Company Description Barnwood Limited is an employee-owned business based in Gloucester, with a history dating back to 1962 and a strong focus on commercial value, sector expertise, and practical solutions. The company maintains a friendly, straightforward, and honest ethos, working collaboratively to deliver sustainable, cost-effective, and pragmatic outcomes. Barnwood operates three divisions: Shopfitting and Interiors, Construction, and General Works, delivering projects across retail, office, leisure, hospitality, commercial, industrial, educational, care, and public sectors. Project values range from small works to multi-million-pound schemes, using both traditional and design-and-build contracting approaches. The business is committed to environmental responsibility and social value, with experience in BREEAM projects and proactive policies that place environmental considerations at the forefront of project planning.
Role Description
The Estimator will prepare accurate, competitive and well qualified tenders that win work for both divisions. You will price a varied pipeline, from larger single and two stage design and build schemes in Construction to smaller works, reactive and framework pricing. Working closely with the Bid Manager, Commercial and Operations teams, you will ensure every submission reflects realistic costs, programme and risk.
Key Responsibilities
- Review tender documents, drawings, specifications and contract conditions to understand scope, risk and client requirements.
- Prepare detailed estimates from first principles, including measurement and take off where bills of quantities are not provided.
- Build up rates for labour, plant, materials and preliminaries, using current market data and historic cost information.
- Price both traditional and design and build tenders, including single and two stage procurement routes.
- Subcontractor and supplier engagement
- Prepare and issue subcontract and supply enquiry packages with clear, complete scopes.
- Analyse and level returned quotations, identifying gaps, exclusions and qualifications.
- Maintain and develop a reliable supply chain database
- Risk, value and commercial input
- Identify risks and opportunities and prepare risk registers and allowances for tender review.
- Propose value engineering and alternative solutions where they offer the client better value.
- Draft tender qualifications, clarifications and assumptions.
- Present estimates at tender settlement meetings with directors, explaining build ups and key risks.
- Produce quick, accurate quotations for minor works, maintenance, reactive and framework call off packages, often to tight deadlines.
- Price against framework schedules of rates where applicable.
- Handover and continuous improvement
- Hand over successful tenders to the delivery and commercial teams, ensuring cost plans and allowances are clearly understood.
- Capture outturn costs and lessons learned to keep the cost database current.
- Attend site visits, client meetings and mid tender interviews as required.
Qualifications & Experience
Essential skills and experience
- At least 5 years' estimating experience with a UK main contractor, ideally at tier 2 level.
- Proven track record pricing projects of £1m to £20m, alongside smaller works and minor packages.
- Strong measurement and take off skills, with the ability to price from first principles.
- Experience of design and build and traditional procurement, including two stage tenders.
- Sound working knowledge of JCT and NEC contract forms.
- Good understanding of construction methods, sequencing, programme and preliminaries.
- Proficiency with estimating and measurement software and strong Excel skills.
- Ability to manage several tenders at once and consistently meet deadlines.
- Full UK driving licence.
Desirable skills and qualifications
- Degree or HNC/HND in Quantity Surveying, Construction Management or a related discipline.
- Experience pricing public sector frameworks (e.g. education, healthcare, local authority).
- Experience of schedule of rates and term maintenance pricing.
- Knowledge of NRM1 and NRM2 measurement rules.
- Familiarity with social value, carbon and sustainability requirements in tenders.
Personal Attributes
- Meticulous attention to detail, with a commercially minded approach to risk.
- Confident communicator, able to explain and defend an estimate to directors and clients.
- Well organised, calm under pressure and comfortable with competing deadlines.
- Collaborative team player who builds good relationships with subcontractors and suppliers.
- Proactive and keen to improve processes, cost data and tender quality.
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Estimator in Gloucester employer: Barnwood Limited
Barnwood is an exceptional employer that fosters a culture of safety, sustainability, and continuous improvement. As an HSQE Advisor, you will have the opportunity to work closely with high-profile clients in the retail construction sector, while benefiting from a supportive environment that prioritises professional development and innovation. With a commitment to mentoring and coaching, Barnwood empowers its employees to excel in their roles and make a meaningful impact on every project.
