MEP estimator recruitment

Permanent M&E estimators, bid managers and tender engineers for building services contractors and specialists across the UK.

The people who win the work

A good M&E estimator prices a tender accurately enough to win it at a margin the contractor can live with.

Estimators and bid teams decide whether a services contractor has a healthy order book. They take off quantities from design information, obtain and compare supplier and subcontractor prices, price labour and preliminaries, and assemble the tender, often to tight deadlines and often on design-and-build bids where the design is not yet finished.

We recruit estimators and bid managers for M&E contractors and specialist mechanical and electrical subcontractors.

How we assess an MEP estimator

Pricing ability shows up in the detail of how someone worked.

01
Take-off and pricingHands-on measurement from drawings and models, and the pricing tools and databases they have used.
02
Design-and-build bidsWhether they have priced where the design is incomplete, and how they handled assumptions, exclusions and risk allowances.
03
Supply chain and plantHow they obtain and test quotations from equipment suppliers and subcontractors, and the relationships behind them.
04
Win rate and handoverTheir tender success on the packages they priced, and how well they handed a won job over to the delivery team.

The estimating roles we recruit

Permanent pre-construction and bid roles on the services side.

Estimating is often where an M&E career starts or where a commercial person moves to broaden their experience. We recruit at every level for contractors and specialists. Every role is permanent.

Assistant estimatorLearning take-off and pricing on tenders, supporting a senior estimator.
EstimatorPricing mechanical, electrical or combined packages from enquiry to submission.
Senior estimatorLeading larger tenders and coordinating the inputs of the wider team.
Bid managerOwning the bid process, from go or no-go through to submission and negotiation.
Head of estimatingLeading the estimating function and pre-construction strategy.

Hiring an MEP estimator?

Brief us and we'll tell you honestly what the market looks like and who we'd approach. You see no more than three people, each of whom we have spoken to.

Brief us on a role

Looking for a new estimating role?

See what's live, or send your CV in confidence. We'll tell you honestly where it sits and only put you forward to roles you'd actually take.

See live roles Send your CV

MEP estimator recruitment questions

What does an MEP estimator do?

They price tenders for mechanical, electrical and public health packages: measuring quantities from the design, obtaining supplier and subcontractor quotations, pricing labour and preliminaries and building up the final tender price.

What is the difference between an estimator and a bid manager?

The estimator builds the price. The bid manager runs the whole bid, including the programme, the method statements, the commercial strategy and the submission. Smaller businesses often combine the two.

Can an estimator move into delivery or commercial roles?

Often, yes. Estimating gives a deep understanding of cost and risk, which is valuable in commercial and project roles. We help candidates think through the move.

Do you only fill permanent roles?

Yes. Every role we work on is permanent.