ALHAMBRA CUSTOM HOME BUILDER & GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Built With Intention. Honoring Century-Old Streets.
ALHAMBRA HOMES ARE BUILT DIFFERENTLY
Heart Construction is a general contractor serving Alhambra, specializing in custom homes, full renovations, and period-sensitive remodels of older single-family tracts. We work alongside homeowners, architects, engineers and designers, bringing organized pre-construction, transparent budgeting and steady execution to every project from the first conversation to closeout.
Building in Alhambra rewards planning.
Design Review by the City of Alhambra Planning Division applies to enlargements and to exterior changes visible from the street, and the Historic Preservation Ordinance adopted in September 2025 now shapes how older homes in historic tracts are changed. Knowing which applies before drawings begin keeps you from redesigning later.
ADUs must generally match the main house unless a state exemption applies, tree removal and grading permits still apply, and updated design standards take effect in October 2026. Sequencing all of it early protects your schedule.
We guide the process so every decision feels informed, not reactive, and so your plan reads as compatible from the street.
From full-home remodels of older houses to ADUs, garage conversions and additions near Story Park or Almansor Park, we bring the same structure and discipline we apply across the San Gabriel Valley and every project in Los Angeles.
RECENT PROJECTS
-
![Malibu Pier home interior featuring a warm modern living space with built-in seating, layered textures, custom wood furniture, and an open layout flowing into a minimalist kitchen, showcasing Heart Construction’s intentional coastal design.]()
MALIBU PIER
-
![Pacific Palisades ocean-view backyard with custom pool, palm trees, lounge seating, and manicured lawn overlooking the Pacific coastline.]()
MALIBU
-
![Marina del Rey home interior with warm modern design featuring a natural wood dining table, sculptural pendant lighting, plaster walls, and an open kitchen with custom cabinetry, showcasing Heart Construction’s intentional coastal craftsmanship.]()
MARINA DEL REY
-
![Open-concept living room in a Hollywood Hills home remodel with folding glass walls, custom built-ins, soft neutral furnishings, and seamless indoor-outdoor flow overlooking canyon views, showcasing Heart Construction’s warm modern design.]()
HOLLYWOOD HILLS
-
![Pacific Palisades luxury bathroom with freestanding soaking tub, marble walk-in shower, herringbone tile walls, and sculptural glass chandelier framed by natural light and greenery views.]()
BRENTWOOD
-
![Pacific Palisades modern custom home with smooth stucco façade, black-framed windows, vertical wood garage door, and drought-tolerant landscaping.]()
MAR VISTA
OUR REMODELING SERVICES
At Heart Construction, we specialize in creating thoughtfully designed homes that reflect the way you live. From custom ground-up builds to full-scale renovations and refined living spaces, we guide every project with craftsmanship, clarity and care for homeowners in Arcadia, Whittier, Avocado Heights and beyond.
OUR CONSTRUCTION COMPANY ALHAMBRA PROCESS
PLAN
First a Strategic Visioning Session: A conversation about your goals, budget and timeline, and a frank read on what your Malibu site will allow. Complimentary.
TEAM
Second we assemble the architect, structural and geotechnical engineers, civil engineer, biologist and designers your project needs — matched to your style and site's constraints.
CALL
Third a Professional Services Agreement and a small retainer begin feasibility, permitting strategy, design coordination and line-by-line budgeting.
PERMITS
We assemble and file the complete CDP and building-permit package, coordinate Fire and Environmental Health reviews, and lock scope, finishes and schedule before groundbreaking.
CONSTRUCTION
Milestone-based build. Change orders are priced and approved in writing before work begins. You get a weekly update every week — progress, decisions needed, what's next.
CLOSEOUT
Finally Walkthrough with Final inspections, punch list, documentation and warranty handover. Payments are tied to completed milestones, never arbitrary percentages.
After you contact us, Within one business day, Asaf will call to understand your property and goals. If it's a fit, we schedule a site visit. There's no obligation and no pressure — just a clear picture of what's possible.
