EAST LOS ANGELES CUSTOM HOME BUILDER & GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Built With Intention. From Flat Lots To Hills.
EAST LOS ANGELES HOMES ARE BUILT DIFFERENTLY
Heart Construction is a general contractor serving East Los Angeles, specializing in custom homes, full renovations, and ADUs and additions on deep older lots. We work with homeowners, architects, engineers and designers through organized pre-construction, transparent budgeting and steady execution that keeps you in control.
East Los Angeles is County territory.
LA County Public Works, not the City of Los Angeles, issues your building permit through its East Los Angeles district office, and County Regional Planning checks zoning under the County zoning code. Most online advice covers the City, so we explain the County steps first and submit complete packages.
County zoning sets height and setbacks, City Terrace hillsides call for geotechnical and retaining engineering, and older homes may carry unpermitted work that needs legalizing. Sequencing these before design keeps surprises out of construction.
We guide the process so every decision feels informed, not reactive, and the budget stays in your hands.
Our work here includes ADUs and garage conversions, full remodels and additions for growing families, and new homes on City Terrace hillsides, around Obregon Park and Saybrook Park. We bring the same structure and discipline we apply across the Eastside 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 El Sereno, Boyle Heights, Lincoln Heights and beyond.
OUR CONSTRUCTION COMPANY EAST LOS ANGELES 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 East Los Angeles
County plan check and utility connections set the pace in East Los Angeles. LA County Public Works handles routine permits in 3–6 months; hillside, fire-zone or septic review pushes that to 6–12 months. A custom home then takes 10–16 months to build. Complete submittals and early utility requests protect your schedule most, so we prepare both before the first plan check.
What It Costs
Costs here reflect older, small homes that need system upgrades and, in City Terrace, steep-lot engineering, more than land value. 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, geotechnical and survey studies, permits — are additional. You receive a line-by-line budget before construction begins.
Permits & Local Rules
LA County Public Works issues your permit, applied for and inspected online through EPIC-LA. County zoning sets height and setbacks, and the County ADU code allows an ADU plus a junior unit on single-family lots, with pre-approved County plans available. The 2026 County building codes apply to applications filed once they took effect. We handle the submittals, survey older work so it can be legalized inside the permit scope, and sequence all of this from feasibility so design starts with the constraints known.
Where We Build in East Los Angeles
City Terrace, Winter Gardens, Maravilla, Belvedere Gardens, Eastmont, Belvedere, Palma Heights, Occidental Heights, Belvedere Heights, from flat tracts to hillside streets. Flat Belvedere Gardens or Maravilla lots mostly need straightforward foundations, while steep City Terrace parcels need geotechnical work, retaining and careful access planning. 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 East Los Angeles
Who issues my building permit?
LA County Public Works issues it, not the City of Los Angeles. East Los Angeles is unincorporated, so you apply and track inspections online through EPIC-LA, and zoning follows County Title 22 and the East Los Angeles Community Plan. We prepare complete packages so correction rounds stay few.
How long does a permit take?
Routine County plan check runs 3–6 months. Hillside, fire-zone or septic review can stretch it to 6–12 months. Utility connections can add time after approval, so we request them early. Building a detached ADU? See our ADU construction timeline guide.
Cost to build a home here?
Custom homes typically run $500–$750+ per sq ft. Steep City Terrace lots, retaining walls and system upgrades push toward the upper end. Soft costs such as design, studies and permits are additional. You receive a line-by-line budget before construction begins.
Can I legalize unpermitted work?
Often, yes. State law (Government Code 66311.7) bars denial of an ADU built before 2020 for code non-compliance, which gives owners a path to legalize old units. We survey existing conditions before design and fold legalization into the permit scope, so surprises surface before construction starts.
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 East Los Angeles homeowners:
- ADU Cost Los Angeles
- Remodel, Rebuild, or Add an ADU in Los Angeles?
- Cost to Build a Custom Home in Los Angeles (2026)
Nearby areas we serve: El Sereno · Boyle Heights · Lincoln Heights
Region: All The Eastside communities we serve · Everywhere we build