Hire a Construction Estimator. They start tomorrow.
Pre-vetted Filipino estimators with 5 to 10 years working on Australian residential, commercial and civil projects. CavSoft, Buildsoft, BlueBeam, AutoCAD. Pick someone, send them a tender, see their takeoff in 48 hours.
Tender takeoff in progress
48hrsSix CavSoft and Buildsoft estimators ready tomorrow
Real, pre-vetted Filipino estimators. Pick a profile, send the tender, see the takeoff back inside 48 hours.
Just need one tender done? Try us on it.
Most builders start with a single tender booking. Three days, $360, fixed. We match you with an estimator who knows your project type. Takeoff back inside 48 hours. If they're a fit, move into a weekly schedule. If not, no obligation, no follow-up sales calls.
Software your estimator already works in
We only show estimators with verified hands-on hours. Filter by software when you browse.
Your estimator handles all of this
Four buckets, one estimator. Most builders give them everything below.
Quantity takeoffs
- Residential takeoffs
- Commercial takeoffs
- Civil & infrastructure
- Multi-residential & townhouses
- Refurbishments & fit-outs
- Extensions & additions
- Concrete, steel, timber
- Wet trades & finishes
Tender preparation
- BOQ preparation
- Subcontractor RFQ packages
- Materials pricing & comparisons
- Labour rate calculations
- Tender submission documents
- Clarifications register
- Pricing schedules
- Trade breakdowns
Cost planning & estimation
- Concept estimates
- Schematic estimates
- Detailed estimates
- Cost plans by element
- Variations & change orders
- Value engineering options
- Budget vs actual tracking
- Cash flow forecasts
Documentation & coordination
- Estimating reports
- Pre-tender clarifications
- Subcontractor follow-ups
- Materials schedules
- Pricing comparison sheets
- Drawing register management
- Addendum tracking
- Revision logs
What they don't do
Better you know now than after a tender goes pear-shaped. Our estimators are not registered builders or QS.
Where the line is
Our estimators do the takeoff, the BOQ, the pricing and the tender prep. The licensed and on-site work stays with your team. Most builders use them as the back-office estimating arm of an existing construction team.
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Sign off as registered Quantity Surveyor They prepare the takeoff and BOQ. Sign-off as a registered QS stays with your in-house QS or external consultant.
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Engage subcontractors directly They prepare RFQ packages, send to your subbies, chase responses, compare pricing. Final engagement and contracts go through your team.
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Project manage on-site work They are estimators, not project managers. Site coordination, supervision, and program management stay with your construction manager.
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Replace your registered builder or licensee They support the licensed team. Building licences, builder responsibilities and statutory sign-offs stay with you.
We reject 94% of estimator applicants
Live takeoff test in CavSoft or Buildsoft. No exceptions. AU materials and standards knowledge tested.
AU project experience
Only applicants with 5+ years working on Australian residential, commercial or civil projects. Offshore-only or non-AU work doesn't progress.
62% rejected hereLive CavSoft or Buildsoft test
Real takeoff against a sample drawing set. Quantity accuracy, software efficiency, judgement on materials. Time-boxed.
22% rejected hereStandards & materials interview
AS/NZS standards, NCC and BCA compliance, AU materials substitutions, labour rate fundamentals. Plus communication and judgement.
8% rejected hereBackground & references
Police check, two verified Australian builder references, ID verification, NDA signed before they ever see your tender drawings.
2% rejected here$15 an hour. Pick the days.
Same daily rate across every schedule. Or just try one tender first.
- Small builders with steady tender pipeline
- Subcontractors needing weekly takeoff support
- Projects with phased pricing rounds
- Top-up support during peak season
- Mid-sized builders with consistent tender flow
- Construction firms running 3 to 5 live tenders
- Civil and commercial projects on rotation
- Replacing a casual or part-time estimator
- Multi-project builders, full pipeline
- Replacing a $90K+ in-house estimator
- Civil contractors with tender deadlines
- End-to-end estimating ownership
All estimators $120/day, no senior surcharge. All tiers, same person across your tenders. Pay weekly, no minimum, cancel anytime. Just need one tender? Try a tender from $360.
Why Australian builders are hiring Filipino estimators
Four reasons builders stop chasing local estimators and start booking with us.
They know AU standards, materials and rates
Every estimator on SkillCloud has 5 to 10 years working on Australian construction projects. They know AS/NZS structural and materials standards, NCC and BCA compliance, AU labour rates, and which materials substitute for which when supply gets tight. We test materials and standards knowledge in the live interview before any estimator gets listed.
