How a VP of Land Acquisition & Development Uses TraceAir to Move Fast and Stay Ahead

In this Q&A, we sat down with Colorado-based Dan Galasso, VP of Land Acquisition and Development for a top national homebuilder. Over the course of his 20+ year career, Dan has held leadership roles with respected builders including KB Home, Pulte, and Century. He is also an active member of the Denver Home Builders Association.

Dan brings an invaluable perspective on how the industry is evolving—embracing a new era of development powered by technology. Passionate about sustainability and the integration of emerging tools in land development, he offers a forward-looking view on how builders can deliver smarter, more efficient communities.

Q&A with Dan Galasso, Vice President of Land Acquisition & Development

TraceAir: Where in your process do you find TraceAir has the biggest impact?

Dan Galasso:
The value starts really early. We use TraceAir as we’re going through entitlements to scan the site and share that with our consultants. That scan gives us visibility into how the site ties together—especially around the perimeter. That’s where issues usually show up. Maybe the engineer only checked the grade in a couple of spots, but once we get on-site, we realize it doesn’t match all the way around. TraceAir helps us catch that before it becomes a problem.

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TA: What kind of savings or efficiencies have you seen using TraceAir in this way?

DG:
Traditional survey methods can be expensive and slow, especially if you’re trying to get a full topo. With TraceAir, one scan gives us the accuracy we need and saves us a ton of time. On a 100-acre site, it’s almost impossible to get boots on the ground across every square foot. But with TraceAir, we get a full view of the site in a matter of hours. That kind of speed is a huge advantage.

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TA: How does TraceAir help when you’re evaluating finished lot deals?

DG:
Lot Viewer is a great tool for that. We can take a finished lot deal and instantly see where the dirt is at. That lets us know if we’re going to have too much or too little dirt. We can start planning before we ever commit, and that helps us avoid a lot of costly rework down the line.

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TA: What would you say to other developers thinking about adopting TraceAir?

DG:
As the market picks back up, we want to move with speed and strength. TraceAir helps us do that. It’s not just about collecting data—it’s about making better decisions, earlier, and keeping your entire team aligned. That’s what allows us to operate lean.

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See What’s Possible with TraceAir

Watch the full conversation and learn even more about how land development teams across the country are using TraceAir to streamline due diligence, accelerate lot readiness, and reduce risk at every stage. 

👉 Watch the full webinar here: https://try.traceair.net/operate-lean-win-big

‍👉 Explore TraceAir’s tools for land development: traceair.net