Preconstruction teaches us that effective planning can make or break a construction project. Careful planning is also essential when working as a remote estimator.
Preconstruction teaches us that effective planning can make or break a construction project. Careful planning is also essential when working as a remote estimator. As with all remote positions, it is important to consider how and when you do it, the best channels and resources to use, and how to optimise your time for the best results.
Before working remotely as an estimator, you must set up the necessary software, ensure you have a secure internet connection and set up an appropriate office working environment. Once you have the basics covered, it's time to think about day to day considerations. How are you going to communicate with your colleagues? How will you look after your mental health and wellbeing? Finally, how can you maximise the remote working opportunity?
Read our tips and tricks below to reduce challenges and increase your chance of success in a remote estimator job.
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Setting up Estimator Software
To begin working remotely as an estimator, you’ll need the right software for the job.
If you are working on an estimate on your own, you can host Estimator software on your computer and work alone. However, if you are working on an estimate and there are other people involved, you’ll need to have a way to share this with the other members involved. There are two ways you can configure the software:
Internet Connection
If you are working remotely from home, one of the priorities to consider is the internet connection to your house. You will be working with large files. While download bandwidth is not usually an issue, upload bandwidth can be a concern. Poor bandwidth can lead to a slight lag in accessing or saving data.
You may need to pay for higher bandwidth allowances from your internet service provider. Alternatively, pay attention to times of day when the bandwidth feels slow or throttled. If you are struggling with bandwidth, you can adjust your working times to account for these slow periods by getting up earlier in the morning or working late at night.
Office Environment
When you are working in precon, it takes a lot of concentration. If you have a great home office with an ergonomic office chair, spacious desk, and a peaceful environment, the home can be an ideal place to work as a remote estimator. However, if you also have children, housemates, and spouses (perhaps also working from home), remote work can be quite challenging. Excessive noise and interruptions can seriously affect your ability to perform your duties. Again, it’s worth considering your schedule and adjusting your work to fit around times when there are fewer distractions. If that's not possible, noise-cancelling headphones are another solution!
Communication
When working as a remote estimator, it is essential to communicate effectively with your peers, colleagues, and customers. You would not be expected to be online and available at every possible moment, but you should have tools and procedures in place to ensure effective communication. Remember, communication goes both ways too. Do you have a regular meeting every week? Let your colleagues know. It will prevent them from trying to contact you during that time, reducing frustration on both sides.
In your daily work as a Remote Estimator, you will likely use a combination of communication tools, including emails, text, phone, online messaging (eg, Whatsapp), or possibly a dedicated business communication platform such as Slack. You may also be expected to attend or host online meetings using video conferencing tools such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
Looking after yourself
It is okay to take some time in your day to look after yourself, spend time with your kids, put on a wash, workout or take a bit of downtime between meetings.
Many of us are familiar with an office environment where it's not possible to do these things during work hours. Working remotely can lead to feelings of guilt if we are not in ‘work mode’ at all times. It is important to acknowledge that we are all human and need to look after our mental health and well-being. Doing some things for yourself isn't selfish, these things help keep us sane and happy and reduce the likelihood of burnout.
Remote work can be isolating and stressful. Remember to check in with others to see if they are okay too. A quick phone call can go a long way towards making someone feel heard and appreciated.
Getting ahead
Working remotely has many benefits. You may find that you have extra time or energy when working remotely as you no longer have to factor in a commute. You may have fewer meetings and save time by missing out on the office water-cooler chat.
If you have extra time, maximise it by investing it back into ‘working on the business rather than in it. Working on the business refers to strategically investing time so your business can be better tomorrow. Think about the tasks you have always avoided or put off for a future date, and consider finishing these. Set short and medium-term goals and use any extra time to tick off all those wish-list tasks you never thought you would get around to completing.
For remote estimators this strategic time could be spent going back through old projects and making improvements or updating project properties to gain a richer set of historical data. Other useful tasks include removing obsolete line items, cleaning up folders, contact lists and cost estimate databases. It could also be investing time in learning a new skill.
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