Civil Estimator

Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with occasional travel to project sites and client offices across the Gulf South.

Employment Type: Full-time, exempt

The Civil Estimator is responsible for preparing accurate, competitive, and complete cost estimates for heavy civil and industrial construction projects. You will analyze bid documents, perform quantity takeoffs, develop means and methods, price labor/equipment/materials/subcontractors, and assemble comprehensive bid packages. This role directly supports revenue growth by ensuring bids are both winnable and margin-protective, while incorporating lessons from active projects to continuously improve estimating accuracy during our scaling phase.

• Review and interpret bid documents, plans, specifications, geotechnical reports, and addenda for heavy civil projects (deep foundations, pipelines, hydro excavation, site development, earthwork, utilities, and related work).
• Perform detailed quantity takeoffs and validate quantities against field production rates and historical data.
• Develop project-specific means and methods in collaboration with the Construction Manager and operations team, incorporating equipment selection, crew configurations, sequencing, and site constraints.
• Price all direct costs: labor (union/non-union rates, productivity factors), equipment (ownership/operating costs, fuel), materials, and subcontractors; obtain and evaluate vendor/sub quotes.
• Build and maintain unit cost databases, production rates, and historical cost information tailored to civil work.
• Assemble complete bid packages including scope narratives, assumptions, clarifications, exclusions, and risk assessments; prepare for internal bid reviews and client presentations.
• Analyze project risks and opportunities; recommend contingency levels, alternate pricing, and value engineering options.
• Support post-bid activities: participate in scope reviews, hand off estimate details to project managers and controls specialists, and track actual vs. estimated performance for continuous improvement.
• Maintain bid history and lessons-learned documentation to refine future estimates and support company-wide standards.
• Collaborate with project controls on cost coding structures and with field teams on realistic scheduling inputs.

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, or related field (or equivalent heavy civil estimating experience).
• 5–10 years of progressive experience as a Civil Estimator focused on heavy civil, industrial, pipeline, foundation, or infrastructure projects (minimum $10M+ project size preferred).
• Strong proficiency with estimating software and takeoff tools.
• Deep knowledge of heavy civil means and methods, equipment productivity, labor rates, and regional market conditions.
• Excellent analytical and mathematical skills with high attention to detail; ability to work under tight bid deadlines.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills; comfortable presenting estimates to leadership and clients.
• Valid driver’s license and willingness to travel occasionally for site visits, pre-bid meetings, or client engagements.
• Alignment with our core values: safety-first mindset, transparency, accuracy, accountability, and team advancement.

• Experience with Louisiana DOTD, PHMSA pipeline regulations, USACE, or environmentally sensitive projects.
• Familiarity with scheduling tools (Primavera P6 or MS Project) and job-cost systems.
• Professional certifications such as Certified Professional Estimator (CPE) or ASPE membership.
• Prior exposure to a high-growth construction environment where estimating accuracy directly impacted scaling success.