MONTECITO HEIGHTS CUSTOM HOME BUILDER & GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Built With Intention. Shaped By The Slope.
MONTECITO HEIGHTS HOMES ARE BUILT DIFFERENTLY
Heart Construction is a general contractor serving Montecito Heights, specializing in custom homes, full renovations, and hillside additions built to the slope. We work with homeowners, architects, engineers and designers through organized pre-construction, transparent budgeting and steady execution, so the plan fits the hillside before anyone breaks ground.
Building in Montecito Heights isn't simple.
The Northeast Los Angeles Hillside Ordinance comes first. Administered through LADBS with City Planning, it caps height, limits floor area and restricts structures near mapped ridgelines. We confirm those limits before design, so nothing surprises you late.
Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone requirements, geotechnical and grading review, and steep, narrow street access stack on top. Sequencing the surveys, geology and permits early is what keeps the schedule honest.
We guide the process so every decision feels informed, not reactive, from the first survey to the final inspection.
From hillside additions and full remodels to ADUs, garage conversions and Craftsman kitchen and bath renovations near Heritage Square and Ernest E. Debs Regional Park, 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 Mount Washington, Highland Park, Atwater Village and beyond.
OUR CONSTRUCTION COMPANY MONTECITO 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 Montecito Heights
Hillside review sets the pace here: geology, grading and ridgeline checks all run through LADBS. Routine plan check takes 2–6 months; projects with hillside grading, Planning clearances or haul-route approval run 6–12 months. Construction of a custom home takes 10–16 months. The lever that protects your schedule most is early work — a surveyed topographic map and geotechnical report commissioned before design, so reviews run in parallel.
What It Costs
Costs here reflect hillside foundations, retaining walls, fire-resistant construction and the logistics of getting crews and materials up steep, narrow streets. 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, geotechnical and topographic studies, permits — are additional. You receive a line-by-line budget before construction begins.
Permits, Rules & Fire Codes
LADBS reviews your plans, with City Planning applying the Northeast Los Angeles Hillside Ordinance — height, floor area and grading standards — plus its ridgeline limit near mapped ridges. Montecito Heights has land in the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, and fire-zone construction standards and residential sprinklers are our base specification, not upgrades. The City's Baseline Hillside Ordinance adds grading limits. We start with a feasibility review and sequence these from day one, so design decisions are made with the constraints known.
Where We Build in Montecito Heights
Rose Hill, Temple Terrace, Eaton Crest, Portola Terrace, Muir Terrace, Hudson Terrace, Austin Terrace and Huntington Terrace, across the hills above the Arroyo Seco. Rose Hill, nearer the recreation center, and a higher terrace street such as Muir Terrace differ on access, slope and ridgeline exposure — and that changes what can be built and how it is reviewed. 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 Montecito Heights
Do I need a grading permit?
Often, yes. Hillside additions and new homes go through LADBS plan check, with City Planning applying the Northeast Los Angeles Hillside Ordinance. Grading over 50 cubic yards and geology review add separate tracks. We run them in parallel with the building permit so you are not waiting on one at a time.
How long does permitting take?
Routine plan check runs 2–6 months. Hillside grading, Planning clearances or haul-route approval can push that to 6–12 months. Construction then takes 10–16 months for a custom home, as outlined in our custom home build timeline. Early geotechnical work and a surveyed topographic map best protect your schedule.
Cost to build a home here?
Custom homes typically run $500–$850+ per sq ft. Hillside foundations, retaining walls, steep access and fire-resistant construction push projects toward the upper end. Soft costs — design, geotechnical and topographic studies, permits — are additional. You receive a line-by-line budget before construction begins.
Is my lot in a high fire zone?
Montecito Heights is among the communities with land in the City's Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, and CAL FIRE has recommended updated 2025 maps that the City must still adopt. On affected parcels we build to the Chapter 7A base specification, with sprinklers and defensible-space details planned into design and budget from the start.
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 Montecito Heights homeowners:
- Cost to Build a Custom Home in Los Angeles (2026)
- Second Story vs Home Addition in Los Angeles: What Actually Works
- ADU Los Angeles: Is It Right for Your Property?
Nearby areas we serve: Mount Washington · Highland Park · Atwater Village · Glassell Park · Cypress Park · Eagle Rock
Region: All Northeast LA communities we serve · Everywhere we build