Part Time estimators ?

[Aj3580]

Hey guys we are growing our business and I am finding that being out in the field and trying to get estimates out I am not getting some of the estimates that I want out . Has anyone ever hired a part time estimator or per job type setup curious as to how others have handled this growing pain.

 

[CM1995]

What kind of work do you do? Grading, utilities, site work, heavy civil, etc.

There are takeoff services for earthwork quantities and pipe where you send them the plans and they calculate the quantities for you to price.

Personally I want to price every job I bid as I have super's in the field to handle the work and they are more than capable of it. We're a small company with 2 crews so I have the luxury of personally putting the bids together. Just my opinion but my time is better served running the business including estimating and let our guys in the field build the jobs.

 

[Aj3580]

Hey Cm we do mainly sitework for residential some commercial we are in process of becoming a wbe so i want to take on more prevailing wage sitework . I have seen those guys advertise dont know if i really trust that ,but i really I was thinking hopefully I could find an estimator that has either retired and wants to do it on a part time /per estimate basis idk I want to grow but I have been out in the field running jobs its tough to find time to grow when i'm stuck holding hands.

 

[CM1995]

Interesting we are in the same process as far as becoming a WBE, not for prevailing wage work as we are a non-union state but for DOT and public set aside contact %.

Totally understand the having to spit between bidding, office and field supervision positions. I perform all 3 duties for our small company of 2 crews. What I am looking at is take-off software to help with the cut/fill calculations or find a estimating service that's reliable and exact. Haven't pulled the trigger on either one, still doing it the old fashioned way.

Good luck on finding someone good part time. I'd love to find that person for estimating I could trust.

 

[Aj3580]

Cm we call state work or set aside work prevailing wage work just because the rate is the rate idk so basically we are doing the same thing. My biggest thing is finding good help for running the jobs hence why I'm out in the field but I have some good prospects with an ad on indeed I posted so I might be out of the field some of the time and grow this trainwreck of a business I have. So I might have time to do estimates if I find someone reliable . I use roctek win ex grade for takeoffs they are great people over there and it's fair priced for a smaller company maybe 6kish $500 yr for maintenance. Win ex grade you can do trench takeoffs it's pretty good check it out.