Mr. Scott Cohen
Chatsworth, CA 91311
Office: 818-280-0420
Fax: 818-280-0424
Scott Cohen is a licensed Swimming Pool, General and Landscape Contractor with over 32 years experience designing and building for California home-owners (lic#340258 B, C53, C57). Cohen is an experienced Expert Witness for both Plaintiff and Defense cases and has served as an Industry Expert for the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) for over 18 years (since 2002).
Cohen is an acclaimed garden designer, author, and licensed contractor in landscape, pool and general construction whose award-winning work has been showcased frequently on HGTV and in numerous books and national magazines. A charismatic and entertaining speaker, Cohen teaches seminars to the trade on Construction Defect, High End Pool Design, Fire Place and Fire-Pit design, and Outdoor Room Design. Scott Cohen is the author of 8 design and construction books, including the award-winning Outdoor Kitchen Design Workbook, Poolscapes, The Candid Contractor, and Outdoor Fireplaces and Fire Pits.
Scott Cohen has qualified as an expert in arbitration, trials, and mediation.
- Concrete/Cement
- Construction
- Construction Damages
- Landscape Design
- Lighting & Illumination
- Pools & Spas
- Scheduling Delay & Analysis
- Q: Please list your professional accreditations, degrees, licenses, and certificates granted:
- A: General, Swimming Pool, and Landscape Contractor Lic.# 340258 Classes B, C-53, & C-27
- Q: Please list your affiliations or memberships in any professional and/or industry organizations:
- A: Contractors' State License Board (CSLB), Association of Pool and Spa Professionals (APSP), National Plasters Council (NPC), Tile Council of North America (TCNA) and United Aqua Group (UAG), Vice Chair California Pool and Spa Association (CPSA)
- Q: Please list any teaching or speaking experience you have had, including subject matter:
- A: Cohen is a charismatic and experienced public speaker:
Seminar Instructor (to Peers):
• International Pool, Spa & Patio Expo, New Orleans November 2019
o Construction Defect Seminar – “Contractor Bloopers & Blunders 2019”
o Builders Power Panel – 3 Successful Builders share methodology
• Concrete Décor Show, Arlington, Texas October 2019
o Sizzling Outdoor Kitchens Seminar
o Decorative Concrete Around Pools Seminar
• North Eastern Spa and Pool Show, Atlantic City, New Jersey January 2019
o Landscaping & Swimming Pools Design and Construction
o Outdoor Lighting in the Garden – safety, design, install
o Design course - Interviewing and bonding with the client
• International Pool, Spa & Patio Expo, Las Vegas November 2018
o Construction Defect Seminar – “Contractor Bloopers & Blunders 2018”
o Concrete patio sizing and outdoor room design “Outer Space Design for Entertaining”
• International Pool, Spa & Patio Expo, Florida November 2017
o Construction Defect Seminar – “Contractor Bloopers & Blunders 2017”
o Landscape Lighting Design and Install
• International Pool, Spa & Patio Expo, New Orleans November 2016
o Outdoor Room Design, Deck & Patio Sizing
o Design the Ultimate Entertainers Backyard, Fire features, High End Pools
• Concrete Décor Show, San Diego California - September 2016
o Divide & Conquer: Outdoor Room Design, Deck & Patio Sizing
o Design the Ultimate Entertainers Backyard
• United Aqua Group - Educational summit , Las Vegas Nevada - March 2016
o Bonding & Rapport, Qualify the Lead & Intake, Interviewing the client
o Landscaping and Swimming Pools
• International Pool, Spa, Patio Expo, Nevada - Nov. 2015
o Candid Contractor - Construction defect seminar swimming pools, vanishing edges
o 50 Shades of Green - Environmentally friendly pool & landscape design
• North Eastern Spa and Pool Show, New Jersey - Jan. 2015
o High End Swimming Pool Design
o Patios, Pergolas, and Petscaping
o Landscaping & Pools: A Winning Combination
• Pool Spa Expo, Florida - Nov. 2014
o Ignite Your Sales with Fire Features
o Counter-intuitive! Design & Build your own cast concrete countertops
• Concrete Décor Show, Oct. 2014
o Designer Secrets for Outdoor Room Design & Cast Concrete Barbecue Countertops
o Ignite Your Sales with Fire Features
• Long Beach Landscape Expo, Oct. 2014
o High End Pool Design and Construction
• Atlantic City Pool and Spa Show, January 2014
o The Candid Contractor; Lessons Learned from Construction Defect Expert Witness Files of Scott Cohen
o Outdoor Fireplaces and Fire Feature Design and Construction
o The Outdoor Room Boom
- Q: Have any of your accreditations ever been investigated, suspended or removed? (if yes, explain)
- A: No
- Q: On how many occasions have you been retained as an expert?
- A: 30
- Q: For what area(s) of expertise have you been retained as an expert?
- A: Swimming pool design and construction, vanishing edge pools, fire-pit incidents, concrete decking, construction defect, retaining walls, glass tile work, waterproofing, drainage and irrigation systems, working within trade, contract disputes, outdoor kitchen design, concrete patios, driveways, pavers, outdoor fireplaces, water features, ponds and waterfalls, and general landscape construction.
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the plaintiff?
- A: 40%
- Q: In what percentage of your cases were you retained by the defendant?
- A: 60%
- Q: On how many occasions have you had your deposition taken?
- A: 23
- Q: When was the last time you had your deposition taken?
- A: 2/2021
- Q: On how many occasions have you been qualified by a court to give expert testimony?
- A: 4
- Q: On how many occasions have you testified as an expert in court or before an arbitrator?
- A: 12
- Q: For how many years have you worked with the legal industry as an expert?
- A: 15 years
- Q: What services do you offer? (E.g.: consulting, testing, reports, site inspections etc.)
- A: Consulting, site inspections, cost to correct, forensic work, litigator support, etc.
Construction Defect Inspections: $350 per hour - Q: What is your hourly rate to consult with an attorney?
- A: inquiry phone calls are free, once on the case billed hourly @ $350/hr
- Q: What is your hourly rate to review documents?
- A: $350/hr
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide deposition testimony?
- A: $400 per hour, $800 minimum ($1600 retainer required)
- Q: What is your hourly rate to provide testimony at trial?
- A: $400 per hour, $1,600 minimum
- Q: Please list any fees other than those stated above (E.g.: travel expenses, copy fees, etc.)
- A: Travel expenses: @ $.85 mile + hotel and any other applicable travel reimbursement apply.
Brian C. Plante, Esq.
Green and Hall, APC
1851 East First Street, 10th Floor
Santa Ana, CA 92705
(714) 918-7000
Jason Tortorici, Esq.
Schilleci & Tortorici, P.C.
512 Montgomery Highway
Suite 210
Birmingham, AL 35216
(310) 789-4269