HARVARD HEIGHTS CUSTOM HOME BUILDER & GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Built With Intention. Craftsman Streets Kept Whole.
HARVARD HEIGHTS HOMES ARE BUILT DIFFERENTLY
Heart Construction is a general contractor serving Harvard Heights, specializing in custom homes, full renovations, and Craftsman restorations with rear additions. We work with homeowners, architects, engineers and designers through organized pre-construction, transparent budgeting and steady execution, so a historic house is handled with care.
Building in Harvard Heights isn't simple.
Every exterior change here is reviewed against the Preservation Plan by the HPOZ Board and City Planning's Office of Historic Resources, and LADBS will not issue a permit until that clearance is in hand. We meet it with a clear path: we speak to the HPOZ planner before design begins.
Certificate timelines, century-old framing, unpermitted work from past decades and ADU placement standards stack on top of that, so sequencing matters: we prepare HPOZ clearance and LADBS plan check together.
We guide the process so decisions feel informed, not reactive, and the original woodwork, windows and porch stay intact.
From Sugar Hill to Cambridge Street we take on Craftsman remodels, rear ADUs, garage conversions and kitchen and bath updates, and we bring the same structure and discipline we apply across Central LA and every project in Los Angeles.
RECENT PROJECTS
-
![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
-
![Pacific Palisades ocean-view backyard with custom pool, palm trees, lounge seating, and manicured lawn overlooking the Pacific coastline.]()
MALIBU
-
![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
-
![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
-
![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
-
![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 Hollywood, Hancock Park, Hollywood Hills and beyond.
OUR CONSTRUCTION COMPANY HARVARD HEIGHTS 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 Gardena
In Gardena, city plan check and county sign-offs set the pace. Routine permits through the City of Gardena typically take 3–6 months; complex projects — such as ADUs affected by changing rules, or work needing design review — run 6–12 months. Construction for a custom home takes 10–16 months. The lever that protects your schedule most is an early feasibility review and a complete submittal package the first time.
What It Costs
Costs here reflect large 1900s houses with original details to preserve, older systems and framing, and design review that shapes materials and methods. Custom homes typically run $500–$850+ per sq ft; whole-home renovations $350–$650+ per sq ft; detached ADUs $250,000–$500,000+; pools $120,000–$340,000+. Soft costs — design, permit-history and existing-conditions review, permits — are additional. You receive a line-by-line budget before construction begins.
Permits & Local Rules
Every exterior change in the Harvard Heights HPOZ is reviewed by the HPOZ Board and the Office of Historic Resources against the Preservation Plan, and LADBS needs that clearance before issuing a permit. New homes and rebuilds on non-contributing properties need a Certificate of Compatibility; ADUs follow a ministerial path with no public hearing. Street-visible changes and landscaping are reviewed even without a building permit. We sequence all of this from feasibility so design decisions are made with the constraints known.
Where We Build in Harvard Heights
We build across West Adams Heights, Sugar Hill, Gramercy Place, Cambridge Street, the Craftsman core set apart from the commercial edge at Koreatown Galleria. Cambridge Street, home to the Lucy E. Wheeler House, calls for especially careful design review, while West Adams Heights south of Washington Boulevard sits in the same HPOZ with a different mix of homes. 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 Harvard Heights
Do I need HPOZ approval?
Yes. Any exterior renovation, addition, new construction or landscaping change in the Harvard Heights HPOZ needs review, even work that needs no building permit. LADBS requires HPOZ clearance from City Planning before issuing a permit for exterior work under LAMC 12.20.3. Unreviewed work can draw code enforcement and fines.
How long does HPOZ review take?
Routine permitting runs 2–6 months; work needing HPOZ Board review for street-visible changes runs 6–12 months. A Certificate of Compatibility for non-contributing properties can take up to 75 days and can be appealed. We prepare HPOZ clearance and LADBS plan check together and report weekly on each approval.
Cost to build a home here?
Custom homes typically run $500–$850+ per sq ft. The upper end reflects original details to preserve, older framing and design review that shapes materials. Soft costs — design, permits, existing-conditions review — are additional. You receive a line-by-line budget before construction begins.
Can I build an ADU here?
Yes. ADUs and JADUs get ministerial review with no public hearing, though draft HPOZ design standards place them behind the rear wall of the main house. State law lets an ADU up to 800 sq ft override an HPOZ standard capping it at 700. See what an ADU costs 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 Harvard Heights homeowners:
- Custom Home vs Remodel vs Rebuild in Los Angeles
- ADU Los Angeles: Is It Right for Your Property?
- Cost to Build a Custom Home in Los Angeles (2026)
Nearby areas we serve: Hollywood · Hancock Park · Hollywood Hills · Fairfax · Hollywood Hills West · Elysian Valley
Region: All Central LA communities we serve · Everywhere we build