Senior Estimator

Job Title: Senior Estimator

Company: Samara (samara.com)

Location: Redwood City, CA (Tue–Thur, Hybrid)

Job Type: Full-Time, M–F

Reports to: Estimating Manager

Compensation: $125,000 – $145,000 base + performance bonus + equity

About Samara

Samara is on a mission to create new ways of living that help people dream bigger. As we continue to grow, we’re seeking a talented and driven Senior Estimator to join our team. This role will play a critical part in scaling our estimating function as we expand our prefab housing solutions across California.

Position Overview

The Senior Estimator is a cross-functional role that supports the full lifecycle of Samara’s design-build construction projects. You will work closely with our Product Development, Project Management, Sales, and Site Installation teams to deliver takeoffs, bills of material, labor estimates, and total project costs at key milestones — from early-stage product design through GMP development and change order pricing.

While our offshore Remote Estimators own the day-to-day for customer-facing site proposals, the Senior Estimator will be the in-house resource supporting our product development, self-perform, and internal development pipeline: building GMPs for Samara-owned projects, pricing self-perform installation scopes, assisting in concept and schematic level product estimates, and feeding cost insight back into product development at key design gates. You will serve as a senior technical resource to the Remote Estimating team as needed.

If you’re excited about building scalable systems, rigorous cost estimation, and making a lasting impact in the construction industry at a fast-paced scaling start-up, we’d love to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop GMP estimates for Samara’s internal development projects, from conceptual through design development.
• Provide cost feedback to the Product Development team at key design gates — early enough that changes are still cheap.
• Estimate self-perform installation scopes such as foundations, module structural connections, MEP tie-ins, drywall, roofing, exterior siding, and site finishes.
• Run quantity takeoffs from drawings, specs, and 3D models. Develop bills of material at key product milestones.
• Estimate labor hours for internal field crews and pressure-test assumptions against actual production data.
• Price change orders for the internal install team — accurate, timely, and well-documented.
• Provide technical guidance and pricing support to the offshore Remote Estimating team on customer-facing site quotes when needed.
• Maintain unit cost libraries using industry cost databases and Samara historical data.
• Assist in RFP development and bid leveling for Subcontractor and vendor proposals for outsourced scope.
• Surface cost risk, scope ambiguity, and schedule pressure points early — and document the assumptions behind every estimate.
• Partner with the Estimating Manager to refine templates, workflows, and SOPs as the function matures.

Qualifications

Required

• ~5 years of estimating experience in construction, across both subcontracted and self-perform scopes.
• General contractor background, ideally on residential single-family or small multifamily projects.
• Estimating knowledge of light-gauge steel framing.
• Proficiency with construction takeoff and estimating workflows. Experience with Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) and ProEst preferred.
• Strong Excel proficiency — you can build a model someone else can read.
• High attention to detail and diligent organizational habits.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills — you’ll be in the loop with sales, design, engineering, and the field, often in parallel with each other.
• Collaborative and social. Comfortable in a fast-moving startup where process is something you’ll help build, not just follow.

Preferred

• Experience estimating in modular or prefabricated construction.
• Background in design-build project delivery.
• Familiarity with GMP development and pre-construction processes.
• ASPE certification (CPE or CEP).
• Experience integrating cost data with ERP, MRP, or BOM systems.

What We Offer

• Salary range of $125–145K and performance-based bonuses.
• Hybrid work schedule with 3 days each week in our Redwood City office (Tue–Thur).
• Early stage employee equity.
• Exceptional health, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) eligibility after 6 months.
• Flexible PTO policy.

How to Apply

If you’re excited about the opportunity to shape Samara’s estimating function and play a key role in delivering our prefab homes, we encourage you to apply. Please submit your resume and a cover letter to this post.

https://ats.rippling.com/samara-living-inc/jobs/928df14d-db89-4894-bb2b-54313200caf6?st=aebe570c-485f-4247-beb7-c766242147f2

Join us in building something extraordinary.