1. Construction: Consultant or a construction company employee who analyzes tender documents, architect's drawings, and bill of quantities to accurately estimate the cost of a construction project including the associated supplemental costs and the expected profit. 2. Insurance: Consultant or an insurance company employee who inspects a damaged property to determine the extent of loss and the restoration cost. also called appraiser. 3. Manufacturing: Consultant or a manufacturing company employee who computes the costs of supplying a product or service to its targeted customer(s). He or she determines the customer's needs, works out research, material, equipment, and labor costs, estimates the risks involved, and plans job time schedules. also called cost engineer. 4. Statistics: Method used in computing an estimate for a sample quantity such as a model parameter. The mean of a sample, for example, is an estimator of the mean of the entire population.