Skills
Cost Estimator Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in cost estimators, and how to build and show them.
What skills do cost estimators need?
Cost Estimators need technical skills such as blueprint reading, quantity takeoff, and pricing, plus people skills like attention to detail and analytical thinking. They also use tools such as Bluebeam and PlanSwift.
Technical (hard) skills
- Blueprint reading
- Quantity takeoff
- Pricing
- Estimating software
- Excel
- Construction methods
People (soft) skills
- Attention to detail
- Analytical thinking
- Communication
- Organization
Tools, equipment and technology
- Bluebeam
- PlanSwift
- Excel
- Estimating software
- RSMeans data
- Procore
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how cost estimators put their skills to work:
- How to do a quantity takeoff from plans
- How to level subcontractor bids
- How to add contingency to an estimate
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Blueprint reading” and “Quantity takeoff.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “attention to detail,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as CPE near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our cost estimator glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Cost Estimator training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.