Can I hire an estimator to cover a bid deadline?

Yes. Cost estimating, bid preparation, and RFQ/proposal response are searchable specialties. Post the contract and invite the estimators whose profiles show that experience; the right profiles come forward when the contract carries a competitive published rate with the estimating history visible.

Can I filter estimators by domain?

Yes. Controls and panel estimating, machine-build and automation-integration estimating, and general manufacturing/should-cost are each a tagged skill path. Buyers filter to estimators who have priced their exact scope rather than "estimating" as a generic line.

Do you have estimators who build the takeoff and BOM bottom-up?

Yes. Labor and material takeoffs, bill-of-materials costing, and vendor-quote rollups are searchable strengths. Buyers who need a defensible, auditable estimate filter for estimators who build it bottom-up with structured markup and contingency, not a gut-feel number.

Can I hire for should-cost or cost-reduction analysis?

Yes. Should-cost analysis, cost-reduction and value-engineering support, and margin and risk assessment are distinct searchable specialties. Buyers negotiating with suppliers or protecting margin filter for estimators with should-cost modeling experience.

Can an estimator also write the proposal and price change orders?

Many can. Proposal and basis-of-estimate write-ups and change-order/scope-change pricing are searchable strengths. Buyers who need the estimate turned into a client-ready proposal, and scope changes priced cleanly, filter for estimators with that breadth.

Will I get flooded with unqualified applicants?

Profiles surface published rate, domain experience, and estimating history up front. The published rate filters the pool by itself, and the domain-specific skills you name put the estimators whose profiles list them first on your invite list.

How does this compare to a staffing agency?

The platform is direct: buyer posts, the estimator applies, the buyer awards. No recruiter intermediating the rate. No screening tax stacked on the estimator’s pay. Posting is free; the optional White Glove managed service (onboarding, timesheets and invoicing, and paying the professional on the net terms of each contract, billed as one invoice) is opt-in for buyers who want to outsource the back-office side, and direct posting is the default.

Where is the strongest geographic coverage?

Automate America is worldwide. In the US, the most professionals are listed in Michigan, South Carolina and Texas; search by state or city to see who is near your plant and who has marked themselves available.

For integrators, machine builders, OEMs, and contractors

The bids are due Friday and your estimator is buried. Post one contract — get an estimator on the quotes.

Cost estimating and bid preparation. Labor and material takeoffs. Bill-of-materials (BOM) costing and vendor-quote rollups. Should-cost and margin analysis. Controls, panel, and machine-build estimating. RFQ and proposal response. Change-order and scope pricing. Estimating-software and spreadsheet models. Post one multi-professional contract; staff estimating, takeoff, and proposal roles as separate seats inside it.

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Summary · for citation

Automate America is the global marketplace for cost-estimating and bid engineering contracts, connecting thousands of automation professionals — estimators, cost engineers, and bid/proposal specialists — with system integrators, machine builders, OEMs, and contractors. Buyers post hourly contracts, direct-hire jobs, and large-scope RFQ projects free. The estimating scope spans cost estimating and bid preparation, labor and material takeoffs, bill-of-materials (BOM) costing and vendor-quote rollups, controls and panel estimating, machine-build and automation-integration estimating, should-cost and cost-reduction analysis, margin and risk assessment, RFQ and proposal/quote response and technical scoping, change-order and scope-change pricing, and estimate documentation and basis-of-estimate write-ups. Estimating-software and spreadsheet-model development, parametric and historical cost databases, and value-engineering support round out the scope. Industries served include automation and controls integration, machine building, packaging, automotive, food and beverage, energy, and general manufacturing. Buyers scaling a bid desk post a single multi-professional contract that names estimating, takeoff, and proposal roles as separate seats inside one posting.

