Electrical Estimator Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Are you searching for an electrical estimator job description? Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of an electrical estimator. Feel free to use our electrical estimator job description template to produce your own electrical estimator job description. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as an electrical estimator.
Who is an Electrical Estimator?
A person who is in charge of assessing and calculating the costs of electrical projects and creating bids is known as an electrical estimator. For electrical contracting projects in the commercial, residential, and industrial sectors, he or she is in charge of estimating costs and possible profitability.
In other words, one who has the professional responsibility of determining the cost or price of electrical installations for a variety of commercial or residential projects is known as an electrical estimator. The person who designs and calculates the project cost of the power a building needs.
Before beginning work in this job, an electrical estimator may work as an electrician to assist them to become more familiar with electrical codes and procedures. Larger electrical contracting organizations frequently employ electrical estimators to assist them to make sure their projects are profitable and efficient and that their project bids are competitive.
He or she performs the role of a professional and specialized cost estimator who calculates the costs of various electrical projects. These estimates are frequently used as bids for work and, depending on the nature of the project, can be used as leverage against other bids.
An electrical estimator’s tasks also include estimating all potential expenses associated with an electrical project, including personnel, materials, location, the length of the project, and any unique requirements that may arise. The estimate also takes into account other elements like overhead, insurance, taxes, subcontractors, and even the effects of the environment or time of year on the project.
The electrical estimator’s forecasts assist his or her company or clients in determining how much profit a task or project may generate.
Reviewing building blueprints, evaluating contractor and labor requirements, estimating material prices, preparing and submitting bids, and maintaining cost databases are further responsibilities listed in the job description for an electrical estimator.
Additionally, to perform successfully and efficiently, applicants or employees interested in working as electrical estimators must exhibit several potencies.
Being an electrical estimator demands a thorough training program, extensive electrical system knowledge, and superior math and computer abilities.
An electrical estimator must possess a Bachelor’s degree in construction science, architecture, engineering, or a closely related profession to be employed. Many jobs also want many years of experience working as a qualified or licensed electrician. Internship programs are another way to get experience.
Construction, electrical contracting, or project management firms frequently use electrical estimators to determine the price of electrical installations. They develop project bids, offer ways to boost profitability, and examine designs to estimate the electrical requirements of different projects.
The electrical estimator is a highly technical job path. In this line of work, you contribute to the cost estimation of electrical installations for building projects. To create your bids and estimates, you consider the tools and supplies the employees will require for the task as well as the labor expenses. Either the residential or commercial sectors are open to electrical estimators. You must have a solid understanding of an electrician’s work to do your job. With this information, you can determine what the electricians will require before they begin working.
Electrical Estimator Job Description
What is an electrical estimator job description? an electrical estimator job description is simply a list of duties and responsibilities of an electrical estimator in an organization. Below are the electrical estimator job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write an electrical estimator job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
Electrical estimators carry out a variety of tasks to provide an accurate cost estimate for electrical projects.
The following list of common activities, obligations, and responsibilities summarizes the work description for most electrical estimators:
- Identify and construct cost estimates through an examination of the resources and labor required to execute certain projects
- Examine and describe the expense of lost resources and potential delays in a project, making suggestions or developing solutions to address these problems
- Develop precise or correct impressions, recognize and understand the risks associated with the projects, develop production plans, and so on.
- Efficient developing work and standards, designs for clients or consumers, and distribution mechanisms.
- Review residential, industrial, and commercial construction designs to ascertain a project’s electrical requirements including cooperating and communicating effectively with clients, proposing suitable sites, wire widths, transformer sizes, and other factors.
- Examine supplier pricing to ascertain the cost of each component individually and haggle with suppliers to secure the best deals.
- Save time on future estimates, maintain cost databases, and include typical expenditures.
- Figure out the project’s electrical requirements.
- Create the specified electrical system’s outline and designs.
- Place the workstation, utilities, and other fixtures by the guidelines.
- Analyze the plans and understand them.
- Examine the design to gauge the electrical wire’s length.
- Determine the budget and time restrictions.
- Understand the price of each component’s supply.
- Calculate the amount of labor needed to complete the job.
- Collaborate with other team members and contractors.
- Maintain a record of electrical costs.
- Perform calculations for various ways to profitability.
- Negotiate with merchants and suppliers.
- keep up good contacts with the suppliers.
- Determine the project’s risk exposure.
- Describe the expense of wasted resources
- Obey all electrical laws and guidelines.
Qualifications
- Completion of organizing training program at the postsecondary level.
- It is advantageous to have a bachelor’s degree in construction science, engineering, construction management, or a similar profession.
- It is helpful to be certified by either the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering (AACE) International or the American Society of Professional Estimators (ASPE).
- A current electrical license
- A capacity for blueprint interpretation.
- Strong problem-solving and analytical abilities.
- Outstanding organizing abilities.
- Strong communication abilities.
- Excellent interpersonal skills.
- Detail-oriented.
Essential Skills
- Capacity for project management: You’ll frequently discover that managing several moving pieces, such as subcontractors and other project stakeholders, is necessary while creating an estimate. You’ll be awaiting subcontractor bids, responding to inquiries from inside your organization, and monitoring the client’s reaction to any information requests you’ve issued.
