Civil construction sales representative job description
A civil construction sales representative finds developers and private owners who need site work: grading, water and sewer lines, storm drains and paving. They walk each site, work up the proposal alongside the estimator, and follow up until the deal is signed.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, heavy and civil construction · BLS, May 2025
Serves as a key contributor in driving business growth by developing relationships with civil and infrastructure contractors. Identifies and assesses prospective projects, preparing competitive bids while negotiating mutually beneficial contract terms. Plays an instrumental role in expanding market presence and supporting the company’s operational goals.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Identify project opportunities and conduct market research to generate quality leads.
Prepare detailed bids and proposals tailored to client needs and project specifications.
Negotiate contract terms and conditions to secure profitable agreements.
Collaborate with project managers and technical teams to ensure competitive, feasible bids.
Maintain an up-to-date knowledge of industry trends and competitor activities.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Prospect new client opportunities and follow up on existing leads regularly.
Conduct site visits and client meetings to gather project requirements and discuss potential solutions.
Develop and customize bid documentation and pricing strategies.
Maintain detailed records of sales activities and pipeline status using CRM software.
Liaise with internal stakeholders to streamline project handovers upon bid acceptance.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
New Sales Leads Generated: ≥15 per month.
Bid Success Rate: ≥35% of proposals convert to contracts.
Revenue per Contract: Minimum of $150,000 per secured project.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: >4.8 stars based on post-project evaluations.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Construction Management, or related field.
Minimum of 3 years’ experience in sales, preferably within the civil or infrastructure sector.
Strong communication and negotiation skills with a focus on client relationship management.
Proficiency in CRM software and bid preparation tools coupled with strong analytical abilities.
6. Preferred Experience
Prior experience working with civil and infrastructure construction contractors in a similar role.
Familiarity with local market trends, building codes, and regulatory requirements.
Demonstrated history of meeting and exceeding sales targets in a competitive environment.
Successful track record of collaborating with cross-functional teams on large-scale projects.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to travel frequently to client locations and project sites.
Capacity to carry and operate portable electronic devices or materials up to 20 lbs.
Must be comfortable with extended periods of driving and varying weather conditions.
Occasional visits to construction environments requiring adherence to safety standards.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Flexibility required to attend evening or weekend client meetings or events as necessary.
Moderate travel requirements to regional client locations and project sites.
Dynamic office environment combined with on-site client interactions.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Base salary range of $55,000 - $75,000 per year, commensurate with experience.
Performance-based commission structure designed to reward winning bids and sales growth.
Comprehensive benefits package including Health, Dental, Vision, and 401k.
Additional incentives such as company vehicle allowance, expense reimbursements, and professional development opportunities.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We foster a collaborative and inclusive environment that encourages continuous learning.
Our company values transparent communication, innovation, and a strong team spirit.
We are committed to empowering employees to achieve their personal and professional goals.
Join our passionate team focused on excellence, growth, and superior customer satisfaction.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
The rep's buyers are developers, builders and private owners, and the engineers who advise them. They buy a schedule and a clean finish with the city as much as a price.
Find the job at the planning board
Private site work shows up in public long before anyone asks for a price. Rezonings, site plans and subdivision plats go on planning board and council agendas, often with the developer's and engineer's names on them. The rep reads those agendas in each county and calls the engineer who drew the plans. That gets the company on the invite list while the plans are still in review.
Walk the site before the estimator prices it
A site price hangs on what you can't see on the plans. The rep walks the property and pulls the soils report. They look for rock, wet ground, trees to clear, where dirt can be hauled, and how trucks will get in. They also note which utility companies must move lines. Each finding goes to the estimator in writing, so it's priced or left out on purpose.
The developer's bond is there for the city
Alabama is one example. A city planning commission there can require a subdivision's streets and its water and sewer mains to be built before it approves the final plat. Or it can take a bond with surety instead, which secures that work to the city, and the city can enforce it. Either way, the bond protects the city. Don't count on it to pay your crews, and check the developer's money another way. Source: Code of Alabama 11-52-31: Subdivision regulations and bonds (example).
Spell out who pays the extras
Site proposals fail on the items nobody priced: permit and inspection fees, construction staking, density testing, erosion control upkeep, tap fees and work by the power or gas company. The rep lists each one in the proposal as included or excluded. A developer who reads exclusions before signing is a client. One who finds them on the first change order is a dispute.
Dates sell, so check them first
A developer's loan, lot sales and builder deals hang on when the city accepts the water, sewer and streets. A rep who promises a finish the crews can't hit costs the company the next phase. Before giving any date, the rep checks crew and machine time with the operations manager and asks how long the city takes to inspect and accept.
