, project managers, and field crews.
• Comfortable with customer-facing sales conversations, site walks, follow-up calls, and scope clarification.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to work with deadlines.
• Basic computer skills, including email, PDF plan review, and spreadsheets.
• Valid driver license and reliable transportation preferred for jobsite visits when needed.

Responsibilities

• Review plans, specifications, finish schedules, elevations, addenda, and bid documents for painting and wallcovering scope.
• Prepare quantity takeoffs for interior/exterior painting and wallcovering scope.
• Identify substrates, finish types, prep requirements, primers, coatings, and quantities.
• Review bid documents for clarifications, RFIs, scope gaps, schedule concerns, and addenda changes.
• Build estimating worksheets, pricing summaries, and bid notes for internal review.
• Coordinate with project managers, superintendents, vendors, suppliers, general contractors, and customers as needed.
• Solicit and review vendor pricing for paint, coatings, wallcovering, and related scope.
• Help prepare proposals, bid clarifications, alternates, and scope letters that are clear and sell value.
• Participate in site walks, bid review meetings, scope reviews, and customer-facing conversations.
• Follow up on submitted bids and help answer questions that can lead to award.
• Track bid deadlines and support timely completion of estimates.
• Support project handoff after award so production understands scope and finish requirements.
• Assist with light project management duties, including change order pricing and schedule support.
• Maintain organized estimate files and bid documentation.

Skills

Reading drawings

Communication

Detail oriented

Time management

Basic computer skills

Customer facing sales

Driver's license

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

Bluebeam

PlanSwift

On-Screen Takeoff

BuildingConnected

Procore

Smartsheet

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Position Summary

JCW Management Inc. is hiring a Painting / Wallcovering Estimator to support Vancouver Paint Group and Hooton Wallcovering with plan review, finish schedule review, quantity takeoff, bid preparation, customer communication, sales support, light project management support, and project handoff support.

Job Description

The Painting / Wallcovering Estimator is responsible for reviewing plans, finish schedules, specifications, addenda, and project requirements to prepare accurate painting and wallcovering estimates and proposals. This role helps identify scope, build takeoffs, review labor and material requirements, coordinate with project managers, communicate with customers, and support clean handoffs from bid to production. The right candidate understands commercial finishes, communicates clearly, and can track details across multiple bids. Experience in painting, coatings, wallcovering, or field leadership is valuable, especially for someone looking to move into estimating and customer-facing sales support.

Sales, Customer Face Time and Relationship Building

This is not a desk-only estimating role. For the type of customers and projects we work with, face time matters. The estimator is expected to help sell the job before and after the bid goes out by building trust, asking good questions, understanding customer priorities, and presenting the company as the right partner for the work. Represent Vancouver Paint Group and Hooton Wallcovering professionally with general contractors, owners, customers, project managers, and jobsite superintendents. Attend site walks, pre-bid meetings, customer meetings, and finish/scope review conversations when needed. Ask good questions early to understand finish expectations, schedule pressure, budget concerns, phasing, access, product selections, and customer priorities. Help position the company before proposal submission by explaining our experience, responsiveness, safety standards, product knowledge, quality expectations, and ability to execute. Follow up on bids, answer customer questions, clarify scope, and help move opportunities toward award. Communicate value clearly so the customer understands our finish standards, preparation assumptions, product requirements, inclusions, exclusions, and why our number is built correctly.

Light Project Management Support

This role may also include light project manager support, especially during project handoff, early coordination, change pricing, and customer follow-up. The estimator does not replace the project manager, but should be willing and able to help carry the job from bid opportunity through award and into production when needed. Support project managers with job handoff, scope review, budget setup, finish requirements, schedule notes, and production assumptions after award. Assist with change order pricing, customer clarification, material coordination, small project coordination, finish questions, and follow-up when needed. Help identify issues that could affect budget, manpower, schedule, quality, finish expectations, or customer satisfaction. Stay involved enough after award to make sure the estimate turns into a clean, buildable project plan.

