Construction Estimator – Commercial & Public Works

• Company:
  Vortex Construction

• Company:
  Vortex Construction
• Location:
  
  Bakersfield, California
• Employment Type:
  
  Full-Time
• Compensation: 90,000–110,000+ annually, based on experience
• Work Environment:
  Primarily office-based with regular local/regional site visits
• Travel:
  Occasional travel throughout Bakersfield, Kern County, Santa Barbara, and surrounding project markets

Vortex Construction is seeking an experienced Construction Estimator to support continued growth across commercial, multifamily, public works, government, and federal construction.

This role is ideal for an estimator who understands the full construction process and can accurately price complex projects involving multiple trades, subcontractors, and self-performed work.

You will work on projects ranging from ground-up construction to rehabilitation and modernization, including public housing and other prevailing-wage projects. Current bid opportunities may range into the 10M–15M+ project size.

The Estimator will primarily work from Vortex Construction's Bakersfield office and will periodically visit prospective project sites to verify existing conditions, quantities, and scope before bid submission.

• Prepare detailed construction estimates covering labor, materials, equipment, subcontractors, and self-performed work.
• Review drawings, specifications, bid documents, addenda, and project requirements to develop complete project budgets.
• Estimate commercial, multifamily, public works, government, and federal construction projects.
• Evaluate both ground-up construction and rehabilitation/renovation scopes.
• Coordinate pricing across multiple trades and subcontractors; some projects may involve 20 or more subcontractor scopes.
• Account for California prevailing-wage requirements, labor rates, fringe benefits, and other public-works cost considerations.
• Use Gordian, RS Means, or comparable estimating tools to develop detailed line-item pricing.
• Conduct site visits to evaluate existing conditions and identify discrepancies between field conditions and bid documents.
• Solicit and evaluate subcontractor and supplier pricing.
• Identify scope gaps, exclusions, constructability concerns, and bid risks before submission.
• Maintain current cost information for labor, materials, equipment, and trade production.
• Collaborate with company leadership, project management, subcontractors, architects, and engineers during the estimating process.
• Complete estimating handoff to the project-management team after award and continue focusing primarily on estimating new work.

• Proven construction estimating experience in general construction.
• Experience estimating commercial, public works, government, multifamily, or similarly complex projects.
• Strong understanding of construction methods, sequencing, trade scopes, labor productivity, and material costs.
• Experience estimating work performed through both subcontractors and internal field crews.
• Working knowledge of prevailing-wage construction and California public-works requirements.
• Ability to read and interpret plans, specifications, bid documents, and addenda.
• Demonstrated ability to develop accurate estimates across multiple construction trades.
• Strong judgment around bid risk, missing information, scope gaps, and existing-condition uncertainty.
• Ability to work primarily from the Bakersfield office.
• Ability to travel to project sites as needed.

• Approximately 5+ years of dedicated construction estimating experience.
• Experience successfully estimating large projects, including projects in the 10M–15M+ range.
• Experience with California DIR requirements,…