Part-Time Construction Cost Estimator

I need ongoing help preparing precise, defensible construction cost estimates to keep my residential and commercial jobs on budget from concept through tender. Most assignments involve studying drawings, specifications, and supplier quotes, then producing fully itemised take-offs and cost plans that allow me to compare options for both new-builds and renovation work.

You will regularly receive PDF or DWG drawing sets together with any existing BOQs. Your task is to extract quantities, apply up-to-date rates, highlight assumptions, and return clear spreadsheets and short narrative summaries that I can share with clients and lenders. I work mainly in Microsoft Excel, so estimates must be delivered in a clean, formula-driven workbook; if you prefer CostX, Cubit, PlanSwift or Bluebeam Revu for take-offs that is fine as long as the final output lands in Excel.

Typical deliverables
• Measured take-off sheets with linked formulas
• Trade-by-trade cost breakdown and subtotal summary
• List of clarifications, exclusions and provisional sums
• Revision log when drawings change

Acceptance criteria
• Quantities traceable back to drawing references
• Unit rates supported by supplier quotes or recognised databases
• Overall accuracy target ±5 % on final contract value
• Files submitted by the agreed milestone dates

Civil engineering experience is a plus because some sites require basic earthwork or drainage calculations, but your primary focus remains cost estimation. If this sounds like the right fit, let me know your preferred tools and earliest availability so we can schedule the first set of drawings.