- Strong communication abilities in both writing and spoken: Documentation for tenders must be written simply and properly. This implies that you should write clearly and accurately, using proper language and spelling. Due to the complexity of estimating, spoken communication skills are also crucial because electrical estimators frequently attend meetings about projects or tenders. Being articulate will prevent any misunderstandings on either side.
- The capacity for focus and attention to detail: As an electrical estimator, you must pay strict attention to detail since failing to do so might result in costly errors, particularly if they include under-quoting a project. Large projects require you to be able to concentrate for extended periods since they require more drawings and more time spent creating estimates. The ability to estimate accurately is another essential skill, and paying close attention to every aspect of your work can increase your productivity.
- IT capability: Along with the standard selection of office software, estimators typically employ estimating software programs. IT proficiency should be a requirement for recruits.
- A solid grasp of the fundamentals of the electrical profession: Most estimators we speak with in the UK began their careers “on the tools” and over time, they gained comprehensive industry expertise. This is crucial for comprehending projects and the circumstances behind the creation of estimates.
The US estimators we spoke with may have started as electricians or they may have completed an apprenticeship or specialized training program in electrical estimation. It’s still crucial to have a basic idea of what the work entails. For instance, labor expenses may vary depending on the circumstances when laying the same length of cable.
How to Become an Electrical Estimator.
- First train as an electrician: As a result, the majority of electrical estimators have at least five years of experience working for a reputable general contractor as either an electrician, an estimator, or an electrical engineer. Having a fundamental background in the electrical industry provides you with that crucial framework. When estimating, you’ll probably have a collection of drawings, and it might help to understand them if you know how they convert into actual labor in the field. By doing so, you’ll be more likely to notice abnormalities and recognize when you need to look up more information.
There is more to electrical estimating than “counting.” You must be able to make estimates for every aspect of a project, including labor costs, equipment prices, and specialty goods. The majority of individuals who begin as electricians receive training as estimators inside their (or another) electrical firm. Working with a more senior individual who has had the estimating position for some time is typically required for this. In some bigger businesses, a team of estimators, including junior and senior estimators, are engaged.
- Enroll in a formal electrical estimating course: One thing that varies depending on where in the globe you are is formal education. For instance, apprenticeships are frequently accessible in the United States. Additionally, the US offers more official train programs for estimators than the UK does.
It’s important to note that there is no official education need for electrical estimators in the UK; instead, it mostly depends on the firm and its internal standards. Others just lack the means to give in-depth training, while some choose to hire people they can teach from the beginning.
- Develop your estimation qualities and abilities: In addition to formal training or electrical experience, good estimators typically have a few crucial characteristics. These talents are a combination of “hard” and “soft.” Definitions of these are provided below:
- Hard skills are talents that can be learned and measured, such as your aptitude for math, utilizing software, or operating machinery.
- Soft talents are character attributes that are harder to quantify yet are essential for success in the workplace. For instance, collaboration, interpersonal skills, and the capacity to get along with people
- Network and establish connections: Instead of just locking yourself away to conduct the actual estimating, it’s crucial to start understanding that this will be a key ability for the electrical estimating business because it is one founded on connections and networks.
Being linked to the appropriate individuals can help you receive an early heads-up when vacancies for junior estimating jobs or positions that are available for training become available.
By actively expanding your network and getting to know individuals in the business, you may facilitate your route to a position as an electrical estimator. Ask other estimators how they gained their employment, and mention that you’re interested in a career in estimation. People are frequently eager to provide a hand in some capacity when they are aware of what you hope to accomplish.
You may join LinkedIn or Facebook groups for electrical estimators as well as local professional organizations in your neighborhood. Expanding your networks never hurts, and you never know who might be able to put you in touch with the appropriate individuals.
Any network has to keep in mind that reciprocity is a key component. Consider both what you can give and what you can get from the situation.
- Aspire for professional growth and learning: Once you’ve accepted a position as an electrical estimator, you should and may continue your training and professional growth. Although formal education isn’t often required for the estimating position, it can benefit you if you want to advance to a better pay grade in some organizations or gain reorganization
Any electrical estimator with three or more years of expertise should also consider their participation in professional associations. The Association of Cost Engineers is a group in the UK that comprises estimators from all areas of the construction sector as well as positions like risk managers and contract engineers.
Membership in a professional organization is advantageous since it quickly denotes a specific degree of expertise and necessary knowledge. They frequently provide you the chance to expand your network and give you access to tools that might help you learn more.
Additionally, some estimators choose to pursue post-graduate level coursework. For instance, they could finish a Master’s degree in a subject like Quantity Surveying, Construction Management, or Project and Cost Management.
Where to Work as an Electrical Estimator
- Commercial sectors
- Residential sectors
- Industrial sectors
Electrical Estimator Salary Scale
In the USA, the typical electrical estimator earns $90,000 a year, or $46.15 an hour. Most experienced professionals earn up to $125,000 per year, with entry-level roles starting at $75,000 annually.
In the United Kingdom, an electrical estimator makes an average pay of £45,000 per year or £23.08 per hour. Most experienced professionals earn up to £56,683 per year, while entry-level roles start at £37,500.