Senior Project Cost Estimator 

 

Position Title: Senior Project Cost Estimator 

Location: Los Angeles 

Duties: 

  • Plans, supervises, and participates in the preparation of construction cost estimates of buildings or other structures from drawings, outlines, and specifications 
  • Prepares and reviews cost estimates and forms and other materials submitted to secure State and/or federal grants and loans from school aid programs and represents the District on matters pertinent to securing such funds 
  • Checks construction cost estimates submitted by commissioned architects and engineers for accuracy and completeness and compares them with District estimates 
  • Confers with commissioned architects and engineers to resolve differences in their cost estimates and District estimates for each project and negotiates agreements on preliminary estimates of construction costs 
  • Makes studies and prepares reports when contractors’ bids vary widely from the agreed construction cost estimate 
  • Checks segregations of contract costs as estimated by building contractors and recommends acceptance or rejection as a basis for progress payments 
  • Analyzes change orders on construction work under contract and approves or rejects extras or credits submitted 
  • Prepares or reviews cost estimates for projects 
  • Establishes and maintains procedures for approval of plans and specifications for building projects and submission of approved projects to public bidding 
  • Develops methods for maintaining data used in records, charts, and graphs reflecting estimated construction costs compared with actual costs 
  • Conducts and participates in seminars and workshops with staff and minority contractors relative to school construction bidding procedures, contracts, and cost estimating 
  • Estimates costs of damages to District property caused by fire, natural disaster, and major acts of vandalism 
  • Establishes budgets for school building projects 
  • Assists other branches with related functions 
  • Prepares preliminary and final independent cost estimates of projects for comparison with designer or contractor for PM/CM to establish negotiating position 
  • Prepares change order estimates for Owner Authorized Representatives to establish negotiating position 
  • Provides support in price negotiations 
  • Prepares claim analyses and estimates 
  • Reviews contractor’s claims and proposals for merit and accountability 
  • Performs related duties as assigned 

Experience: 

  • 15 years full-time paid professional experience in the preparation of complete cost estimates for type I, II, or 
  • III, and V building construction as defined by the State building code, including two years in a supervisory capacity. 
  • Knowledge of current local construction labor and material costs 
  • Extensive experience in developing and estimating the scope of work for change orders 
  • Ability to compare the independent cost estimate with contractor proposal to quickly identify differences 
  • Ability to develop scope of work based on RFI/RFC answers and estimates the detailed costs of those scopes of work independent of the contractor proposal 
  • Good oral and written communications skills 

Required Education: 

  • Graduation from a recognized college or university with a bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Engineering or Construction Management.