Bob Hatch Builds a Legacy

Bob Hatch of Bob Hatch Builds is as efficient summing up his life’s work as he is remodeling homes in Pasadena’s Bungalow Heaven.

“I’m a general building, engineering, demolition contractor,” Hatch said. “’Been working 30 years, got a great family, and we’re happy.”

His great family is a big part of his work as a contractor for the Craftsman style bungalows that are so prevalent in the Pasadena area. Hatch’s son, Joel Hatch, is the electrician for the family outfit.

Bob Hatch Builds does everything from concrete fittings to electrical and plumbing work, while paying strict attention to the artisanal and aesthetic side of restoring historical homes.

Bob started under the supervision of his father, who worked as an aerospace machinist before getting into the construction business. He learned his attention to detail and perfectionism at an early age.

“My first thing, I was four years old pounding nails into floor sheathing and I’ll never forget I didn’t bend one nail,” Bob said. “… Well, I probably bent one because he yelled at me or something. So I straightened it out—I’m never going to bend a nail again, you know! And he taught me that. And the next came electrical. And next came plumbing. He taught me so much just to get me in the door of all the trades to where I learned each and every one of them to where it’s meticulous.”

Bob’s father tells of his own apprenticeship in shop class.

“It’s always been my job, ever since I worked,” said the elder Hatch. “I took machine shop in high school, then I took two periods of it, because if you take one period of machine shop in school you make a set up and by the time you’re set up it’s the end of the class and it gets torn down, so I took two periods at a time and I learned quite a bit about machinist.”

And Bob wasn’t the only one to benefit from his father’s tutelage. Joel, too, learned the trade from his grandfather, starting on go-karts and birdhouses. He returns the favor of his education by helping his dad out with technology on the job site.

“I’m kind of teaching my dad a little bit about the technology portion of it with the smartphones and laptops we can print our contracts and proposals out right on the job,” Joel said. “You don’t have to go home and type it out and bring it back like we used to.”

Contact Bob Hatch Builds at (626) 354-8339 or bob@bobhatchbuilds.com.