Joinery Estimator

Location: Flitwick, Bedfordshire (full-time, office based, 8am – 5pm).

Salary: Competitive, depending on experience.

About The Role

Ruddy Joinery Ltd is looking for an experienced Joinery Estimator to join our team at our factory in Bedfordshire. You will be office based, working alongside the Estimating and Production teams.

You will price bespoke joinery packages accurately and competitively, working from first principles. Each estimate will be built up from drawings, specifications, materials, labour, machine time, finishing and installation.

You will price a varied range of work, including reception desks, cabinetry, wall panelling and other bespoke fitted and freestanding joinery. Ruddy Joinery predominantly work within the Greater London area but also Oxford & Cambridge.

You will report to our Chief Estimator, working closely with the wider production team.

Key Responsibilities

• Review tender enquiries, drawings, specifications and schedules, and assess scope, risks, and any gaps or ambiguities.
• Prepare and issue tender queries (RFIs)to clients, architects, designers and contractors, clearly setting out missing information, drawing discrepancies and specification clarifications, and log responses against each tender.
• Prepare detailed estimates from first principles, including:
• Material take-offs (sheet materials, solid timber, veneers, laminates, ironmongery, glass etc.)
• Labour hours for CNC/machining, bench work, assembly, finishing/spraying, design, packing, delivery and site installation.
• Subcontract and bought-in items such as bespoke finishing, stone, metalwork, upholstery and lighting etc.
• Obtain and compare supplier and subcontractor quotations, and maintain up-to-date material and labour costings.
• Attend mid-bid / post tender meetings (Teams / On-Site).
• Suggest cost-effective alternatives (value engineering) where appropriate, and follow up technical queries to ensure answers are reflected in the final price.
• Produce clear, accurate quotations and tender submissions, including qualifications, exclusions and programme assumptions.
• Follow up quotations and support the estimating and contracts teams through negotiation
• Produce cost plan estimates for early client engagement.
• Hand over awarded projects to the production and contracts teams with full cost breakdowns, material lists and relevant information.
• Review completed jobs against estimates to feed actual costs and lessons learned back into future pricing.

Skills and Experience

• Proven experience estimating for bespoke or architectural joinery, within a manufacturing joinery environment.
• Strong understanding of joinery construction methods, materials, finishes and manufacturing processes
• Ability to read and interpret architectural and joinery drawings and specifications.
• Confident estimating from first principles, with sound judgement on labour times and material usage
• Excellent numeracy and attention to detail.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Excel.
• Strong communication skills, and the ability to manage multiple tenders against deadlines.
• Practical joinery, workshop or site experience (time served or similar).
• Experience with PDF take-off tools (Bluebeam etc.)
• Knowledge of commercial fit-out, residential & hospitality markets.
• Understanding of FSC/chain of custody & environmental requirements.
• Full UK driving licence.

Personal Attributes

• Methodical, accurate and commercially aware.
• Able to work independently and as part of a close-knit Estimating team.
• Calm and organised under tender deadline pressure.
• Keen to learn from completed projects and continually improve estimating accuracy.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary, dependent on experience.
• Full-time, office-based role at our joinery factory in Flitwick, Bedfordshire, with direct access to the workshop and production team.
• 23 days’ holiday plus bank holidays, with holiday entitlement increasing with length of service.
• Twice Yearly, Discretionary Performance Bonus.
• Pension, training & option to enrol in Healthcare cash plan after 3 months of continuous employment.
• Cycle to Work Scheme.

Ruddy Joinery Ltd is an equal opportunities employer.