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Location: Riverside, CA (Southern California region) | Schedule: Full-time, on-site with regional travel for pre-bid meetings and site visits | Compensation: $150,000–$200,000+ base, depending on experience

Overview

A self-performing heavy civil construction contractor serving Southern California is seeking a Senior Estimator – Heavy Civil to lead the development of accurate, competitive estimates for complex infrastructure projects. This hands-on role is critical to the company's ability to win and successfully deliver work across underground utilities, earthwork, grading, asphalt paving, structural concrete, railroad, and public works construction, and involves close collaboration with operations and executive leadership to evaluate opportunities, shape bid strategy, and transition awarded projects into execution.

What you'll do

• Lead preparation of detailed estimates and competitive bids for heavy civil infrastructure projects
• Review plans, specifications, geotechnical reports, contracts, addenda, and other bid documents to determine complete project scope
• Perform and review detailed quantity takeoffs for self-performed and subcontracted scopes
• Develop accurate labor, equipment, material, subcontractor, and indirect costs
• Build detailed crew-based production estimates based on construction means and methods
• Develop and validate production rates, crew compositions, equipment requirements, and unit costs
• Lead estimating efforts for self-performed work including underground utilities, water/sewer/storm drain, earthwork and mass grading, excavation, asphalt paving, structural concrete, railroad infrastructure, and public works
• Solicit, review, level, and negotiate subcontractor and supplier proposals
• Identify scope gaps and ensure complete bid coverage
• Develop bid strategies with operations and executive leadership
• Analyze project risks, opportunities, site constraints, logistics, and constructability
• Evaluate alternative construction methods and value engineering opportunities to improve bid competitiveness
• Attend pre-bid meetings and conduct project site visits
• Coordinate with Project Managers and Superintendents to validate construction approach, production assumptions, equipment needs, and schedules
• Develop preliminary construction schedules and sequencing to support estimates
• Participate in estimate reviews and final bid-day pricing decisions
• Prepare bid proposals, qualifications, clarifications, and supporting documentation
• Support owner negotiations and post-bid interviews when required
• Lead project handoff meetings following successful awards to ensure estimating assumptions are effectively communicated to operations
• Maintain and analyze historical cost and production data to continuously improve estimating accuracy
• Monitor labor, equipment, fuel, concrete, asphalt, aggregate, pipe, and other material pricing
• Mentor and develop junior estimators and estimating staff
• Build and maintain relationships with subcontractors, suppliers, owners, engineers, and industry partners

Required qualifications

• 10+ years of heavy civil construction estimating experience
• Strong background estimating for a self-performing heavy civil contractor
• Demonstrated estimating experience across multiple scopes including utilities, earthwork, grading, asphalt, and concrete
• Strong knowledge of the Southern California heavy civil construction market
• Experience bidding public works, municipal, transportation, railroad, or utility-owner projects
• Advanced understanding of heavy civil construction means and methods
• Strong knowledge of labor and equipment production rates
• Ability to read and interpret complex civil plans, specifications, geotechnical reports, and contract documents
• Experience developing complete estimates from initial quantity takeoff through final bid submission
• Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and negotiation skills
• Ability to manage multiple estimates and meet critical bid deadlines
• Strong experience with quantity takeoffs, conceptual and detailed estimating, crew-based estimating, production rate development, labor and equipment pricing, material pricing, subcontractor bid leveling, bid solicitation, cost analysis, means and methods, constructability reviews, value engineering, risk analysis, bid strategy, preliminary scheduling, cost history and production tracking, public works bidding, and project handoffs

Preferred qualifications

• Estimating experience across multiple heavy civil disciplines, including underground wet utilities, water and sewer pipelines, storm drain, earthwork, mass excavation, mass grading, asphalt paving, structural concrete, bridges and structures, railroad construction, Caltrans, public works, utility infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, and municipal and agency projects
• Experience with industry estimating and construction software, including HCSS HeavyBid, InEight / Hard Dollar, Bluebeam Revu, Primavera P6, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office Suite, digital takeoff software, and construction scheduling and project management platforms
• Caltrans estimating and bidding experience
• Railroad construction experience with BNSF, Union Pacific, Metrolink, or similar rail owners
• Extensive California public works bidding experience
• Experience estimating large self-performed heavy civil projects
• Strong relationships with Southern California subcontractors and suppliers
• Experience with Design-Build, CM/GC, or other alternative delivery methods
• Experience mentoring and developing junior estimating professionals

Compensation and benefits

• Base salary: $150,000–$200,000+, depending on experience
• Profit sharing / performance incentives
• Company vehicle or vehicle allowance
• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement benefits
• Paid Time Off
• Additional company benefits
• Long-term advancement opportunities within estimating and preconstruction leadership

Why this role

This is an opportunity to take a senior role in pursuing and winning complex heavy civil work throughout Southern California, with direct involvement in bid strategy, estimating, preconstruction, means and methods, risk analysis, and project selection alongside experienced operations and executive leadership.