Planning Cost Estimator

Location: Atlanta, GA | Arlington, VA | St. Louis, MO
Employment Type: Contract-to-Hire
Schedule: 20–40 Hours Per Week (Based on Project Demand)
Travel: 10–40% Nationwide

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Planning Cost Estimator for a contract-to-hire opportunity supporting federal, Department of Defense (DoD), and facility planning projects nationwide. Candidates must be located near Atlanta, GA; Arlington, VA; or St. Louis, MO.

This position will serve as a technical subject matter expert, developing conceptual and planning-level cost estimates for new construction, renovations, modernization, facility replacement, and capital investment projects.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience developing AACE Class 4 and Class 5 estimates, utilizing MII and PACES estimating systems, and supporting federal planning and programming requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and document AACE Class 4 and Class 5 conceptual cost estimates using limited project information and preliminary scope definitions.

• Prepare planning-level estimates for new construction, renovation, modernization, adaptive reuse, and facility replacement projects.

• Develop comparative cost estimates for alternative development scenarios, including renovation versus replacement analyses.

• Utilize MII and PACES estimating systems to develop cost estimates consistent with DoD and federal requirements.

• Support MILCON planning, DD Form 1391 documentation, Planning Charrette Reports (PCRs), economic analyses, and capital investment planning.

• Perform benchmarking, parametric analyses, and order-of-magnitude cost evaluations.

• Establish planning-level quantities, unit costs, allowances, contingencies, and escalation factors.

• Document estimating assumptions, methodologies, exclusions, risks, and confidence levels.

• Participate in planning charrettes, client workshops, stakeholder meetings, and facility assessments as the cost estimating subject matter expert.

• Collaborate with architects, engineers, facility planners, economists, military planners, and other project stakeholders.

• Review and refine estimates as project scopes and design information become more defined.

• Support mission beddown, mission relocation, and facility recapitalization studies.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Architecture, Quantity Surveying, Facilities Planning, Economics, Business, or a related field.

• Minimum of 8 years of professional experience in cost estimating, facility planning, engineering, construction management, or related disciplines.

• Demonstrated experience developing conceptual and planning-level facility and infrastructure cost estimates.

• Proven experience preparing AACE Class 4 and Class 5 estimates.

• Proficiency with MII (Micro-Computer Aided Cost Estimating System) and PACES (Parametric Cost Engineering System).

• Experience supporting federal, DoD, institutional, or large public-sector capital projects.

• Knowledge of MILCON estimating, DD Form 1391 documentation, and federal planning/programming requirements.

• Experience estimating renovation, replacement, modernization, recapitalization, and new construction projects.

• Ability to independently develop defensible cost estimates using limited project information.

• Strong analytical, technical documentation, and communication skills.

• Ability to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and communicate cost estimating methodologies to clients and stakeholders.

• U.S. Citizenship required.

• Ability to travel nationwide as project requirements dictate.

Travel Requirements

• Approximately 10–40% nationwide travel, depending on project assignments.

• Travel to military installations, federal facilities, planning workshops, and client locations throughout the United States.

• Typical trips range from 2–5 days, with occasional assignments lasting 1–2 consecutive weeks.

• Must be available to travel on relatively short notice.