Becoming a cost estimator requires a degree in construction, architecture, building science, or engineering, as well as specific training in cost estimating. High school courses in business mathematics, management, and workshop courses are also helpful. Practical experience on a construction site and proficiency with computers are necessary. Certification by the Society for Cost Estimation and Analysis (SCEA) can lead to career advancement.
Whenever construction work is proposed, competing contractors will bid on the work. In order for the contractor to know how much to bid, there must be a cost estimator that accurately estimates the total construction cost. The job entails actually going to the construction site and collecting relevant information with the aim of compiling a final cost estimate. This can be a stressful job; if the cost estimate is not accurate, it could result in a company missing out on a bid or losing money. If you want to become a cost estimator, you will likely need a college degree and specific training in cost estimating.
High school isn’t too early to start your academic preparation to become a cost estimator. For example, high school should involve workshop courses such as plan reader training, mechanical drawing, or drafting. It is also relevant to take courses such as business mathematics and business management, because mathematics and business are an integral part of cost estimating.
If you want to become a cost estimator, chances are your degree is in construction, architecture, building science or engineering. These courses emphasize the types of topics a cost estimator would need to know. You will learn the procedure as well as what things to consider when compiling an estimate. For example, to know how much to estimate the cost of building a building, you will learn about things like the cost of building materials, the cost of installing a building’s electrical work, accessibility to water, surface topography, obtaining plumbing services, drainage, insurance, construction equipment, taxes, overhead, and what it will cost to hire construction workers.
During college, it might be helpful to get a summer job or at the very least observe on a construction site. Having this kind of summer experience will allow you to get a real-world sense of what building construction involves. Thus, when your schooling is completed, you will have not only an academic cost estimation perspective, but also a practical sense of cost estimation based on your own experience. You’ll learn that sometimes things happen, like shipping delays, bad weather, and other occurrences that you can’t control, and you’ll learn how to integrate it into your cost estimate.
Remember also that because estimating costs involves a lot of math, you will need to become proficient with computers if you want to become a cost estimator. For example, if you want to analyze inputs and determine the cost of a building project per unit, you need to use a computer to do the analysis. Additionally, cost estimating will require the use of spreadsheets and other commercial software such as bid information modeling (BIM) software where you would start with designs and later create 3D models to allow for a more accurate estimation of the construction process. . Therefore, it is important that you have excellent computer skills if you want to become a cost estimator.
You will most likely apply for a job during the last semester of your college experience. Your school’s career services department can help you find a job. Granted, you might as well get a job if you contact the construction company where you had your summer job, particularly if that company is hiring basic cost estimators.
In addition, after gaining professional experience, passing an exam, and publishing a paper on cost estimating, you will qualify for certification by the Society for Cost Estimation and Analysis (SCEA). Having certification can help you become a project manager at a construction company, a construction consultant for the government, or even an engineering manager in some cases. Or, you could start your own business as a construction consultant providing cost estimating services.
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