Role and Responsibilities

• Review plans, specifications, finish schedules, elevations, addenda, and bid documents for painting and wallcovering scope.
• Prepare quantity takeoffs for interior painting, exterior painting, coatings, wallcovering, specialty finishes, and related scope as applicable.
• Identify substrates, finish types, prep requirements, primers, coatings, wallcovering materials, quantities, alternates, and exclusions.
• Review bid documents for clarifications, RFIs, scope gaps, schedule concerns, and addenda changes.
• Build clear estimating worksheets, pricing summaries, and bid notes for internal review.
• Coordinate with project managers, superintendents, vendors, suppliers, general contractors, and customers as needed.
• Solicit and review vendor pricing for paint, coatings, wallcovering, specialty materials, equipment, and related scope.
• Help prepare proposals, bid clarifications, alternates, and scope letters that are clear, professional, and sell the value of the company.
• Participate in site walks, bid review meetings, scope reviews, finish discussions, and customer-facing conversations.
• Follow up on submitted bids and help answer questions that can lead to award.
• Track bid deadlines and support timely completion of estimates.
• Support project handoff after award so production understands scope, budgets, finish requirements, exclusions, schedule expectations, and customer commitments.
• Assist with light project management duties, including change order pricing, budget updates, schedule support, material coordination, finish clarification, and scope revisions when needed.
• Maintain organized estimate files, plans, finish schedules, notes, supplier quotes, customer communication, and bid documentation.
• Perform duties in compliance with company policies, processes, and procedures.

Qualifications and Education Requirements

• High school diploma or GED preferred.
• Previous painting, wallcovering, coatings, or construction estimating experience preferred.
• Strong field experience in painting, wallcovering, or commercial finishes may be considered in place of formal estimating experience.
• Ability to read and understand construction drawings, finish schedules, specifications, addenda, and scopes of work.
• Ability to communicate professionally with customers, general contractors, vendors, project managers, and field crews.
• Comfortable with customer-facing sales conversations, site walks, follow-up calls, and scope clarification.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to work with deadlines.
• Basic computer skills, including email, PDF plan review, and spreadsheets.
• Valid driver license and reliable transportation preferred for jobsite visits when needed.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with commercial painting, wallcovering, coatings, specialty finishes, tenant improvements, hospitality, retail, or maintenance work.
• Experience with estimating software such as Bluebeam, PlanSwift, On-Screen Takeoff, or similar tools.
• Experience with BuildingConnected, Procore, Smartsheet, Microsoft Excel, or similar platforms.
• Ability to organize multiple bids, deadlines, revisions, finish schedules, customer follow-ups, and priorities at one time.
• Understanding of labor productivity, material waste, surface preparation, product limitations, access, phasing, and field sequencing.
• Ability to build relationships and communicate value, not just price.

Benefits Offered

• Health insurance, 50% employer paid
• Dental insurance, 50% employer paid
• 401(k) with employer match
• PTO
• Select paid holidays
• Company incentive/bonus program

Full-time, year-round position; part-time may be considered for the right candidate

Additional Notes

Schedule may vary based on bid deadlines, customer meetings, project needs, and workload. Candidates may be required to pass background and drug screening.

About JCW Management Inc.

JCW Management is the employee management company for our contract companies: Vancouver Paint Group, Inc., Hooton Wallcovering Inc., and Vancouver Drywall LLC. We are service-oriented construction companies offering a full range of residential and commercial applications. We are an industry leader in safety, quality, and fast-paced turnaround work. With over 35 years of experience and now working on our second generation of the Vancouver Paint Group family, we have earned a reputation for performing high-quality work safely and professionally. We have worked in many environments, including fast-track construction, grocery retail, Class-A office spaces, high-end condos and hotels, shopping centers, tenant improvements, maintenance work, new construction homes, and residential repaints. We are fully licensed and insured.