ARCADIA CUSTOM HOME BUILDER & GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Built With Intention. Foothills Meet Ranch Streets.
ARCADIA HOMES ARE BUILT DIFFERENTLY
Heart Construction is a general contractor serving Arcadia, specializing in custom homes, full renovations, and ranch teardown rebuilds on flat and foothill lots. We work with homeowners, architects, engineers and designers through organized pre-construction, transparent budgeting and steady execution, so every decision is made with the numbers in front of you.
Building in Arcadia isn't simple.
The City of Arcadia Development Services Department, Building Services Division, issues your permit, but only after two layers of design review: the citywide Single-Family Residential Design Guidelines and, in five neighborhoods such as Santa Anita Village, a Homeowners Association Architectural Review Board whose approval must be final first.
Floor area is capped by lot size and counts garages, ADUs and high ceilings. The Rebuild Ordinance applies once more than half the exterior walls come out, and protected oaks and sycamores limit where you can dig. Sequencing is what keeps a project on schedule.
We guide the process, including an HOA pre-review before design development, so decisions feel informed, not reactive.
From ranch replacements and whole-house remodels with a new kitchen and added bedroom to detached ADUs and guest-house legalization, we bring the same structure and discipline we apply across the San Gabriel Valley and every project in Los Angeles.
RECENT PROJECTS
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![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
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![Pacific Palisades ocean-view backyard with custom pool, palm trees, lounge seating, and manicured lawn overlooking the Pacific coastline.]()
MALIBU
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![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
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![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
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![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
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![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 Avocado Heights, Alhambra, Azusa and beyond.
OUR CONSTRUCTION COMPANY ARCADIA 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 Arcadia
Pace in Arcadia is set by sequential approvals: first the Homeowners Association Architectural Review Board where one applies, then City design review with its notice period, then plan check with the City of Arcadia Development Services Department. Routine permits run 3–6 months; projects that need design review or a more complex plan check run 6–12 months. Construction of a custom home takes 10–16 months. The lever that protects your schedule is locking the design with the review board before Planning submittal, so nothing loops back.
What It Costs
Costs here track lot scale and review layers: larger lots in Upper Rancho carry bigger foundations, oak protection and fire-resistant materials, and every project carries design-review drawings. Custom homes typically run $550–$900+ per sq ft; whole-home renovations $375–$650+ per sq ft; detached ADUs $275,000–$500,000+; pools $120,000–$340,000+. Soft costs — design, arborist and survey studies, permits — are additional. You receive a line-by-line budget before construction begins.
Permits, Rules & Fire Codes
The City of Arcadia Development Services Department issues permits, after the Single-Family Design Guidelines review and, in the five Homeowners Association areas, Architectural Review Board approval. The Rebuild Ordinance and the lot-based floor area cap shape how much you can change and add. Fire-zone construction standards and residential sprinklers are our base specification in the foothills, not upgrades. We map all of these to your parcel during feasibility, so the building permit is the last step, not a surprise.
Where We Build in Arcadia
Lower Rancho, Upper Rancho, Highland Oaks, West Arcadia, Baldwin Stocker, Santa Anita Village — flat ranch streets near Bonita Park, foothill lots, and a heritage stretching from the Reid-Baldwin Adobe to the Queen Anne Cottage. Lower Rancho means Architectural Review Board review of every exterior change; Baldwin Stocker means City-only review on tighter lots. 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 Arcadia
Do I need HOA approval to build?
Yes. Architectural Review Board approval applies to all exterior work in Arcadia's five HOA areas, including paint, windows, roofing and landscaping, and no permit issues until that approval is final. If a board says no, we revise the massing with its chair and resubmit before drawings go further.
How long does Arcadia review take?
Routine permits take 3–6 months; projects with design review take 6–12 months. HOA review comes first, then City design review with its notice period, then plan check. Locking the design with the review board before Planning submittal keeps those steps from looping back.
Cost to build a home in Arcadia?
Custom homes typically run $550–$900+ per sq ft. Larger lots, oak protection, fire-zone materials and design-review drawings push toward the upper end. Soft costs such as design, arborist reports and permits are additional. You receive a line-by-line budget before construction begins.
Will my remodel become a Rebuild?
Under Arcadia's Rebuild Ordinance, removing more than 50% of a building's exterior walls makes the project a Rebuild, which must meet all current zoning, building and fire regulations and pay new-structure permit and school district fees. We plan wall retention in writing before demolition. See Custom Home vs Remodel vs Rebuild in Los Angeles.
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 Arcadia homeowners:
- Cost to Build a Custom Home in Los Angeles (2026)
- ADU Los Angeles: Is It Right for Your Property?
- Second Story vs Home Addition in Los Angeles: What Actually Works
Nearby areas we serve: Avocado Heights · Alhambra · Azusa · Whittier · Baldwin Park · West Puente Valley
Region: All San Gabriel Valley communities we serve · Everywhere we build