COMMERCE CUSTOM HOME BUILDER & GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Built With Intention. Flat Streets, Full Homes.
COMMERCE HOMES ARE BUILT DIFFERENTLY
Heart Construction is a general contractor serving Commerce, specializing in custom homes, full renovations, and additions for older, family-filled urban lots. We work with homeowners, architects, engineers and designers through organized pre-construction, transparent budgeting and steady execution, so you stay in control of cost and scope from the first call.
Building in Commerce rewards planning.
Most homes here date to the 1950s, with a median build year around 1957, and households are large. The City of Commerce Building and Safety Division reviews plans, and since January 2026 it checks them against the 2025 California codes, so older houses often need updates.
Layer on ADU rules that may lag current state law, work beside industrial and truck traffic, and modest lots, and sequencing matters. We confirm existing conditions and the rules first, so surprises surface before the budget is set.
Our role is to guide the process, with a licensed founder-led team, so every decision feels informed, not reactive.
Most projects here are additions and full remodels, ADUs and garage conversions, and kitchen and bath updates. Whatever the scope, we bring the same structure and discipline we apply across the Southeast LA 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 Compton, Cerritos, Cudahy and beyond.
OUR CONSTRUCTION COMPANY COMMERCE 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 Commerce
Plan check sets the pace in Commerce, and a single city department handles building and planning, which keeps review in one place. Routine permits through the City of Commerce Building and Safety Division take 3–6 months; complex projects, such as those needing a variance or public hearing, take 6–12 months. A custom home takes 10–16 months to build. A feasibility check before design is the lever that most protects your schedule.
What It Costs
Older 1950s houses often hide outdated wiring, plumbing and foundations, and bringing them up to current codes pushes costs where they sit. 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, site and existing-conditions studies, permits — are additional. You receive a line-by-line budget before construction begins. We include a clear allowance for hidden conditions, so any change is explained first.
Permits & Local Rules
The City of Commerce Building and Safety Division reviews plans and issues permits, and plans submitted since January 1, 2026 are checked against the 2025 California codes. Planning reviews zoning, and variances or conditional use permits go to public hearings. Backyard ADUs and garage conversions follow the city's ADU ordinance, but it dates from 2020, so current state ADU law may control where the two differ. We handle that sorting from feasibility, so design decisions are made with the rules known.
Where We Build in Commerce
We build for homeowners in Commerce and the communities around it: Bell, Bell Gardens, Boyle Heights, Downey, East Los Angeles, Montebello, Pico Rivera, Vernon, on flat, established streets near Bristow Park and Veterans Memorial Park. Bandini-Rosini and Rosewood both hold to low-density policy, but Rosewood has more 1940s homes, so expect more existing-conditions work there. 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 Commerce
Do I need a permit for an ADU?
Yes. ADUs and garage conversions need a building permit from the City of Commerce, and the city's ordinance approves them without a hearing when standards are met. Because the ordinance dates from 2020 and state law has changed, we check both before drawing anything. Municipal Code section 19.07.090 governs ADUs here.
How long does a permit take?
Routine plan check with the City of Commerce takes 3–6 months. Projects needing a variance or public hearing run 6–12 months. Building a custom home then takes 10–16 months. A feasibility review up front, before design, is what keeps those ranges from stretching, because rules and existing conditions are known early.
Cost to build a home in Commerce?
Custom homes typically run $500–$750+ per sq ft. Upper-end pricing comes from structural changes, code updates and higher finish levels. Soft costs — design, studies, permits — are additional. You receive a line-by-line budget before construction begins. For a wider view, see our guide to custom home costs in Los Angeles.
What does the ADU ordinance allow?
The city ordinance approves ADUs and JADUs ministerially when its standards are met, including a 16 ft height cap for detached units. The state housing department has flagged the 2020 ordinance for updates, so state ADU law may control where they conflict. We confirm which applies to your lot before design.
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 Commerce homeowners:
- ADU Los Angeles: Is It Right for Your Property?
- ADU Cost Los Angeles
- Second Story vs Home Addition in Los Angeles: What Actually Works
Nearby areas we serve: Compton · Cerritos · Cudahy · Bellflower · Downey · Bell Gardens
Region: All Southeast LA communities we serve · Everywhere we build