The Art of the PLAN

For over 20 years, before the first nail is struck on any of their stunning projects, the team of Jed and Kat Hirsch of Jed Hirsch Construction meets with their staff to create a plan. Every detail, from the subcontactors, to the precise choice of materials, to the flow of construction, is part of a custom, choreographed system. A formula that has produced some of the most beautiful homes in Santa Barbara.

by Jeff Miller | Photos by Jason Rick

It’s easy to understand why so many people enjoy building things.

One reason is obvious: In the end, the result of their effort is standing there, plain to see. But sometimes the satisfaction is more internal.

Something like that happened to Jed Hirsch of Jed Hirsch Construction in Santa Barbara a while back. He was working on a home remodel on Miramar Beach when he came across a block within a wall. To his surprise he found his own writing on it, numbers he had scrawled while noting dimensions almost 20 years earlier.

It was like a time capsule inside a time machine. He’d written those dimensions as an apprentice and found them all those years later as a contractor. “The whole crew signed it and we installed it in a wall by the staircase,” he said. “I love that. Another time capsule to be found in the future.”

The more typical satisfactions come from a job well done. And a visit to the company’s website shows plenty of evidence of those. Words in client reviews like “thorough,” “knowledgeable,” “honest,” and “tasteful” pile up like bricks in a solid reputation.

That status took time to build, but it started young. “I always had my heart set on being a carpenter,” he recalled. Growing up in Studio City, he started taking shop classes in junior high school (“building laminated skateboards, of course”). He moved to Monterey in 1978 and took night classes at City College there, working in a cabinetry shop during the day. It’s not hard to guess what the night classes were all about. “All the woodworking courses I could take,” he said. “I picked it up quick, I was so interested. Some people want to be firemen. I wanted to be a carpenter.”

That first cabinetry job was a gift. “I learned as I went along,” he said. “I was lucky. I got to work with a lot of high-end carpenters early. That set my pace and quality level from the beginning.”

Like so many others, he had developed a love for the SoCal surfing scene as a kid. “I always knew I’d live in Santa Barbara,” he recalled. So in 1980 he made the move. By 1987 he was vice president of the “top-notch” Design Builders contracting company here, and Kat Fuller was CFO. They married in 1990. Nine years later they took the leap and started their own business.

Scary? “Not scary at all,” Hirsch said. He was already doing the work, and nights and weekends he’d been doing his own jobs, so they’d already built a foundation.

Kat recalls it a little differently. “I think it was scary, stepping away from a weekly paycheck,” she said. But the move was too logical to resist: Jed knew how to build, Kat knew how to run the business end of things. “I figured our skill sets balanced each other so well that we should start our own business.”

They’ve seen it all in their 20 years in the business. One of Jed’s favorite experiences involved a big job on a gorgeous creation above San Ysidro Ranch that came with a special twist toward the end. “The owner had our family live in the house for a week before they moved in,” Hirsch said. His response: “Twist my arm.” Turned out to be a win for both sides of the equation. “We used all the appliances, bathrooms, kitchen, HVAC, all the electric lighting. We worked out any bugs. We programmed the lighting to how we liked it. The owner was great with it.”

There have been challenges along the way for the business, including this one: Five years ago the Hirsches divorced, but kept right on working together. “It happened during our biggest project ever,” Kat recalled. “My inclination was to leave but I had a commitment to our clients so I stayed, and Jed and I worked things out as business partners.” Is she glad about that? “Depends on the day,” she laughed. “But yeah, I’m glad I did. We built the business together. So we kept the relationship that worked and let go of the one that didn’t anymore.”

Architectural concrete steps lead up to the front living deck with views of the Pacific Ocean and Channel Islands.

Another big change is the thickness of red tape. “We had a big job six years ago that took us to a whole new level of paperwork,” Kat recalled. “A family compound above Montecito. We had to meet with our client’s lawyers in LA, as well as their CPA firm and architects, all of whom had stringent accounting and paperwork requirements. We had to create new systems. It was a great opportunity to learn and grow and enabled us to carry our enhanced procedures forward on all future jobs.”

Kat’s favorite part of the job is the people. “We cannot do what we do without our team,” she said. “We’re so grateful for them. It’s what I enjoy most, the camaraderie. They’re like family. We all definitely work together to achieve the mutual goal of dream homes for our clients. I appreciate how much our team cares.” And speaking of family, all of the Hirsches’ children and both sets of their parents have pitched in one way or another along the way.

How about favorite building styles? “At first I was doing all Spanish Mediterranean and I loved it,” Jed recalled. “I thought that’s the only kind of building I wanted to build. Then I got a job on a very fine Craftsman that needed to be entirely rebuilt to its former glory, and then that was my favorite. Then contemporary and that’s my favorite. Whatever I’m doing, that’s my favorite.”

How many have there been? “I’m guessing 200,” Hirsch said. “Ten per year or so, big and small, for 20 years, all in Santa Barbara County.”

Along the way Hirsch Construction has drawn some attention, including stories in publications like The New York Times, Mother Earth News, and local publications. And there have been some big names that he prudently declined to reveal.

Well, he did mention one because the owner has moved away.

“It was my first job, in 1980,” Hirsch said — a remodel of actor Gene Hackman’s house in Montecito. “I met Gene and his brother Rich. They’re nice, down to earth guys”. It was a lot of fun and a great learning experience.” At one point he decided to ask the contractor for a raise and the boss said to ask Gene, who asked how much he was making.

“Well, $10 an hour,” Hirsch said.

A few seconds later he was making $13.

Years later, after building their own company, Jed reflected on what made it stand strong for 20 years. At the top of the list: a solid team, as Kat mentioned above. In the beginning, when he left the contractor he was working for to strike out on his own, site manager Gabriel Sanchez came along with him. “We’ve been working together for about 25 years now,” Hirsch said. “A great guy and my right-hand man.”

Then there’s lead carpenter Luis de Luna. “One of the best carpenters I’ve ever worked with,” Hirsch said. “As good or better than I am. It’s fantastic to have a guy like that on your crew. He’s been with us probably 15 years now.” He also had high praise for project supervisor Jade Eliason, project coordinator Brittany Kemp, bookkeeper Terry Randall, and crew members.

Jed and Kat Hirsch are nowhere near the end of their careers. But the 20th anniversary of the family’s business is a logical time to glance backward. To that end, Jed said, “I’ve been in cabinetry or the woodworking profession since I was 17, so that’s 43 years. My kids ask me how I chose what I wanted to do. I say I don’t know. I just always knew.”