I landed an estimating job a few months ago for a mechanical/electrical contractor. No experience whatsoever, but that’s what they were looking for. Am I ever horrible at this job. Definitely better at it than a few months ago. I’ve received hardly any training, and they just give me jobs. I do ask a lot of questions, but it’s pretty stressful to be in charge of landing jobs when you have no clue what you’re doing.
But, it’s a good company. Smaller, family company that is willing to pay for any courses I want to take as long I pass. I could go and get a mechanical engineering degree if I wanted to. So, that’s pretty sweet. Overall it is a decent place to be in my work life and will definitely get better with time.
Anyway, anyone else around here in the estimating business? Any wisdom you could pass on would be great.
Oh yeah, and to all you engineers/technologists or anyone who drafts drawings…you could put a little more information on them you lazy bastards.
I am the Chief Estimator and Project Manager for a design build general contractor and do the take offs for every aspect of the project to include electrical and mechanical.
It is faily easy for me as I worked in the feild before I came into the office so I have a bit more real world insight than most. The more projects youre invloved in the easier, or more maddening it will become. Good luck.
[quote]Dai San wrote:
I am the Chief Estimator and Project Manager for a design build general contractor and do the take offs for every aspect of the project to include electrical and mechanical.
It is faily easy for me as I worked in the feild before I came into the office so I have a bit more real world insight than most. The more projects youre invloved in the easier, or more maddening it will become. Good luck.[/quote]
Having field experience would be nice. I find it hard to visualize how everything will come together. Although, getting a pile of details and P&IDs then trying to make sense of them is becoming easier. Well, for the quantity take off anyway. Labour hours will be a slow process for me for a while I think.
The most frustrating thing is dealing with suppliers. I’m not a fan of having to rely on other people so heavily to get my job done. And, at this point I wouldn’t even pretend I could come up with a good budget number.
I’m a trainee estimator for a masonry subcontractor; I’m on the penultimate year of my Bachelor of Science degree. As for wisdom to pass on - top excuse for people asking where the hell your price is “Yeah, my part is all done but unfortunately I’m still waiting for material prices on that one…”
Oh yeah, and to all you engineers/technologists or anyone who drafts drawings…you could put a little more information on them you lazy bastards. [/quote]
It’s not our fault…blame the architects. Architects drive everything on the design side.