Job description
About RenoFi:
The demand for home renovations has never been stronger, yet, it’s surprisingly difficult for a new homeowner to renovate. It can take a decade to build up enough home equity and savings to pay for a major renovation.
To meet this need, RenoFi created a platform that enables homeowners to borrow funds from RenoFi approved lenders in the form of the first home equity loan purpose-built for renovations! Unlike standard home equity loans, RenoFi Loans use the value of your home post-renovation which lets you borrow the most money at the best possible terms. RenoFi is creating a full suite of renovation loan products to better suit the needs of today’s homeowners!
For homeowners, RenoFi makes it possible to renovate years earlier than might be otherwise feasible. For contractors, we empower the financing of renovations at the point of sale, reducing instances of scope reduction, and ensuring prompt payment. Our lender partners, most often credit unions, rely on RenoFi’s platform to generate loans, create efficiencies, and grow membership. The lenders pay RenoFi for the new loans, which allows us to offer our services to homeowners for free. RenoFi is truly a win-win-win for everyone involved.
RenoFi is backed by some of the best startup investors in the world, including First Round Capital, Comcast Ventures, and Canaan Partners.
Role Overview:
We are seeking an experienced Construction Estimator to join our Operations team as part of the Renovation Underwriting unit. In this role, you will analyze national residential construction documents – including plans, contracts, and itemized estimates – to verify that all required work and costs are included for a successful project. Your primary goal is to ensure the project’s scope matches the proposed budget and timeline, protecting homeowners and lenders from incomplete or underestimated projects. This position is fully remote (US only) and ideal for a detail-oriented professional who thrives in a fast-paced startup setting and has a background in construction estimating.
Key Responsibilities
- Review Construction Documents: Examine national residential renovation contracts, blueprints, specifications, and estimates to ensure key project factors – scope of work, budget, and timeline – are comprehensive and reasonable. Identify if all necessary components (materials, labor, permits, etc.) are accounted for and cost appropriately.
- Scope vs. Budget Analysis: Verify that the scope of the project matches the proposed costs. Detect any missing scope items or underestimated costs by drawing on your knowledge of construction methods and building codes. Flag inconsistencies such as unrealistic timelines or allowances that don’t align with project requirements.
- Feasibility Reporting: Compile findings into a clear feasibility report for each project. Provide an assessment of whether the renovation plan is viable within the stated budget and timeline, and outline any concerns or required adjustments. Ensure each report is accurate and thorough, taking ownership of the quality of your analysis.
- Collaboration: Work closely with the Renovation Underwriting team and department leaders to refine our analysis process. Collaborate on establishing best practices and minimum documentation requirements to improve the accuracy and efficiency of project reviews. Communicate in layman’s terms to Salespeople and Processors regarding additional documentation needed for a project to pass a Feasibility review.
- Own Your Pipeline: Manage your workflow to meet defined turnaround times for report completion. Prioritize and handle multiple project reviews concurrently while maintaining attention to detail. Reviews on average should take 2.5hrs to complete, and we expect an output of 35 reviews per week.
- Define Next Steps: Act as a RenoFi ambassador in the construction community. Interact with general contractors or other stakeholders as needed to clarify project details, and champion RenoFi’s mission to ensure projects are set up for success.
Qualifications & Skills
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Civil Engineering, Architecture, or a related field is preferred. Relevant experience may substitute for formal education.
- Experience: 5+ years of experience in construction estimating or a closely related role (e.g. project manager, cost estimator, or construction consultant) for residential projects. Prior experience as a General Contractor or HUD Consultant (or similar) is beneficial.
- Document Analysis: Proven ability to read and interpret construction plans, architectural drawings, and detailed scope/line-item estimates. At least 5 years’ experience reviewing residential construction contracts, floor plans, and specifications with an eye for accuracy in costs and timelines. Ability to synthesize information from imperfect or incomplete documents and still reach a sound judgment on project feasibility.
- Costing Expertise: Deep understanding of residential construction methods, materials, and pricing. Able to quickly assess whether a project’s budget is realistic for its scope, and to spot omitted items or unusual cost variances. Familiarity with building codes and permit processes to recognize scope gaps or compliance issues is a plus.
- Software Proficiency: Experience with industry-standard construction estimating and takeoff software. Examples include tools like PlanSwift, Bluebeam Revu, Procore, Buildertrend, or similar platforms for generating and reviewing estimates. Proficiency with Excel or other spreadsheet software for cost analysis is expected.
- Communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills. Able to write clear reports and explain findings or recommendations to non-experts (e.g. lending partners or homeowners). Comfortable communicating with internal teams and occasionally with contractors to obtain or verify information.
- Self-Driven: Highly organized and self-motivated, capable of working independently in a remote setting. You take ownership of your work and can manage deadlines without direct supervision. Prior remote work experience is a plus (our team is distributed across time zones).
- Adaptability & Passion: Willingness to work in a startup environment – you are adaptable, open to evolving responsibilities, and excited to help improve processes. You bring a collaborative attitude and are ready to wear multiple hats to drive our mission forward. You care about helping homeowners achieve their renovation goals and ensuring projects are set up for success.
Benefits
- Competitive Compensation: We offer a competitive salary with potential for equity/stock options in the company.
- Health & Retirement: Medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus 401(k) or equivalent retirement plan with company contribution (for US employees).
- Flexible Vacation: We have a flexible PTO policy – take the time you need to recharge.
- Remote Work & Equipment: 100% remote work environment.
- Growth & Learning: As an early-stage company, we offer opportunities for growth and advancement. You’ll be at the forefront of shaping a new approach to renovation financing.
- Startup Culture: Experience the excitement of working at a venture-backed startup – a fast-moving environment, a close-knit team, and the ability to see the direct impact of your work.
$100,000 - $125,000 a year
Join us in making renovations more feasible for homeowners! If you’re a seasoned construction estimator who wants to leverage your skills in a new and innovative way, we’d love to hear from you. Even if you don’t meet every single requirement, we encourage you to apply – your unique experience and passion could be a great fit at RenoFi.
READ MORE ABOUT RENOFI:
Our post announcing our funding: https://www.renofi.com/blog/financing-should-not-be-the-hardest-part-of-renovating/
Blog post by our lead investor announcing his investment in RenoFi: https://www.canaan.com/latest/brendan-dickinson-announcing-our-investment-in-renofi
National coverage by Housing Wire: https://www.housingwire.com/articles/renofi-raises-6-4-million-to-help-lenders-offer-home-renovation-loans/
