Construction Estimator

Why Chinburg?

Founded by Eric Chinburg in 1987, Chinburg is a dynamic and growing company based in the Seacoast region of New Hampshire with projects and properties in NH, ME, and VT. Over four decades, the company has evolved from a small business into one of the most trusted names in quality development, building, renovation, construction management, and property management. Chinburg’s success is rooted in building strong relationships with customers, employees, and business partners alike.

Chinburg is known for its innovative development philosophy and commitment to incorporating best practices, including a strong focus on green building principles. Our expanding team includes professionals from diverse educational backgrounds. In recent years, we have welcomed top talent from respected institutions such as Northeastern University, Wentworth Institute of Technology, the University of New Hampshire, and MIT. On our team, we have experienced professionals from various industries and trade certifications.

We have a strong focus on professional development.

At our core, Chinburg remains a family‑founded business, and we continue to embrace new employees as part of our extended family. We value individuals who bring warmth and confidence, along with grit and determination, to our team.

The Construction Estimator is a key member of the Commercial Construction team and is responsible for delivering accurate, well‑documented cost projections throughout the preconstruction process. This role performs detailed quantity take‑offs, applies accurate unit pricing, develops scopes of work, solicits and analyzes subcontractor bids, prepares comprehensive budget estimates, and provides value engineering input. The Estimator also manages bid records and supports the prequalification and expansion of Chinburg’s trade partner network.

Success in this role requires a high degree of accuracy, strong organizational and analytical skills, and the ability to synthesize technical information into clear, defensible cost data.

• Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of construction scopes of work by thoroughly reviewing plans and specifications, including civil, architectural, structural, MEP, and fire protection disciplines.
• Produce written plan reviews, design commentary, and constructability feedback during preconstruction.
• Utilize industry‑standard software (e.g., Bluebeam) to perform detailed plan take‑offs and extract key data such as areas, dimensions, quantities, and material lists for estimating and historical reference.

• Maintain and enhance the Commercial Construction Actual Cost Database by exporting, organizing, and escalating historical cost data from Chinburg’s project management software.
• Track regional labor rate fluctuations and material cost trends to ensure accurate escalation of historical actual costs.
• Continuously improve estimating templates, tools, and workflows to increase efficiency and reduce the risk of manual error.

• Prepare high‑level conceptual budgets using limited design information, leveraging comparable project data and cost‑per‑square‑foot metrics.
• Develop detailed, line‑item budget estimates based on schematic and design development plan sets by applying unit costs to quantity take‑offs.
• Substantiate critical cost items with preliminary subcontractor pricing when appropriate.

• Participate in scope development meetings and site walks to define, document, and clarify bid requirements.
• Produce clear, organized bid documents, including scope‑specific plan markups and bid forms.
• Collaborate with the Preconstruction Project Manager (Precon PM) to distribute bid invitations and manage bidder communications.
• Assist with the RFI (Request for Information) process by documenting design team clarifications and distributing them to bidding subcontractors.
• Maintain an up‑to‑date commercial subcontractor database and actively recruit, vet, and prequalify new trade partners to ensure competitive bid coverage.

• Prepare detailed bid…