[Hiring] Senior Estimator & Quantity Surveyor @Hunt St

Role Description

The Senior Estimator & Quantity Surveyor will take ownership of construction estimating for high-end residential renovation projects, ensuring accurate pricing, comprehensive quantity take-offs, and effective cost control throughout the project lifecycle.

This role requires substantial experience working with Australian residential builders and a strong understanding of local construction practices, trade scopes, material costs, and subcontractor pricing. The ideal candidate is proactive, commercially minded, and highly organised, with the ability to manage the quoting pipeline, identify potential risks early, and deliver reliable cost estimates with minimal supervision.

The Directors and Project Director remain part of all key decisions, and the Directors review each estimate before it is finalised.

Key Responsibilities

• Construction Estimating
  • Prepare accurate quantity take-offs and trade-by-trade estimates from architectural, interior design, structural, and joinery drawings and specifications.
  • Build an RFQ package for each trade, including scope markups, site photos, and product information.
  • Send RFQs to subcontractors and suppliers, follow them up, compare quotations, and build the estimate from the returned pricing.
  • Price high-end finishes, including custom joinery, natural stone, large-format tiling, wet areas, cladding, and premium fixtures.
  • Identify documentation gaps and inconsistencies, and raise Requests for Information (RFIs) where needed.
  • Identify cost risks, provisional sums, exclusions, and value engineering opportunities before the price goes to the client.
  • Cross-check every estimate through Claude.
  • Revise estimates and markups based on the Directors' on-site review and feedback.
  • Lead an internal pricing meeting with the Directors to review the estimate before they meet the client.
  • Email clients regarding pricing questions when required and review client meeting transcripts afterwards to identify pricing changes.
  • The Estimator is not required to attend client meetings.
• Project Set-Up
  • Build the job in Buildertrend once the contract is signed, including the master budget, cost codes, and purchase orders issued with the relevant subcontractor quote, markup, and take-off.
  • Save markups in one folder per trade so the Director (Project or Construction Manager), Project Director, and relevant trade can access them.
  • Hand over a clear cost breakdown, risk items, and allowance schedules to the Project Director.
• Variations and Cost Control
  • Price variations within 24 hours of the request, subject to trade pricing, following the same process used for quoting: scope, photos, and markups, trade pricing, then the client variation price.
  • Price each variation in Buildertrend Change Orders, including line items against the job's cost codes, trade quote references, margin, GST, and variation fee.
  • Complete the Change Order when the change is complex or the Project Director hands it over, ready for the Director's review before it goes to the client.
  • Re-price items when clients upgrade or downgrade selections.
  • Check actual costs against each variation's cost codes once it is included in the budget.
  • Track costs against the budget and update the forecast to complete every fortnight in coordination with the Project Director and Accounts Manager.
• Pricing Data and Claude
  • Maintain the rate library for materials, labour, and trades, reviewing it at least every six months and after major supplier price changes.
  • Load each final estimate back into Claude to improve early design estimates.
  • Manage the quoting pipeline, including live quotes, deadlines, follow-ups, and next actions.

Key Deliverables

• Accurate quantity take-offs, detailed estimates, and timely quotations.
• Reliable concept-stage cost plans and budget estimates.
• Proactively managed quoting pipeline and supplier follow-ups.
• Accurate cost tracking, variation pricing, and budget reporting.
• Well-maintained pricing records and clear communication of project risks.

Qualifications

• At least five years of estimating and quantity surveying experience working with Australian residential builders, including high-end renovations. This is a non-negotiable requirement.
• Sound knowledge of Perth and Western Australian trade, supplier, and material pricing.
• Experience pricing custom joinery, natural stone, large-format tiling, wet areas, cladding, and premium fixtures.
• Proficiency in digital take-off software such as Cubit, Buildxact, Databuild, Bluebeam, or similar.
• Strong knowledge of the National Construction Code (NCC), Australian Standards, trade scopes, and construction sequencing.
• Advanced Excel skills.
• Clear written and spoken English, with confidence communicating with clients by email, designers, suppliers, and subcontractors.
• Strong organisational skills and a proactive approach to managing competing deadlines.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision while collaborating effectively with a small team.

Highly Regarded

• Experience using Buildertrend, including estimates, purchase orders, and Change Orders.
• Experience using AI tools such as Claude in estimating.
• Experience in variation pricing, job costing, and cost-to-complete forecasting.
• Familiarity with HIA contracts and a design-and-construct environment.
• Experience using Xero.

Work Arrangement & Expectations

This is a remote role that will be set up as an independent contractor engagement. To ensure alignment and transparency, successful candidates will be expected to:

• Disclose any existing ongoing roles or client work.
• Reflect this engagement on their LinkedIn profile (clearly marked as “Independent Contractor”).