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Commercial Construction Estimator

Paychex
locationBoynton Beach, FL, USA
PublishedPublished: 5/23/2026
Full time
We are looking for a Commercial Construction Estimator to work onsite in Boynton Beach, FL Monday - Friday.

Role Overview

The Commercial Construction Estimator is responsible for developing accurate, competitive cost estimates for commercial construction projects, typically ranging from $500,000 to $7,000,000, delivered through a vendor-managed subcontractor model. This role focuses on scope clarity, subcontractor pricing, risk evaluation, and smooth handoff to operations, ensuring projects are bid profitably and executed as scoped.

Key Responsibilities
  • Prepare detailed cost estimates for commercial construction projects, including tenant improvements, renovations, capital improvements, and multi-site programs valued between $500K and $7M
  • Review architectural, structural, MEP, and civil drawings, specifications, scopes of work, and bid documents to fully understand project requirements and constraints
  • Perform quantity takeoffs and scope reviews to support accurate pricing for subcontracted trades and materials
  • Solicit, coordinate, and analyze subcontractor bids within a vendor-managed construction model, ensuring scope completeness, pricing accuracy, and compliance with the company's standards
  • Level subcontractor proposals by scope, inclusions, exclusions, scheduling assumptions, and risk, identifying gaps or inconsistencies
  • Develop complete estimate summaries, including subcontracted costs, general conditions, allowances, contingencies, and markups
  • Identify project risks, assumptions, exclusions, and clarifications, documenting them clearly for internal review and proposal submission
  • Partner with Project Managers and Operations to validate constructability, sequencing, vendor availability, and execution strategies
  • Participate in pre-bid meetings, site walks, and scope clarification discussions as required
  • Prepare bid pricing and proposal inputs for submission to clients, owners, or procurement platforms
  • Support post-award subcontractor buyout, scope alignment, and estimate handoff to the project team
  • Maintain historical cost data, subcontractor pricing, and estimating templates for continuous improvement and accuracy
  • Assist with value engineering (VE) by evaluating alternate means, methods, or materials without compromising scope or quality
  • Support bid strategy discussions, including go/no-go decisions, staffing assumptions, and schedule impacts

Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Building Science, or a related field, or equivalent hands-on estimating experience
  • 3-7+ years of commercial construction estimating experience, preferably with a general contractor operating in a subcontractor-driven model
  • Experience estimating mid-size commercial projects, typically $500K-$10M, with multiple subcontracted trades
  • Strong understanding of commercial construction means and methods, sequencing, logistics, and trade coordination
  • Advanced proficiency with estimating and takeoff software, such as PlanSwift, Bluebeam, On-Screen Takeoff, or similar tools
  • Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel for bid leveling, cost modeling, and estimate analysis
  • Ability to read and interpret full construction drawing sets, including architectural, MEP, and specialty scopes
  • Experience coordinating and communicating with subcontractors and vendors to clarify scope, pricing, and assumptions

This role is ideal for an estimator who:
  • Thrives with incomplete information and evolving scope
  • Is comfortable being hands-on and client-facing early in the project
  • Understands that estimating is not just pricing-but problem-solving, planning, and partnership

Preferred Experience
  • Experience estimating projects where complete construction drawings or fully defined scopes are not available at bid time, requiring active scope development and clarification
  • Demonstrated ability to engage early with clients, project managers, and vendors to help define project scope, assumptions, and budget before formal documentation exists
  • Experience performing conceptual, budgetary, and ROM (rough order of magnitude) estimates based on limited information, site visits, historical data, and vendor input
  • Strong background in scope gap identification and risk evaluation, with the ability to document assumptions, exclusions, and clarifications clearly for internal and client review
  • Experience working closely with subcontractors and vendors to build scopes collaboratively, including walkthroughs, field verification, and preliminary pricing exercises
  • Comfort operating in a high-engagement estimating role, supporting projects from initial client request through bid, buyout, and handoff to operations
  • Experience adjusting estimates as scope develops, drawings evolve, or site conditions are confirmed, while maintaining budget alignment and cost control
  • Familiarity with estimating in occupied facilities, phased environments, or active operations where scope definition requires coordination and flexibility
  • Experience supporting fast-track or design-assist projects where estimating, planning, and execution overlap
  • Prior experience in a vendor-managed or subcontractor-driven construction model, where estimator success depends on communication, collaboration, and vendor accountability rather than self-performed work
  • Ability to partner with Project Managers post-award to support scope validation, subcontractor buyout, and execution planning