How much civil construction sales representatives make
The closest BLS group for civil construction sales representatives is sales representatives of services. Sales representatives of services who work for heavy and civil engineering contractors earned a median of $44.15 an hour ($91,830 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s above the $69,990 median for sales representatives of services in all industries. About 4,800 of the 1,256,010 sales representatives of services in that survey work for heavy and civil construction.
Base salary plus commission on winning work, as the template sets it, often with a vehicle allowance. BLS's median for this group at heavy and civil contractors sits above the template's base range. Decide up front whether a rep earns credit on later phases from a developer they brought in, since one subdivision can run for years.
Heavy and civil construction
$91,830$91,830 median Middle half $63,300–$125,930 10th–90th $43,960–$164,660
All industries
$69,990$69,990 median Middle half $47,670–$100,480 10th–90th $37,980–$148,840
$25k$50k$75k$100k$125k$150k$175k$200k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Heavy and civil construction
$43,960
$63,300
$91,830
$125,930
$164,660
All industries
$37,980
$47,670
$69,990
$100,480
$148,840
BLS doesn’t publish pay for civil contractors on their own. These figures cover heavy and civil engineering construction, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Has sold site, utility or paving work, or materials to the contractors who do it
Reads a grading and utility plan well enough to spot what's missing
Asks developers and engineers the questions that shape a price
Writes proposals with a clear list of what's in and what's out
Stays on a job that won't start for a year and still has the notes
Teach these on the job
Your estimating process and who approves a price
The planning boards and engineers in your counties
Each city's standard details and inspection steps
Your crews' current backlog
Your CRM and proposal forms
Expect a CRM, plan viewing and takeoff software such as Bluebeam, county GIS maps and planning agendas, and a tablet or phone to photograph each site. Say whether the rep does quick takeoffs on small jobs or sends every price through an estimator.
Civil construction sales representative interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Handling addenda
An hour before bids are due, you find an addendum you haven't included. What do you do?
A strong answer: Reads and prices it, acknowledges it on the bid form because missing it can get the bid rejected, and rechecks the bid bond and forms.
Behavioral · Negotiating terms
Tell me about a contract term on a site work or public job that you negotiated to protect your company.
A strong answer: Names the term, such as a rock or unsuitable-soil clause or utility-delay language, the risk it covered, how they got the owner or general contractor to agree, and how it played out.
The template's targets assume steady, similar deals. Site jobs vary a lot in size, so draw targets from your own private work over the last year or two.
New Sales Leads Generated
New private projects added to the CRM each month with a developer, an engineer and a likely start date. Count only jobs that fit your crews and size limits.
Bid Success Rate
Signed contracts divided by firm proposals sent, sorted by client and job type. Leave out budget numbers given only to help a developer get a loan.
Revenue per Contract
Average signed value of the rep's jobs, read beside the margin they were sold at, so a big low-margin job doesn't look like a win.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Ask the developer and its engineer for a score after the city accepts the work, and track who invites you back for the next phase.
Career path
Field engineer or estimatorLearns quantities, plans and what site work really costs.
Civil construction sales representativeFinds developer and private site work and brings it to signature.
Senior account managerOwns the largest repeat developers and teams with estimating on big pursuits.
Sales managerLeads the reps and signs off on prices and terms.
Other roles in a civil & infrastructure contractors business
How can a civil sales rep check a developer's money?
Ask early, before an estimator spends days on a price. Who is the lender, and has the loan closed? Does the developer own the land or only hold an option on it? How often are draws released? Get the payment terms in writing, and send new or large clients to the CFO for a look. A rep who asks these questions plainly loses fewer months to deals that stall.
How much does a civil construction sales representative make?
Sales representatives of services who work for heavy and civil engineering contractors earned a median of $44.15 an hour ($91,830 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $63,300 and $125,930 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
Should a civil sales rep be able to do takeoffs?
Yes. A rep who can measure pipe lengths and count structures from the plans can give a developer a quick budget and catch an estimate that looks light. The template has reps prepare bids, so let them build the proposal, but have an estimator check the quantities on any firm price. Ask finalists to mark up one sheet of your plans and say what they'd ask the engineer.
Do civil sales reps sell public work too?
Rarely on sealed bids, where the estimators and the bid calendar run things. Reps earn their keep where a client picks a contractor on more than price, such as a hospital or college campus, or a plant's yearly repair work. They also bring in site work as a sub to general contractors. List the ones you expect in the ad.
What does the template's driving and weather line mean for this job?
The line ships unchanged. For a site work rep it means driving between counties for site walks and meetings, walking raw ground in rain or heat, and stepping onto active jobs in a hard hat and vest. Describe those tasks and how many site visits a week to expect. Let applicants know accommodations are on the table.
