Fire Alarm Estimator

Position: Fire Alarm Estimator

Company: Columbia Fire, LLC

Location: Remote — must reside in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, or Montana

Scope: Columbia Fire work only (Seattle market)

Reports To: General Manager

Employment Type: Full-time, hourly, non-exempt (overtime eligible)

Bargaining Unit Status: Non-union

Incentive Eligibility: Not commission or incentive eligible

Travel: Occasional travel to the Seattle office

About Columbia Fire

Columbia Fire has been protecting lives and property in the Seattle market since 2005. We design, install, inspect, and service fire sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, suppression systems, and portable fire extinguishers across Western Washington.

Columbia Fire is a wholly owned subsidiary of Columbia Safety Services, LLC, which also operates Valley Fire Control, LLC in Oregon and Eastern Washington and FFF Protection in Idaho. We are building a formidable fire protection platform rooted in trust, execution, and long-term relationships.

Our core values guide how we operate: Customer First, Grit, Effective Communication, Own the Outcome, Take Pride in the Work, and Do the Right Thing.

Why This Role Exists

Our alarm business is limited less by demand than by how fast we can put accurate numbers in front of customers. When estimating sits on the same desk as selling, quoting becomes the bottleneck and opportunities go cold while someone finds time to price them.

This seat solves that. Your job is to turn plans, specifications, and field notes into complete, accurate estimates quickly and consistently, so the people in front of customers can stay in front of customers.

About the Role

This is a dedicated, remote estimating position supporting Columbia Fire. You will work through a steady queue of bid and quote requests covering service, repair, deficiency correction, tenant improvement, retrofit, and new construction fire alarm work.

This is a production seat, and we want to be direct about that. A typical day is roughly four small to mid-sized bids, or one large project bid. Specific expectations — including dollar-value targets, not just a daily count — are set clearly during onboarding so you know exactly what the job asks of you.

This position carries no sales responsibility, no customer ownership, and no business development expectation. It is not commission eligible.

Edwards is our primary fire alarm platform, and every Columbia Safety Services office is an Edwards Strategic Partner. We also install and service non-proprietary systems including Potter, Fire-Lite, and Silent Knight when a project or customer calls for it.

You will be expected to learn and sell the Edwards product line. We pay for the manufacturer training to get you there.

What You'll Do

• Review construction drawings, specifications, and field notes to define scope of work
• Perform device counts and takeoffs for fire alarm and related low-voltage systems
• Price labor, material, subcontractors, third-party design, rentals, and freight
• Prepare complete, clearly written proposals and bid packages
• Manage multiple bids against firm due dates and keep the queue current
• Submit and track RFIs and clarifications where scope is unclear
• Validate scope with sales, operations, and field leadership before release
• Identify exclusions, assumptions, and code-driven scope others may miss
• Maintain pricing databases, labor units, and estimating templates so they stay current
• Track bid outcomes and hit rates, and feed what you learn back into future pricing
• Support post-award handoff by explaining how a job was priced

Who You Are

• Fast and accurate — you understand that a quick wrong number costs more than a slow right one
• Organized — you manage a queue without losing track of due dates
• Technically grounded — you understand how these systems are designed and how they get installed
• Self-directed — remote work requires you to manage your own day without prompting
• Clear in writing — your proposals do not require a follow-up call to interpret
• Comfortable asking — you flag unclear scope rather than guessing at it

Who Struggles Here

An honest filter:

• If you want customer relationships and commission, this is the wrong seat — apply for our sales role
• If you need an office around you to stay productive, remote work will not serve you well
• If a daily output expectation feels like pressure rather than clarity, this will wear on you
• If you have only ever estimated one project type, expect a learning curve across our mix

Minimum Qualifications

• 3+ years in fire alarm design, layout, takeoff, or estimating work
• Demonstrated experience performing takeoffs and building complete estimates
• Ability to read and interpret construction drawings and specifications
• Working knowledge of the International Building Code and applicable NFPA standards — including NFPA 72 and NFPA 70 (NEC) — and the fundamentals behind them, not just where to look them up
• Strong Excel skills and comfort with cloud-based business software
• Clear, professional written and verbal communication
• Residence in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, or Montana, with a dedicated home workspace and reliable high-speed internet
• Valid driver’s license
• Fluent in spoken and written English
• Ability to pass a background check and pre-employment drug screen

What we are deliberately not requiring

You do not need an electrical or limited energy license for this role, and you do not need to have worked in the field. We would rather hire a strong designer or estimator who understands the codes and can produce an accurate, complete takeoff.

Field experience is genuinely useful and we will not overlook it — a few years on a jobsite makes anyone a better estimator. It is simply not the qualification that gets you this job. If you have come up through design and layout rather than installation, you are exactly who we are looking for.

Preferred Qualifications

• Fire alarm design or layout experience, including device layout and circuit design
• NICET certification in Fire Alarm Systems (any level)
• Dedicated estimating software experience
• Experience with Edwards, Potter, Fire-Lite, or Silent Knight platforms
• Familiarity with Seattle-area permitting and AHJ submittal requirements
• Experience estimating sprinkler, suppression, or other life safety scopes
• Some hands-on installation, service, or programming exposure — helpful context, not a requirement

Compensation

• Hourly rate: $36.00 – $43.00 per hour, depending on experience and demonstrated estimating capability
• Classification: full-time, hourly, non-exempt. Overtime is paid for hours worked over 40 in a workweek.
• This role is not commission or incentive eligible. Discretionary bonus consideration may apply based on company and individual performance; bonuses are not guaranteed.

Placement within the range reflects estimating experience, accuracy, throughput, and technical depth. Advancement is based on demonstrated capability, not tenure.