SANTA MONICA CUSTOM HOME BUILDER & GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Built With Intention. Bluff, Bungalows, Coastline.
SANTA MONICA HOMES ARE BUILT DIFFERENTLY
Heart Construction is a general contractor serving Santa Monica, specializing in custom homes, full renovations, and coastal bungalow additions. We work with homeowners, architects, engineers and designers through organized pre-construction, transparent budgeting and steady execution, so you stay in control of the schedule and the spend.
Building in Santa Monica isn't simple.
Santa Monica runs its own permit process through the City of Santa Monica, not LADBS. West of Lincoln Boulevard the Coastal Commission adds a coastal permit on top, and demolishing an older structure brings Landmarks Commission review and a waiting period before any permit can issue.
Add the single-family height, stepback and coverage limits, Third Street Historic District review in Ocean Park, and fire-hardening north of Montana, and sequencing matters: submit once, complete, with every agency's clock started early.
We guide the process so decisions feel informed, not reactive, and so you know which agencies are involved before design begins.
From bungalow additions and second stories to garage-conversion ADUs and teardown-rebuilds in North of Montana and Ocean Park, we bring the same structure and discipline we apply across the Westside 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 Sawtelle, Rancho Park, Venice and beyond.
OUR CONSTRUCTION COMPANY SANTA MONICA 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 Santa Monica
Pace in Santa Monica is set by City of Santa Monica plan check across departments and, west of Lincoln, by Coastal Commission review. Routine permitting runs 6–12 months; 12–36 months when a Coastal Development Permit or Coastal Commission appeal applies. Construction of a custom home takes 10–18 months. The best lever on schedule is a complete, pre-coordinated submittal with demolition review started early.
What It Costs
Costs sit high because small coastal lots, soils reports, Santa Monica's own green-building provisions and dual-agency review add design and carrying time before a shovel moves. Custom homes typically run $650–$1,000+ per sq ft; whole-home renovations $400–$750+ per sq ft; detached ADUs $300,000–$600,000+; pools $150,000–$400,000+. Soft costs — design, soils and geotechnical studies, permits — are additional. You receive a line-by-line budget before construction begins.
Permits, Rules & Fire Codes
The City of Santa Monica issues your permits. Four reviews define the work: single-family development standards, Landmarks Commission demolition review, the Coastal Development Permit in the coastal zone around the Santa Monica Pier, and Rent Control certification for teardowns. Fire-zone construction standards and residential sprinklers are our base specification, not upgrades. Street-visible changes to contributing Ocean Park homes need Landmarks approval. We sequence all of this from feasibility, so design decisions are made with the constraints known.
Where We Build in Santa Monica
North of Montana, Wilshire-Montana, Mid-City Santa Monica, Ocean Park, Sunset Park, Pico Neighborhood, Wilmont, on a flat-to-gently-rolling coastal plain. Sunset Park, out toward the Museum of Flying, has flat lots and city-only permits that suit additions, while Ocean Park's small lots sit in the coastal zone and historic district under Landmarks review. 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 Santa Monica
Is my home in the coastal zone?
Generally, if your parcel sits west of Lincoln Boulevard, roughly four to eight blocks inland, it is in the coastal zone. Because Santa Monica lacks a fully certified Local Coastal Program, work there needs a Coastal Commission permit or waiver on top of city approvals. On the first call we confirm your parcel and build the schedule around that answer.
How long does plan check take?
Routine permitting through the City of Santa Monica runs 6–12 months, and 12–36 months where a Coastal Development Permit or Coastal Commission appeal applies. Review routes across several departments, so we submit a complete, coordinated package and report status weekly. The 75-day demolition waiting period applies to structures 40 years or older, so we start that clock early and run it alongside design.
Cost to build a home here?
Custom homes typically run $650–$1,000+ per sq ft in Santa Monica. Small coastal lots, soils reports and dual-agency review push projects toward the upper end. Soft costs — design, soils and geotechnical studies, permits — are additional. You receive a line-by-line budget before construction begins.
Can I tear down my 1940s house?
Possibly. Demolishing any structure 40 years or older triggers Landmarks Commission review and a 75-day waiting period during which a landmark nomination can halt the permit, and single-family demolitions need Rent Control certification. We pull the historic status early, and where a teardown is risky we weigh an addition that keeps the house — see this rebuild versus remodel 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 Santa Monica homeowners:
- Second Story vs Home Addition in Los Angeles: What Actually Works
- ADU Los Angeles: Is It Right for Your Property?
- Cost to Build a Custom Home in Los Angeles (2026)
Nearby areas we serve: Sawtelle · Rancho Park · Venice · Playa Vista · West Los Angeles · Pico-Robertson
Region: All Westside communities we serve · Everywhere we build