About this role
Department: Estimation
Reports to: Project Manager
Type: On site- Full-time
Role Purpose
- Own end-to-end cost estimation for residential builds — feasibility through to contract-signed budget
- Produce accurate, fully-detailed estimates & Purchase orders that hold up through construction with minimal variation
- Set the cost baseline that Pre-Construction, Procurement and Site rely on
Key Responsibilities
Estimating & Take-off
- Prepare detailed quantity take-offs from architectural, structural, engineering and soil reports
- Build full estimates against the company cost code structure — no uncoded or lumped items
- Price single dwellings, dual occupancies, townhouses, secondary dwellings and dual-key products
- Prepare preliminary/feasibility estimates for sales and land packages at short notice
Documentation Review
- Review drawings, specifications, engineering and permit documents for gaps, clashes and buildability issues before pricing
Trade & Supplier Pricing
- Issue scopes of work and bid packages to trades and suppliers; analyse and normalise quotes like-for-like
- Maintain and update rate libraries, material pricing and labour constants
- Flag scope gaps between trades so nothing falls between packages
Handover & Cost Control
- Present estimates with clear assumptions, exclusions and risk allowances
- Hand over the approved budget to Pre-Construction and Procurement with a documented basis of estimate
- Support variation pricing and post-contract cost queries
- Review actual vs estimated costs on completed jobs and feed learnings back into rates
Systems
- Maintain estimating data in the company platform ) — no offline spreadsheets outside the system
- Keep job records, revisions and version control current and auditable
Requirements
Required Qualifications & Experience
- BSc / BE in Civil Engineering
- 3–4 years' estimating experience in residential construction
- Demonstrated experience working to Australian Standards
- Proven take-off and pricing capability across full trade scope — site works, structure, lock-up, fixing, fit-off, external works
- Prior estimation software experiences including constructors is a plus
Skills & Attributes
- Exceptional attention to detail — catches missing dimensions, scope gaps and drawing inconsistencies before they become variations
- Strong numerical and analytical ability; comfortable interrogating a quote rather than accepting it
- Reads and interprets construction drawings and specifications fluently
- Proficient in estimating software, take-off tools and advanced Excel
- Clear written communication — scopes, assumptions and RFIs that leave no room for interpretation
- Works to deadlines without trading off accuracy
- Takes ownership of an estimate end-to-end; raises issues early rather than going quiet
Success Measures (first 6 months)
- Estimates delivered within agreed turnaround times
- Variance between estimated and actual cost within tolerance
- Reduction in scope-gap variations attributable to estimating
- Rate library and cost codes kept current and accurate