Estimator recruitment for home builders.
Sales, production and contract estimators for residential home builders, placed permanently and placed to last.
- Permanent roles
- Residential builders
- Australia-wide
What the role involves.
An estimator prices a home before anything is built. In a residential building business that means working from plans, specifications and site information to produce a price the client signs and the company can build to.
Sales estimators work at the front of the process, pricing new homes and variations while a client is still deciding. Production or contract estimators take a signed job and turn it into a detailed estimate and order list the build team relies on. Many builders combine the two, so we always ask how your estimating team is set up before we search.
Get an estimating hire wrong and the cost shows up later, on site, in variations and in margin. Get it right and the whole build runs closer to plan.
Typical titles
- Sales estimator
- Production estimator
- Contract estimator
- Senior estimator
- Estimating manager
Builders we recruit for
- Project home builders
- Custom and luxury builders
- Knockdown rebuild specialists
- Duplex and dual-occupancy builders
- Regional builders
What builders look for.
Residential pricing
Time spent pricing homes, so they know how residential costs move.
Accurate take-offs
Reading working drawings and specifications without missing what the site will need.
The right systems
Comfortable with the estimating and building software residential builders use, or quick to learn it.
Clear communication
Explaining a price to sales, clients and site staff, and handling variations calmly.
Signs it is time to hire.
Quotes are taking too long
Sales are waiting days for prices and clients are going elsewhere.
Margin leaks after contract
Jobs look fine on paper, then missed items show up on site as cost.
One person holds all the knowledge
If your estimator is away, nothing gets priced.
What we ask before a name reaches you.
- 01
The homes they have priced
Project homes, custom builds, knockdown rebuilds or multi-unit, and at what volume.
- 02
The systems they know
Which estimating and building software they have used day to day, and how deeply.
- 03
How they handle a miss
What they did the last time an estimate was wrong, and what changed afterwards.
- 04
Sales or production
Whether they are strongest pricing for sale, pricing for build, or both.
Where the role leads.
A common path in residential building. Every builder names the steps a little differently.
- 01Cadet or junior estimator
- 02Estimator
- 03Senior estimator
- 04Estimating manager
Common questions.
Anything else, call 0413 145 723 or email dejans@sprucetalent.com.au.
Do you recruit sales and production estimators?
Yes. We recruit both, and roles that combine the two.
What is the difference between a sales estimator and a production estimator?
A sales estimator prices homes and changes before contract so a client can sign. A production estimator turns a signed job into the detailed estimate and orders the build runs on. Smaller builders often combine the two.
Do estimators need a trade background?
Not always. Some come from a trade or site role, others from a building degree or a cadetship. Builders mostly care about residential pricing experience and accuracy.
Which areas do you cover?
Every state and territory in Australia.
Are these permanent roles?
Yes. Spruce Talent recruits permanent roles only.
Will my current employer find out?
No. We do not send your details to any builder until you have agreed to that role.
Start with a conversation.
Hiring or looking? Tell us and we will call you back.
