BEL-AIR CUSTOM HOME BUILDER & GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Built With Intention. Canyon Ridges, Estate Lots.
BEL-AIR HOMES ARE BUILT DIFFERENTLY
Heart Construction is a general contractor serving Bel-Air, specializing in custom homes, full renovations, and canyon estate rebuilds. We work with homeowners, architects, engineers and designers through organized pre-construction, transparent budgeting and steady execution, so a hillside project stays under your control from first sketch to closeout.
In Bel-Air, the hillside decides the schedule.
Bel-Air was the first community placed under the city's Hillside Construction Regulation district. It caps hillside soil import and export, limits haul trucks per hour and hours of hauling, and sends larger grading jobs to a public haul-route hearing before the Board of Building and Safety Commissioners. LADBS reviews every plan.
Every property also sits in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, so exteriors need fire-hardened assemblies and LAFD access clearance, streets are narrow, work hours are restricted, and City ADU rules are limited on hillside lots. Sequencing is what keeps it moving.
We guide the process so every decision, from grading volume to roofing, feels informed rather than reactive.
Our work here spans whole-house estate remodels, ground-up custom homes on view lots, and fire-hardening and outdoor rebuilds. For each, we bring the same structure and discipline we apply across the Westside 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 Beverly Crest, Westwood, Beverly Hills and beyond.
OUR CONSTRUCTION COMPANY BEL-AIR PROCESS
PLAN
First a Strategic Visioning Session: A conversation about your goals, budget and timeline, and a frank read on what your 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 Bel-Air
Pace in Bel-Air is set by stacked clearances: LADBS plan check, Planning's hillside review, LAFD hydrant and access sign-off, and, for heavy grading, a haul-route hearing. Routine permits take 2–6 months; projects with hillside grading, Planning clearances or haul-route approval run 6–12 months. Construction of a custom home takes 10–18 months. The lever that protects your schedule is settling grading volume at feasibility, so the haul-route path is chosen, not discovered.
What It Costs
Costs sit high because every lot is sloped, in the fire zone and inside the hillside construction district, so engineering, fire-hardened assemblies, small-truck hauling and restricted hours are built into every scope. Custom homes typically run $650–$1,100+ per sq ft; whole-home renovations $375–$750+ per sq ft; detached ADUs $280,000–$600,000+; pools $150,000–$450,000+. Soft costs — design, geotechnical and structural engineering, permits — are additional. You receive a line-by-line budget before construction begins.
Permits, Rules & Fire Codes
LADBS is the permit authority, with Planning clearances for hillside lots. Four rules define most projects: the Hillside Construction Regulation district, the haul-route approval that heavy grading triggers, California's wildland-urban interface code, and the city's limits on ADUs on fire-zone hillside lots. Fire-zone construction standards and residential sprinklers are our base specification, not upgrades. The Bel-Air Association also reviews plans voluntarily. These are known quantities; we sequence them from feasibility so design decisions are made with the constraints known.
Where We Build in Bel-Air
La Vue, West Gate Bel Air, Bel Air Crest, Bel Air Estates, Casiano Estates, Upper Bel Air, Stone Canyon, Roscomare Valley, from the East Gate entrance to the canyons above Bel-Air Country Club. Casiano Estates, with gentler streets, a guard booth and lighter grading, differs from Upper Bel Air's steep ridges, where heavy retaining and a haul-route hearing are likely. 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 to each project, from energy-efficient design to fire-resilient construction.
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 Bel-Air
Do I need a haul-route hearing?
Only if grading reaches 1,000 cubic yards or more, which then needs Haul Route approval from the Board of Building and Safety Commissioners after a public hearing. Bel-Air's hillside district also caps import and export at 6,000 cubic yards. We calculate cut and fill at feasibility, so you know early which path applies.
How long does a rebuild take?
Expect 2–6 months for routine LADBS permits and 6–12 months when hillside grading, Planning clearances or haul-route approval apply. Construction of a custom home then runs 10–18 months. We map every clearance into one critical-path schedule and report weekly, so timing is visible rather than hoped for.
Cost to build a home in Bel-Air?
Custom homes typically run $650–$1,100+ per sq ft. Steep ridge lots, heavy retaining, small-truck hauling and fire-hardened exteriors push toward the upper end. Soft costs such as design, engineering and permits are additional. You receive a line-by-line budget before construction begins. For wider context, see our cost to build a custom home in Los Angeles guide.
Can I build an ADU on a hillside?
Often yes, through state law. City-ordinance ADUs are generally prohibited on lots that are in both a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone and a Hillside Area (LAMC 12.22 A.33(c)(4)), but conversions, JADUs and a by-right 800 sq ft detached unit remain available. Fire-hardened exterior standards still apply.
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 Bel-Air homeowners:
- Custom Home vs Remodel vs Rebuild in Los Angeles
- Custom Home Build Timeline Los Angeles
- ADU Los Angeles: Is It Right for Your Property?
Nearby areas we serve: Beverly Crest · Westwood · Beverly Hills · West Los Angeles · Beverlywood · Venice
Region: All Westside communities we serve · Everywhere we build