Estimator COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION

San Diego, CA Until 9/21/2026 2+ years exp First posted July 23, 2026 Last posted July 23, 2026
Job description

a growing general contractor focused on multifamily housing projects across California, is seeking a Preconstruction / Estimator to join their team in San Diego, CA. This role will support early project planning, subcontractor pricing, bid leveling, and budget development, with a clear path toward a Preconstruction Manager role.

What You'll Do as the Preconstruction / Estimator:

  • Lead bid outreach by sharing plans, specs, and scope documents with subcontractors
  • Gather, organize, and compare subcontractor pricing across key trades
  • Identify scope gaps, exclusions, and inconsistencies before bids are finalized
  • Build and maintain bid leveling sheets, cost comparisons, and pricing summaries
  • Support pricing through DD, CD, GMP, and other preconstruction milestones
  • Partner with project managers, leadership, and operations teams during early project planning
  • Prepare clean handoffs so awarded projects move smoothly into construction

Must-Haves as the Preconstruction / Estimator:

  • 2-5+ years of estimating, preconstruction, or related construction experience
  • Experience reading drawings, specs, and trade scopes
  • Strong Excel skills and comfort organizing detailed pricing data
  • Ability to compare subcontractor bids and spot missing or unclear scope
  • Highly organized, detail-oriented, and deadline-conscious
  • Strong communication skills with subcontractors and internal teams

Nice-to-Haves as the Preconstruction / Estimator:

  • Multifamily construction experience
  • Commercial GC experience
  • Experience supporting DD, CD, and GMP pricing rounds
  • Familiarity with construction management or estimating software
  • Interest in growing into a Preconstruction Manager role

Our Client Offers:

  • Base compensation targeting approximately $110K-$130K, plus bonus, depending on experience
  • A strong project pipeline across California
  • High visibility with leadership and project teams
  • Clear growth path into preconstruction leadership
  • Collaborative, team-oriented environment
  • Opportunity to make a direct impact on project setup and delivery

Trueline and its clients are unabashed equal-opportunity employers committed to a diverse workforce. We welcome smart and ambitious applicants and recruit, refer, hire, place, and promote without regard to race, color, gender, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, disability, age, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law.

About this role

Summary

Support project planning, subcontractor bids, pricing, and budget development in construction.

Job title

Estimator COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION

Experience level

2-5+ years

Minimum experience

2+ years exp

Industry

construction

Location requirements

San Diego, CA; on-site role, no remote work

Salary

$110k–$130k

Management role

No

Skills & keywords

Required skills

estimatingreading drawingsExceltrade scopescommunication

Preferred skills

multifamily constructioncommercial GCsoftware familiaritygrowth into management

Specializations

estimatingpreconstructioncommercialmultifamily
Locations

Structured locations inferred from the posting.

San Diego, CA, USA

On-site City