Estimating interview prep.

Behavioural questions to expect

1. Walk me through your background and the kinds of bids and GMPs you've built.
2. Tell me about a bid or GMP you owned end-to-end - go / no-go through award.
3. Why estimating - and why precon vs project management or the field?
4. Why this building type or market - office / healthcare / data centre / TI / education?
5. Why the firm?
6. What's your read on our project portfolio and recent bids / wins?
7. Tell me what you understand about how we run precon - target value, conceptual estimating, sub partnerships, cost data.
8. Walk me through how you'd build a hard-bid lump-sum estimate from receipt of docs to submission.

Technical concepts to master

• Takeoff + unit cost discipline

  Quantity takeoff by CSI MasterFormat division · Unit cost build-up (labour + material + equipment + subcontract) · Historical cost database + benchmarking · RSMeans + published unit cost references · Conceptual + parametric estimating

• Subcontractor bid management + scope levelling

  Sub solicitation + coverage tracking · Scope sheets + scope of work documents · Scope levelling + bid normalisation · Exclusions, clarifications, allowances · MWBE / DBE + diversity goals

• GMP development + contingency discipline

  GMP build-up - cost of work + general conditions + general requirements + fee + bond + insurance · Contingency layers - CM contingency + owner contingency + design contingency + escalation contingency · Target Value Design (TVD) + LEAN precon · Open-book reconciliation + shared savings · Buyout target + buyout savings

• Value engineering + cost-led design

  VE log structure - first-cost delta, schedule impact, lifecycle, quality + brand impact · System-level alternatives vs line-item cuts · Choosing By Advantages (CBA) · Lifecycle cost analysis (LCCA) · Value engineering vs value management

Practical drills

• You're estimating a Class 1 bid on a $35M warehouse + office addition. The slab-on-grade is 6 inches thick over 95,000 SF. Spec calls for 4,000 psi concrete with #4 rebar at 18 inches on centre each way, 6 mil vapour barrier, fine broom finish. You have a sub bid at $7.85/SF placed + finished (concrete + rebar + VB + finish + saw cuts) and your historical database shows $7.10/SF average from three similar warehouse jobs in the last 18 months adjusted for ENR. Walk through your takeoff + pricing decision.
• Bid day, 60 minutes to submission. You're closing the electrical package on a $60M hospital expansion. Three bids: Sub A $8.4M includes everything in scope sheet + Division 26 + 27 IT cabling + 28 fire alarm. Sub B $7.9M excludes 27 IT cabling + 28 fire alarm + temporary power. Sub C $8.2M includes Division 26 only + clarifies switchgear delivery is 32 weeks ARO (3 weeks past your schedule). Walk through how you level + which number you carry.
• You've reached 60% CD on a $48M office tower GMP CM-at-risk. The current estimate is $52M against a $48M target - $4M (8.3%) over budget. The owner needs the project to hit $48M or the deal doesn't pencil. Structural steel system change, MEP system swap, envelope alternative, and finishes are all on the table. Walk through your VE plan.

Smart-question anchors

• Project mix + bid size band + recent signature wins
• Precon engagement timing - hard-bid vs GMP CM-at-risk vs design-build mix
• Target value design + LEAN precon posture + conceptual estimating cadence
• Historical cost database + tooling (Sage / WinEst / Assemble / DESTINI / 5D BIM)
• Self-perform vs sub-bid coverage by trade + key trade partner relationships

Sourced from

AACE International Recommended Practice 17R-97 - Cost Estimate Classification System · ENR Construction Cost Index + Building Cost Index + Top Contractors · AIA Contract Documents (A101 / A102 / A133 / A201 / G702-G707) + ConsensusDocs · Lean Construction Institute + Target Value Design materials · RSMeans / Gordian Building Construction Cost Data + Square Foot Costs · CSI MasterFormat 2020 (50-division system)