Moving from Estimating to Early Design Influence — How Are You Approaching It?
I’ve been in construction for about 12 years and worked my way up through the field, journeyman, foreman, estimator, project manager, sales, and now business development.
Most of my background is in CSI Division 09 (finishes), but I’ve also had the opportunity to expand into Divisions 23, 26, 28, and 12. Seeing projects from multiple angles has been valuable, especially understanding how decisions made early in design carry through the entire job.
Where I’ve landed, mainly from my time in estimating and sales, is this: if you want to have real impact (and avoid being boxed into low-bid situations), you need to get involved upstream. Getting products and systems specified into the drawings and specs seems to be the most effective path.
I try to approach this from a service-first mindset, bringing value before expecting anything in return.
Lately, that’s meant reaching out more to architects, designers, developers, and MEP engineers. The goal is to support early design coordination and, when it makes sense, help guide system selections.
Here’s where I could use some input:
For those of you who’ve made this shift, what’s worked (and what hasn’t) when approaching design teams?
Not just getting a meeting, but actually building credibility and becoming someone they’ll pull in early.
I’ve always been strong at connecting with people one-on-one, but I’ll be honest, it’s getting harder to bridge the gap across different age groups. I’m a millennial (early 90s), so I relate to both sides to some extent, but the communication styles are definitely different.
Curious how others are navigating that as well.