You're not paying them to learn what an FRL is, or that residential timber framing in QLD has different requirements than NSW. They walked in with that knowledge.
Tender turnaround in days, not weeks
Tenders don't wait. Your estimator quits Tuesday, the tender is due Friday, and the local recruitment market for a CavSoft estimator in regional QLD is essentially zero. SkillCloud lets you book an estimator the day after the call, send them the drawing set, and have a full takeoff back inside 48 hours.
This is the most common way builders find us. One tender. No commitment. If the estimator is good, you keep going. If not, no follow-up sales calls.
Same estimator across your tender pipeline
The reason offshore estimating has a mixed reputation is the freelance model. Different person every project. Re-explain your sub list, your preferred materials, your tender format every time. SkillCloud is not a freelance marketplace. The estimator you book in week one is the same estimator working on tender twelve.
They learn your tender format once. They learn your subcontractor list once. They learn your preferred suppliers once. After that, the takeoffs just come back faster and cleaner each time.
Around 70% less than a local in-house estimator
A senior estimator in metro AU runs $95,000 to $130,000 a year all-in once you factor super, leave, payroll tax and recruitment. A SkillCloud estimator at standard tier (three days a week) is $1,440 a week. A full-week dedicated estimator is $2,400 a week. Same takeoffs. Same software. Same standards.
We're not the cheapest offshore estimator on the internet. We're the most reliable one for Australian builders.
Estimator hiring options compared
SkillCloud against the three other ways to fill an estimating seat.
Three kinds of builders hiring estimators with us
Different stages, different reasons, same workflow.
Estimator quit, tender due Friday
"Try finding a Buildsoft estimator in Toowoomba. We've got a tender due Friday and no one to do the takeoff."
Most common entry point. Builder books one tender at $360, picks an estimator with the right software, sends drawings the same day. Takeoff back inside 48 hours. Tender goes in on time. Most builders then move to a weekly schedule.
Multi-project builders with tender pipeline
"We have four tenders in the air at any time. Our estimator is at capacity. We're walking past work we should be pricing."
Mid-sized builders book Standard or Full Week tier. The SkillCloud estimator runs alongside the in-house estimator, picking up overflow tenders. Pipeline doubles. Same estimator across all tenders means consistent format and pricing logic.
Subcontractors needing fast quotes
"We're a steel sub. Quote turnaround is killing us. Builders want pricing in 24 hours, our guy can't keep up."
Subcontractors book Light tier (2 days a week). The estimator handles trade-specific takeoffs and quotes. Quote turnaround drops from a week to 24 to 48 hours. Win rate goes up. Most subbies scale to Standard tier within 3 months.
Real estimators, real Australian builders
"Tender due Friday. Our estimator quit Tuesday. Had Carla on a Buildsoft takeoff Wednesday morning. Won the tender. We've kept her on Standard tier ever since."
"Tried one tender. Two months later we have John on Standard tier doing 12 to 15 takeoffs a month. Best decision we made this year. Pipeline has doubled."
"Civil works estimator at $120 a day. Same calibre as the local QS firm that quoted us $90 an hour. Our margins on the last three jobs are up about 8%."
"Materials knowledge was the surprise. Flagged a substitute for an out-of-stock product before we lost two weeks waiting on supply. Would not have caught that with a green grad."
Is a SkillCloud estimator right for your build?
Quick read. Honest read.
✓ Best fit if you...
Sound like any of these.
- ✓ Run a builder, sub or construction firm and need takeoffs done.
- ✓ Use CavSoft, Buildsoft, BlueBeam or similar daily.
- ✓ Work on AU residential, commercial or civil projects.
- ✓ Want to try one tender before committing to a schedule.
- ✓ Are tired of recruitment dead-ends in regional markets.
/ Probably not for you if...
Better to know now than after a tender.
- × You need a registered Quantity Surveyor to sign off.
- × You need someone on-site for project management.
- × You need a registered builder or licensee.
- × You need someone to engage subcontractors directly.
- × You need US or UK time zone coverage.
Estimator questions, answered.
Hiring beyond estimating?
Same vetting, same speed, different role.
Try one tender. See if it's a fit.
Three days, $360 fixed. We match you with an estimator who knows your project type. Takeoff back in 48 hours. No follow-up sales calls if it's not a fit.