Senior Commercial Construction Estimator – Precision

Ratcliff Construction Company, LLC; Alexandria (LA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision

Insurance coverage

Paid time off

401(k) plan

Professional development

Job summary

Ratcliff Construction Company, LLC in Alexandria, LA is seeking an experienced Commercial Construction Estimator who can lead the estimating process from concept to award. This role requires analyzing plans, identifying scope gaps, and building strong trade partner coverage to deliver reliable estimates.

The ideal candidate will manage bids, develop budgets, read drawings, and coordinate with operations, business development, and subcontractors to ensure complete scope and competitive pricing.

Qualifications

• Experience estimating commercial construction projects for a general contractor.
• Ability to independently manage an estimate from initial setup through bid submission.
• Knowledge of CSI divisions, trade scopes, and estimating practices.
• Ability to read plans and specifications and identify missing, conflicting, or unclear scope.
• Analytical and detail-oriented with strong deadline management.
• Experience with hard bid, negotiated, and CMAR projects.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in related field preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage commercial estimates from initial setup through final bid submission.
• Develop conceptual budgets and detailed estimates as design progresses.
• Review drawings, specifications, addenda, and contract documents to ensure complete scope coverage.
• Perform detailed quantity takeoffs and develop accurate pricing.
• Identify scope gaps, cost exposures, constructability concerns, and potential project risks before bid day.
• Solicit subcontractor and supplier participation and develop strong trade partner coverage.
• Analyze and level subcontractor and supplier proposals to ensure scope and pricing are complete.
• Estimate general conditions and applicable self-performed scopes of work.
• Develop bid packages and clearly communicate scope expectations to trade partners.
• Participate in pre-bid meetings, site visits, scope reviews, and bid-day activities.
• Partner with Business Development on proposals, presentations, interviews, and pursuit strategy as needed.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with subcontractors, suppliers, owners, architects, engineers, and internal project teams.
• Support project handoff after award and help ensure the operations team understands the assumptions, scope, risks, and opportunities built into the estimate.
• Maintain estimating information and historical cost data to help improve the accuracy and consistency of future estimates.

Skills

Read plans & specs

Analytical mindset

Detail-oriented

Bid management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management or Engineering

Tools

On-Screen Takeoff (OST)

Bluebeam

CMiC

P6

Microsoft Project

Job description

Ratcliff Construction Company, LLC in Alexandria, LA is seeking an experienced Commercial Construction Estimator who can lead the estimating process from concept to award. This role requires analyzing plans, identifying scope gaps, and building strong trade partner coverage to deliver reliable estimates.

The ideal candidate will manage bids, develop budgets, read drawings, and coordinate with operations, business development, and subcontractors to ensure complete scope and competitive pricing.