Project Estimator

Finch House Recruiting LLC; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 100,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with company match

Paid vacation

Paid holidays

Job summary

Finch House Recruiting LLC is seeking an Estimator / Project Manager for a Utah heavy civil contractor. You will price earthwork, grading, underground utility, and paving, and then run the awarded projects end‑to‑end with a superintendent partner.

Expect roughly 80% office work and 20% field, with seasonal shifts. This is a growth role with a clear path into larger DOT and municipal work, backed by a strong backlog close to home.

Qualifications

• 3–7 years of estimating experience in heavy civil, earthwork, utility, paving, or heavy highway construction.
• Read plans and specs carefully and price accurately under bid-day deadline pressure.
• Proficiency with estimating and on-screen takeoff software.
• Strong Excel skills and cost model checks.

Responsibilities

• Review plans and specifications in full and build competitive bids on earthwork, grading, underground utility, and paving work.
• Verify quantity takeoffs and focus time on pricing and winning.
• Solicit subcontractor and supplier pricing; assemble and submit bid packages.
• Pursue hard-bid public work and private development work.
• Set up and manage every job you win through completion and invoicing.
• Partner with a superintendent; own the office, pricing, and financials.
• Review job financials weekly; manage change orders and extra work.
• Act as the primary contact for owners, engineers, and agency reps.

Skills

Reading plans and specs

Excel proficiency

Bid pricing under deadline

Communication with owners/engineers

Education

Bachelors in Construction Management / Civil Engineering / Business

Tools

B2W Bid2Win

HCSS HeavyBid

Agtek

InSite

Job description

Location: Salt Lake City metro, Utah (onsite)

Benefits: 401(k) with company match, paid vacation, paid holidays

Travel: Day trips only, typically within 50 miles — no overnight travel

JOB OVERVIEW

Our client, a well-established and growing heavy civil contractor and asphalt producer serving the Utah market, is adding an Estimator / Project Manager to its Central Area team. This is a seat for someone who wants to own their work end to end — not just hand a bid over the wall and move on, but see it through to the finish.

You’ll price heavy civil work — earthwork, grading, underground utility, and paving — and then manage the jobs you win. Project management is a core part of this role, not an occasional add‑on: once you land a job, you set it up, run it alongside a superintendent, and carry it through to final invoicing.

The backlog is strong, the team is growing, and there's a clear path into larger DOT and municipal work as you build your track record.

About the company: Our client self‑performs paving, grading, earthwork, and underground utility work, and operates its own aggregate pits and asphalt plants — so the crews, materials, and equipment are all under one roof. It's a well‑established, locally rooted Utah contractor, backed by one of the largest privately held building materials companies in North America — which means long‑term investment, not quarterly‑earnings thinking.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Review plans and specifications in full and build competitive bids on earthwork, grading, underground utility, and paving work
• Verify quantity takeoffs (support staff handles the initial takeoff so your time goes into pricing and winning)
• Solicit and level subcontractor and supplier pricing, then assemble and submit the bid package
• Pursue both hard‑bid public work (DOT, cities, municipalities) and relationship‑driven private development work

Project Management

(a core part of this role — not a side responsibility)

• Set up and manage every job you win, through completion and final invoicing
• Partner with a superintendent who runs the field while you own the office, pricing, and financial side
• Review job financials weekly with the superintendent on multi‑month jobs
• Manage change orders and extra work
• Serve as the primary point of contact for owners, engineers, and agency representatives

Expect roughly 80% office / 20% field, with the mix shifting seasonally — heavier estimating in winter and spring, heavier project management from July through October as jobs wrap up.

What You Bring

REQUIRED

• 3–7 years of estimating experience in heavy civil, earthwork, utility, paving, or heavy highway construction
• Working knowledge of earthwork, grading, underground utility, and paving means and methods
• Ability to read plans and specs carefully and price accurately under bid‑day deadline pressure
• Proficiency with estimating and on‑screen takeoff software
• Strong Excel skills and comfort building and checking your own cost models
• Clear written and verbal communication — you'll deal directly with owners, engineers, subs, and superintendents

PREFERRED

• Experience bidding public work (DOT, city, or municipal projects)
• Familiarity with B2W (Bid2Win), HCSS HeavyBid, Agtek, InSite, or similar platforms
• Prior project management exposure — running budgets, schedules, and change orders on work you priced
• Field background (grade checking, foreman, or superintendent experience)
• Familiarity with Utah geology, haul economics, and local material sourcing

A degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, or Business is preferred but not required. If you came up through the field and learned to bid, you're a strong candidate for this role.

WHY THIS IS A GREAT POSITION

• You see your own numbers land. You bid the job and then run it, so you learn what the field actually hit — the feedback loop that makes estimators sharp.
• Vertical integration behind your bid. Ownership of pits, plants, and crews means tighter numbers and less time chasing quotes.
• Real room to grow. A visible path from where you'd start to senior estimators handling major DOT and city work.
• Strong, funded backlog. This is not a bid‑and‑hope shop — there's plenty of work close to home.
• You get support. Takeoffs are handled for you so your time goes into pricing and winning work.

Equal Opportunity Employer / drug‑free workplace; pre‑employment testing required. Compensation reflects the range communicated by the client and is not an offer.