HARBOR GATEWAY CUSTOM HOME BUILDER & GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Built With Intention. Smart Growth On Flat Lots.
HARBOR GATEWAY HOMES ARE BUILT DIFFERENTLY
Heart Construction is a general contractor serving Harbor Gateway, specializing in custom homes, full renovations, and ADUs on flat postwar lots. We work with homeowners, architects, engineers and designers through organized pre-construction, transparent budgeting and steady execution, so you stay in control from first call to closeout.
Building in Harbor Gateway rewards planning.
The Harbor LA Community Plans, adopted by City Council in 2025, are moving every parcel under the New Zoning Code, and final adoption is still pending. On top of that, the Baseline Mansionization Ordinance caps floor area on small single-family lots. LADBS reviews both, so we confirm your lot's rules before design.
Aging 1940s–60s systems, ADU rules and costs, and lots near industrial or freeway edges add more layers. Sequencing matters: the right order of checks keeps the budget honest.
We guide the process so every decision feels informed, not reactive, and you keep control of scope and cost.
Most Harbor Gateway projects are ADUs and garage conversions, full-home remodels, and kitchens and baths. We bring the same structure and discipline we apply across the Harbor region 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 Hawaiian Gardens, Harbor City, Lakewood and beyond.
OUR CONSTRUCTION COMPANY HARBOR GATEWAY 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 Harbor Gateway
The permit queue sets the pace here, along with the Harbor LA rezoning, whose final adoption is still pending. Routine LADBS plan check runs 2–6 months; it stretches to 6–12 months when Planning clearances are involved. Construction for a custom home takes 10–16 months. The lever that protects your schedule most is confirming your lot's zoning first and filing a complete submittal.
What It Costs
Costs here track Los Angeles labor and state energy requirements, and older 1940s–60s homes often need system upgrades behind the walls and in the utilities. 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, surveys, permits — are additional. You receive a line-by-line budget before construction begins.
Permits & Local Rules
LADBS is the permit authority, and three things define most projects here. The Baseline Mansionization Ordinance limits floor area on small single-family lots, shaping every addition and second story. ADUs and garage conversions follow a ministerial LADBS path with no Planning hearing for a compliant unit. The Harbor LA rezoning is changing zone names and standards. We check your lot's rules from feasibility, so design decisions are made with the constraints known.
Where We Build in Harbor Gateway
Roosevelt, South Bay Village, Normandale, across flat, established blocks of postwar homes near Rosecrans Park and Normandale Recreation Center. Normandale's residential blocks are meant to stay stable, while the Harbor Gateway Transit Center and Carson Street corridor are where the plan allows taller, denser development, so rules differ sharply by site. 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 Harbor Gateway
Do I need a permit for an ADU?
Yes. An ADU or garage conversion needs an LADBS permit, but it follows a ministerial path under LAMC 12.22 A.33, so a code-compliant unit needs no Planning hearing. The review clock is 60 days, though it runs only on a complete application. Setbacks are 4 feet at the rear and sides.
How long from first call to permit?
Routine LADBS plan check runs 2–6 months, and 6–12 months when Planning clearances apply. Before that, feasibility takes two to four weeks. A complete submittal is the biggest time saver, since the 60-day ADU clock only starts on a complete application. See our ADU construction timeline guide for each phase.
Cost to build a home here?
Custom homes typically run $500–$750+ per sq ft. Whole-home renovations run $325–$600+ per sq ft. Older-lot surprises, finish level and state energy requirements push toward the upper end. Soft costs — design, surveys, permits — are additional. You receive a line-by-line budget before construction begins.
Does the Harbor LA rezoning matter?
Yes. City Council adopted the Harbor LA Community Plans in September 2025, placing every parcel under the New Zoning Code, Chapter 1A, with final adoption pending City Attorney review. Most single-family blocks are meant to stay stable, but we confirm your lot's zone before design. The Baseline Mansionization Ordinance still limits floor area to 45% of lot area on non-hillside R1 lots.
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 Harbor Gateway homeowners:
- ADU Cost Los Angeles
- Cost to Build a Custom Home in Los Angeles (2026)
- Second Story vs Home Addition in Los Angeles: What Actually Works
Nearby areas we serve: Hawaiian Gardens · Harbor City · Lakewood · Carson · Long Beach · Avalon
Region: All Harbor communities we serve · Everywhere we build