Daniel S. Grant, R.A., G.C., NCARB, CXLT
Principal Consultant
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Expert QuestionS & AnswerS
In premises liability cases, how do you determine whether a property owner reasonably should have known about a hazard?
If the reported hazard was visible by an inspection. If there were recurring conditions that alerted the property owner. If inspections had been conducted, and there are maintenance records, surveillance. If there was opportunity to correct. If the condition was predictable knowing the property’s use. If there are physical characteristics such as scrape marks. If the hazard was created by the property owner (planting a tree adjacent to a concrete sidewalk joint).
In storm damage assessments, distinguishing wind damage from pre-existing conditions is a constant challenge — what are the telltale signs you look for?
Shingles: Creased, bend, detached, torn with clean (without-weathered/discolored edges) Tiles: Clean, sharp edges, non-weathered. Impacts from airborne debris. Wind data Other: torn screens based on wind direction, detached gutters, tree debris.
In roofing systems, what’s one thing that often gets misunderstood or oversimplified by non-experts?
That storm presence means functional damage. That a repair is not credible, and that a new roof is required to make it “whole” Q4 and Q5 below are disabled – unable to respond.
Background
Mr. Dan Grant is a Registered Architect in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming; and a general contractor in California and Nevada. Mr. Grant acquired Master of Architecture and Bachelor of Environmental Design degrees from the University of Colorado, with minors in Math and Engineering from Fort Lewis College.
Mr. Grant has over 50 years of construction-related, design, and planning experience, with 24 of those years in forensic investigations regarding premises liability, property loss, and construction defects. He has evaluated hundreds of slip, trip, misstep, and fall premises liability, safety, warnings, hazards, risk management, ergonomics, and policy and procedures for evaluation of hospitality venues such as casinos, nightclubs; hotels, motels, theatres, restaurants; swimming pools and pool decks; grocery and convenience stores; retail and office buildings; parking lots and parking garages; landscaping, parks, and activity centers. During the assessment of premises liability, he specializes in evaluating the conditions, material applications, maintenance, reasonable care, applicable codes, regulatory standards, intended use, and obtained notice.
He has determined the cause and origin of property damage assessments and provided construction defect analysis for thousands of structures which include hotels, motels, and restaurants; swimming pools and pool decks; gas stations and auto dealerships; retail and office buildings; library, educational, and ecclesiastical facilities; industrial, warehouse, and storage buildings; single-family, multi-family, and manufactured homes; daycare centers and convalescent homes; animal hospitals, and equestrian centers, ranches, and farms. He has evaluated building envelope, installation, construction integrity and sequencing, materials evaluation, and product compatibility. Investigations include rain, snow, wind, hail, lightning strikes, hurricanes, tornados, soils and drainage, waterproofing and flashing integration, cracks, displacement, and maintenance at several types of roof and wall systems.
Mr. Grant has investigated and evaluated structures that were damaged by natural disasters during Hurricanes Ike (2008), Matthew (2016), Irma (2017), Florence (2018), Dorian (2019), Ian (2022), Nicole (2022), Hilary (2023), and Milton (2024); the major hail events in Arizona (2010), Texas (2016), New Mexico (2019), Iowa (2022), and Minnesota (2022); Pacific Gas & Electric California Wildfires (2021); and the Texas Wildfires (2024).
Education and Certifications
- Master of Architecture (M. Arch.): University of Colorado, Denver (1982-1984)
- Bachelor of Environmental Design (B. Envd.): University of Colorado, Boulder (1979-1982)
- Minor – Engineering and Math, Lewis College, Durango, Colorado (1977-1979)
Associations and Memberships
- Architect Registrations: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming.
- National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB)
- General Contractor Licenses: California and Nevada
- Certified XL Tribometrist (CXLT)
- International Code Council (ICC)
- American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP)
- American Society of Testing & Materials (ASTM)
Publications
- ADA Compliance Guidelines/California Access Code – 1st edition (1993), 2nd edition (1994)