WHAT DOES AN ESTIMATING ASSISTANT DO?

Updated: Jun 11, 2025 - The Estimating Assistant supports daily operations, accounting tasks, and third-party administrative duties while maintaining organized filing systems. Assists in cost analysis, procurement, and quotation submissions to ensure accurate project pricing and timely order fulfillment. Coordinates with sales, management, and customers to monitor project progress and facilitate contract reviews.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Estimating Assistant

1. Estimating Assistant Duties

  • Operations Support: Assist the Operation Manager in daily tasks and estimators in daily tasks.
  • Accounting Assistance: Assist the accounting department with A/R.
  • Administrative Management: Assist in keeping third-party administrative tasks complete and up to date.
  • Customer Service: Greet and assist onsite guests.
  • Call Handling: Answer inbound telephone calls.
  • File Organization: Develop and implement organized filing systems.
  • Cost Analysis: Assist with producing detailed cost analysis calculations and costings for labor and parts in line with customer requirements.
  • Pricing Coordination: Liaise with the Sales team to determine optimal selling prices and submit quotations to customers.
  • Procurement Support: Support the procurement of materials and prepare internal documentation to initiate the manufacture of customer orders.
  • Project Monitoring: Monitor the progress of projects by liaising with colleagues and providing status updates to management and the customer at regular intervals.
  • Contract Review: Assist with contract reviews and pre-production meetings.

2. Estimating Assistant Details

  • Call Handling: Answer main phone line calls and route callers to the appropriate party.
  • Customer Service: Greet and assist visitors/customers to the office.
  • Deadline Tracking: Track due dates for RFQs.
  • Quote Preparation: Set up quotes and put together quote packages for companies, utilizing a quote checklist.
  • Quote Logging: Log out the quotes that are closed.
  • Document Drafting: Draft letters, memos, and reports for Administration.
  • Data Management: Maintain databases, spreadsheets, letters/memos, and presentations.
  • Scheduling: Schedule appointments and meetings.
  • Administrative Support: Assist varied administrative tasks.
  • Mail Processing: Receive, sort, and distribute mail.
  • Operational Efficiency: Perform other related duties as assigned for the purpose of ensuring the efficient and effective functioning of the work unit and Harlow Aerostructures LLC.
  • Cost Monitoring: Monitor actual costs against estimated costs.

3. Estimating Assistant Responsibilities

  • Quantity Takeoff: Performs accurate, thorough, and timely quantity takeoffs using company format for all levels of project documents (schematic, design development, and construction documents).
  • Digital Plan Management: Transfers plans from hard copy to software programs.
  • Blueprint Interpretation: Understands blueprints, project scopes, and other job-site-related material.
  • RFI Management: Obtains clarification on plans, RFIs, and specifications from appropriate individuals.
  • Plan Analysis: Analyzes plan documents and prepares detailed take-off analysis.
  • Vendor Relations: Maintains relationships with subcontractors and suppliers to provide adequate resources to prepare competitive pricing proposals & RFPs.
  • Technical Review: Performs technical/plan review.
  • Problem-Solving: Considers and understands problems and identifies appropriate solutions.
  • Software Proficiency: Proficient in computer software programs (PlanSwift) used in preconstruction.
  • Relationship Building: Builds effective relationships with subcontractors, suppliers, and the design team that will reflect and support company core values and meet or exceed the customer’s expectations.
  • Customer Communication: Responds to emails and answers queries from customers.
  • Product Knowledge: Keeps up to date on the products on offer.

4. Estimating Assistant Accountabilities

  • Bid Management: Respond to all incoming invitations to bid (ITBs) as to whether VoidForm Products will be submitting an estimate or not.
  • Email Monitoring: Monitor sales email accounts.
  • Request Handling: Send requests to the sales department.
  • Customer Communication: Relay bid intentions to customers.
  • Software Monitoring: Monitor iSqFt and Insight construction bidding software accounts.
  • Document Management: Download and package the necessary project documents into project folders.
  • Data Entry: Add projects to the Sales Call Tracking (SCT) program and include pertinent bidders to project bid lists.
  • Project Coordination: Relay important information about a project to the pertinent sales team.
  • Estimating Support: Create estimates from takeoff data provided by estimators.
  • Administrative Assistance: Assist the estimating department personnel with miscellaneous tasks.
  • Quotation Handling: Deal with quotations and inquiries via phone and email.
  • Call Handling: Answer phone calls and deal with inbound inquiries.

5. Estimating Assistant Functions

  • Bid Organization: Organize Invitations to Bid from emails and construction reporting services.
  • Document Management: Download the bid documents.
  • Scope Quantification: Read and quantify the specific scope of work from the architectural drawings and project manual.
  • Reporting: Fill in a report with the details, quantities, and specifications.
  • Progress Tracking: Send it to me and document the progress.
  • Cost Estimation: Estimate material, labor, and equipment pricing.
  • Pricing Setup: Set up the Mark, Overhead, and subcontracted items.
  • Proposal Writing: Write up proposals to win the project.
  • Technical Proposal Preparation: Prepare the technical proposal.
  • Follow-Up: Follow up via email/construction reporting services.
Relevant Information
What Does An Estimating Coordinator Do?
What Does An Estimator Do?
What Does An Estimating Manager Do?