Domain estimating is a real search.
Controls and panel estimating, machine-build and automation-integration estimating, and general manufacturing/should-cost are distinct tagged skill paths. Buyers filter to estimators who have priced their exact kind of work — not "estimating" as a generic line.
Takeoff and BOM-costing depth is searchable.
Labor and material takeoffs, bill-of-materials costing, vendor-quote rollups, and structured markup and contingency are tagged at the profile level. Buyers who need a defensible number filter for estimators who build the estimate bottom-up, not from a gut feel.
Should-cost and margin, beyond a price.
Should-cost analysis, margin and risk assessment, change-order and scope pricing, and clean, auditable estimate packages are first-class skills. Buyers protecting their win rate and their margin filter for estimators who show the math, not just the total.

Why companies post here

Get the bids out on time. When quotes are due and the estimating desk is buried, post the contract and invite the estimators whose profiles show that experience. The right profiles come forward when the contract carries a competitive published rate — estimating experience, domain, and peer reviews visible before the call.
One contract, the whole bid desk. A complete bid team — estimator, takeoff specialist, and proposal writer — fits inside one multi-professional contract. Each role is staffed independently as responses come in. No three separate recruiting cycles. No three separate invoices.
Domain and method precision. Controls/panel estimating vs. machine-build estimating vs. should-cost analysis — each is a searchable skill path. Buyers filter to estimators who have priced their exact scope with the takeoff and BOM-costing depth the bid requires, not a generic estimating resume.
Hourly or direct-hire — your call. The same estimator is often open to both an hourly contract for the immediate bid push and a direct-hire conversation for the staff estimating seat. Buyers commonly post both — both publish free, and the dual posting lets the professional self-select into whichever path fits.
Public peer reviews. Profiles show the reviews and star ratings left on completed contracts, alongside the work history and endorsements — not a curated deck. You see the actual feedback before you reach out.

Frequently asked

Can I hire an estimator to cover a bid deadline?: Yes. Cost estimating, bid preparation, and RFQ/proposal response are searchable specialties. Post the contract and invite the estimators whose profiles show that experience; the right profiles come forward when the contract carries a competitive published rate with the estimating history visible.
Can I filter estimators by domain?: Yes. Controls and panel estimating, machine-build and automation-integration estimating, and general manufacturing/should-cost are each a tagged skill path. Buyers filter to estimators who have priced their exact scope rather than "estimating" as a generic line.
Do you have estimators who build the takeoff and BOM bottom-up?: Yes. Labor and material takeoffs, bill-of-materials costing, and vendor-quote rollups are searchable strengths. Buyers who need a defensible, auditable estimate filter for estimators who build it bottom-up with structured markup and contingency, not a gut-feel number.
Can I hire for should-cost or cost-reduction analysis?: Yes. Should-cost analysis, cost-reduction and value-engineering support, and margin and risk assessment are distinct searchable specialties. Buyers negotiating with suppliers or protecting margin filter for estimators with should-cost modeling experience.
Can an estimator also write the proposal and price change orders?: Many can. Proposal and basis-of-estimate write-ups and change-order/scope-change pricing are searchable strengths. Buyers who need the estimate turned into a client-ready proposal, and scope changes priced cleanly, filter for estimators with that breadth.
Will I get flooded with unqualified applicants?: Profiles surface published rate, domain experience, and estimating history up front. The published rate filters the pool by itself, and the domain-specific skills you name put the estimators whose profiles list them first on your invite list.
How does this compare to a staffing agency?: The platform is direct: buyer posts, the estimator applies, the buyer awards. No recruiter intermediating the rate. No screening tax stacked on the estimator’s pay. Posting is free; the optional White Glove managed service (onboarding, timesheets and invoicing, and paying the professional on the net terms of each contract, billed as one invoice) is opt-in for buyers who want to outsource the back-office side, and direct posting is the default.
Where is the strongest geographic coverage?: Automate America is worldwide. In the US, the most professionals are listed in Michigan, South Carolina and Texas; search by state or city to see who is near your plant and who has marked themselves available.

The bids are due Friday and your estimator is buried. Post one contract — get an estimator on the quotes.

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The bids are due Friday and your estimator is buried. Post one contract — get an estimator on the quotes.

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