What to Know Before
You Build in Alhambra
The City of Alhambra plan check sets the pace, and Design Review adds time wherever it applies to an enlargement or a street-visible change. Routine permits run 3–6 months; projects that need Design Review or more complex review run 6–12 months. Construction of a custom home typically takes 10–16 months. The lever that most protects your schedule is a complete, correct submittal at the start, which is why we assemble it before anything is filed.
What It Costs
Costs here reflect older homes with unknown conditions, high land values and character-matching materials that keep new work compatible with the block. Custom homes typically run $500–$750+ per sq ft; whole-home renovations $325–$600+ per sq ft; detached ADUs $250,000–$450,000+; pools $120,000–$300,000+. Soft costs — design, existing-conditions review, tree and grading studies, permits — are additional. You receive a line-by-line budget before construction begins.
Permits & Local Rules
Permits run through the City of Alhambra Community Development Department, Building Division, with the Planning Division handling design review. Design Review applies to enlargements and visible exterior work, the new Historic Preservation Ordinance touches older tracts, ADUs follow the city's design-match standards, and tree removal and grading permits apply even to ADUs. We check each one before design begins, so your drawings start with the constraints known.
Where We Build in Alhambra
The Alhambra, Ramona Park, Airport Tract, Bean Tract, Emery Park, Midwick Tract, Alhambra Tract, Lindaraxa Park — flat, established streets across the city. Bean Tract offers larger lots and 1930s–40s revival homes, while Ramona Park's early-1900s Craftsman homes sit in a potential historic district, where more care around street-visible changes is needed. Not sure which rules apply to your parcel? A feasibility review answers that in two to four weeks.
Meet the Builders Behind Your Project
Asaf Bar-Hen — Co-Founder & Developer Asaf leads design and development from concept to completion. His background spans 15 years in hospitality design, seven years in renewable energy and energy-efficient building, and real-estate work across the U.S., Asia and Central America. He leads every first call and brings a sustainability lens that aligns naturally with Malibu's coastal and fire-resilience standards.
Jason Aizenberg — Co-Founder Jason runs the operational side of every project — permits, design meetings, scheduling, subcontractor coordination and site logistics. Clients describe him as the person who "managed everything so we could focus on our family.”
California Contractors State License Board #1146456 — Class B General Building Contractor. Verify on CSLB ↗
25+ years of combined experience across high-end residential construction in Los Angeles
Frequently Asked Questions
About Renovation in Alhambra
Is Design Review required?
Often, yes. Planning Design Review applies to enlargements of existing residences and to exterior alterations visible from a public street that need a building permit. Front-yard fences, walls, dense hedges and exterior color changes go through it too. Weighing an addition? Read second story vs home addition first.
How long does plan check take?
Routine plan check and permitting with the City of Alhambra run 3–6 months. Where Design Review or added complexity applies, expect 6–12 months. Permits are applied for through the city's online Permit Portal. A complete, correct submittal at the start is the surest way to protect your schedule.
Cost to build a home in Alhambra?
Custom homes typically run $500–$750+ per sq ft. Hidden conditions in older properties and character-matching materials push toward the upper end. Soft costs — design, studies, permits — are additional. You receive a line-by-line budget before construction begins.
Will the new historic rules apply?
Possibly. The city adopted a Historic Preservation Ordinance in September 2025 covering older homes, additions and demolitions. The 2023 survey found 865 potentially eligible properties but designated none itself. We check your home's status during the feasibility review, before you spend on drawings.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. Heart Construction holds California Contractors State License Board license #1146456 and is bonded and insured for large-scale residential construction, major remodels and structural work. You can verify the license on the CSLB website.
Guides for Alhambra homeowners:
- ADU Los Angeles: Is It Right for Your Property?
- Cost to Build a Custom Home in Los Angeles (2026)
- Custom Home vs Remodel vs Rebuild in Los Angeles
Nearby areas we serve: Arcadia · Whittier · Avocado Heights · West Puente Valley · Azusa · West Covina
Region: All San Gabriel Valley communities we serve · Everywhere we build