Construction Estimator | Kirkwood Community College

Skills & Competencies

Skills developed through this program

Auto-populatedfrom O*NET via SOC 13-1051.00

Skills

Reading ComprehensionMathematicsSpeakingCritical ThinkingActive ListeningJudgment and Decision MakingWritingComplex Problem Solving

Knowledge

MathematicsEconomics and AccountingComputers and ElectronicsEngineering and TechnologyBuilding and Construction

Abilities

Inductive ReasoningOral ComprehensionOral ExpressionMathematical ReasoningWritten ComprehensionNumber FacilityWritten ExpressionDeductive ReasoningNear VisionInformation Ordering

Tasks

Analyze blueprints and other documentation to prepare time, cost, materials, and labor estimates.
Confer with engineers, architects, owners, contractors, and subcontractors on changes and adjustment
Collect historical cost data to estimate costs for current or future products.
Use remote sensing technologies or drones to evaluate site conditions when in-person visits are not feasible.

Technology

Document management softwareSpreadsheet softwareData base user interface and query softwareComputer aided design CAD softwareAccounting software

Tools

Desktop computersNotebook computersPersonal computersPersonal digital assistants PDAScannersTablet computers

Work Values

RelationshipsIndependenceWorking ConditionsAchievementRecognitionSupport

Career Pathways

Occupations this program prepares you for

Auto-populatedfrom O*NET + BLS

Occupations matched to this program, with median wage, top wage, growth, and openings
SOC	Occupation	Method	Wage	Growth	Openings
Match confidence: medium13-1051.00	Cost Estimators	title_inference	$77,070 median$128,640 top	-4.2%	-930

Program Pathways

Credentials this program stacks toward

No program pathways.

What You'll Learn

Key competencies developed through this program

Auto-populatedfrom NSX Competency Framework

Mastery: developing (Level 2)(based on Certificate)

Complete project blueprints and technical specifications — analyze independently to prepare comprehensive time, cost, materials, and labor estimates for moderately complex projects.
Spreadsheet and analytical estimating software — use proficiently to build structured cost models and perform sensitivity analyses on bid opportunities.
Historical cost records and benchmark data — collect, organize, and apply to calibrate current estimates for products, projects, or services with limited oversight.
Actual versus budgeted costs — track and assess throughout the project lifecycle to evaluate cost effectiveness and flag variances to project management.
Engineers, contractors, and subcontractors — confer routinely to evaluate the cost impact of design changes and scope adjustments on active estimates.
Subcontractor and vendor estimate packages — prepare and issue with clearly defined scope requirements to support competitive selection on mid-scale projects.
Management planning and scheduling reports — produce estimate summaries that translate detailed cost data into actionable information for project organization decisions.
Tendering documentation and bid packages — assemble and submit following established processes with growing confidence across multiple simultaneous pursuits.
Critical thinking and judgment — apply to identify estimating risks, gaps in scope, and cost drivers on familiar project types in a project-based office setting.
Client and cross-departmental personnel — consult proactively to resolve scope ambiguities and validate estimate assumptions before bid submission.

Program Details

Detailed information about this program

No detailed information available.

Requirements

What you need to earn this credential

No requirements listed.

Financial Aid

Eligible funding programs

No funding information available.

Scholarships

No scholarships listed.