Cost Estimator Cover Letter Example

I've built cost estimates and bid packages for a commercial general contractor in Milwaukee for six years, producing 25 to 30 competitive bids a year on projects ranging from $2 million to $40 million. I'm applying for your Cost Estimator opening because the posting's focus on quantity takeoffs and subcontractor bid leveling is exactly where I spend most of my time.

My bids have won 32% of pursuits over the past two years, above the department's 24% historical average, and I've held estimate-to-final-cost variance under 3% on awarded projects by building contingency around trade-specific risk instead of a flat percentage. Last year I rebuilt our historical cost database, cutting the time to produce a preliminary budget from three days to one.

I run takeoffs in Bluebeam and PlanSwift, level subcontractor bids against scope gaps before they become change orders, and build my own unit-cost library instead of relying only on a published cost guide. I also sit in on the handoff meeting with the project manager so nothing in the estimate gets lost in translation once the job starts.

I'd welcome the chance to bring that same win rate and accuracy to [Construction company name]. I'm available for an interview and glad to walk through how I built the estimate on any recent award.