HIGHLAND PARK CUSTOM HOME BUILDER & GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Built With Intention. Craftsman Bones, Arroyo Hillsides.
HIGHLAND PARK HOMES ARE BUILT DIFFERENTLY
Heart Construction is a general contractor serving Highland Park, specializing in custom homes, full renovations, and Craftsman restorations and ADUs. We work with homeowners, architects, engineers and designers through organized pre-construction, transparent budgeting and steady execution.
In Highland Park the house usually predates the permit system by decades.
Most of the neighborhood sits inside the Highland Park-Garvanza HPOZ, the largest in the city. Exterior changes go through the HPOZ Board and City Planning before the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety will issue a permit. We build that calendar into your schedule from day one.
Steep streets toward Mount Angelus and Hermon bring the Northeast Los Angeles hillside rules. Century-old wiring and unpermitted past work add surprises, and 2025 ADU and SB 9 changes keep shifting. Sequencing keeps each piece from derailing the next.
Our role is to guide the process so every decision feels informed, not reactive.
From Craftsman kitchens and full remodels to garage conversions and rear additions that respect the street near the Highland Theatre, we bring the same structure and discipline we apply across the Northeast 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 Montecito Heights, Glassell Park, Mount Washington and beyond.
OUR CONSTRUCTION COMPANY HIGHLAND PARK 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 Highland Park
HPOZ clearance sets the pace in Highland Park: City Planning and the twice-monthly HPOZ Board sign off before the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety issues a permit. Routine permitting runs 2–6 months; street-visible work or hillside parcels can take 6–12 months. Construction for a custom home typically takes 10–16 months. The lever that protects your schedule is a complete, Preservation Plan-compliant package submitted after pre-consultation, so you face one review cycle, not three.
What It Costs
Costs here reflect restoration-grade exterior work, century-old systems and added hillside engineering on Mount Angelus and Hermon lots. Custom homes typically run $550–$900+ per sq ft; whole-home renovations $375–$650+ per sq ft; detached ADUs $275,000–$500,000+; pools $120,000–$340,000+. Soft costs — design, geotechnical and survey studies, permits — are additional. You receive a line-by-line budget before construction begins.
Permits, Rules & Fire Codes
The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety issues permits, but street-visible work first needs HPOZ approval, including a Certificate of Appropriateness for historic homes like the Ziegler House in Garvanza. Hillside lots add the Northeast Los Angeles Hillside Ordinance. Fire-zone construction standards and residential sprinklers are our base specification, not upgrades. Interior work generally avoids HPOZ review, and ADUs keep state-law minimums. We sequence all of this from feasibility, so design begins with the constraints known.
Where We Build in Highland Park
We build in Hermon, Garvanza, Sycamore Grove, Mount Angelus and York Valley, from flat Figueroa streets near the Highland Theatre to steep canyon lanes above Lummis Park. York Valley flats mean small lots, ADU-driven plans and HPOZ exterior review, while Mount Angelus brings grading, height and street-width limits and geotechnical work first. 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 Highland Park
Does HPOZ cover my kitchen remodel?
Interior work generally avoids HPOZ review. Exterior changes visible from the street, such as new windows, siding or additions, need approval from Planning and the HPOZ Board before LADBS issues a permit. We confirm your home's contributor status before design begins.
How long does HPOZ review take?
Routine permitting runs 2–6 months; complex work, including street-visible changes that need board review, runs 6–12 months. The five-member HPOZ Board meets the second and fourth Thursday of each month. A complete, Preservation Plan-compliant package after pre-consultation with the HPOZ planner keeps it to one review cycle.
Cost to build in Highland Park?
Custom homes in Highland Park typically run $550–$900+ per sq ft. Hillside engineering on Mount Angelus and Hermon lots, restoration-grade exterior details required in the historic overlay, and century-old systems push a project toward the upper end. Soft costs are additional. You receive a line-by-line budget before construction begins.
Can I build an ADU on an HPOZ lot?
Yes. State law overrides HPOZ size caps to allow at least an 800 sq ft ADU, and HPOZ location waives the parking space. Under AB 1061, SB 9 now applies to non-contributing HPOZ parcels; contributors remain ineligible. See our ADU cost guide.
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 Highland Park homeowners:
- Cost to Build a Custom Home in Los Angeles (2026)
- Second Story vs Home Addition in Los Angeles: What Actually Works
- Custom Home vs Remodel vs Rebuild in Los Angeles
Nearby areas we serve: Montecito Heights · Glassell Park · Mount Washington · Eagle Rock · Atwater Village · Cypress Park
Region: All Northeast LA communities we serve · Everywhere we build