SOUTH PASADENA CUSTOM HOME BUILDER & GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Built With Intention. Arroyo Oaks Shade Craftsman Streets.
SOUTH PASADENA HOMES ARE BUILT DIFFERENTLY
Heart Construction is a general contractor serving South Pasadena, specializing in custom homes, full renovations, and period-sensitive additions to Craftsman and Spanish Colonial houses along the Arroyo Seco. We work with homeowners, architects, engineers and designers through organized pre-construction, transparent budgeting and steady execution, from the first call to closeout.
Building in South Pasadena isn't simple.
The City of South Pasadena requires a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Cultural Heritage Commission for exterior changes on inventoried historic homes, and the 45-year rule can bring demolition review to nearly any older house. Rear, well-detailed additions are routinely approved.
Anything above the first floor goes through Design Review, hillside lots on Raymond Hill need a Hillside Development Permit and geotechnical approval, and the western edge now sits in a Very High fire hazard zone. Sequencing these early protects your schedule.
We guide the process so every decision feels informed, not reactive — with a founder on the first call and weekly updates once construction starts.
From rear and second-story additions to pre-1940 homes, detached ADUs matched to the main house, and whole-house restorations of Craftsman originals, we bring the same structure and discipline we apply across the San Gabriel Valley 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 South San Gabriel, South El Monte, South San Jose Hills and beyond.
OUR CONSTRUCTION COMPANY SOUTH PASADENA 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 South Pasadena
Monthly Cultural Heritage Commission hearings and sequential approvals set the pace in South Pasadena. Routine permits through the City of South Pasadena Building and Safety Division take 3–6 months; projects needing historic or design review, or hillside approvals, run 6–12 months. Construction of a custom home takes 10–18 months. The lever that protects your schedule is a complete submittal, vetted with Planning staff before the first hearing.
What It Costs
Costs here sit where they do because work must match original materials and detailing, pass public design review, and on hillside lots carry geotechnical and structural scope. Custom homes typically run $600–$950+ per sq ft; whole-home renovations $400–$700+ per sq ft; detached ADUs $275,000–$550,000+; pools $150,000–$400,000+. Soft costs — design, geotechnical and historic resource studies, permits — are additional. You receive a line-by-line budget before construction begins.
Permits, Rules & Fire Codes
The City of South Pasadena Building and Safety Division issues your permit. Expect historic review under the 45-year rule, Design Review above the first floor, and a Hillside Development Permit on slopes. Historic properties are limited to a one-story ADU. Fire-zone construction standards and residential sprinklers are our base specification, not upgrades. Street-visible changes go before the Cultural Heritage Commission, which approves respectful designs every month. We sequence these from feasibility so design starts with the constraints known.
Where We Build in South Pasadena
Raymond Hill, Olga, Arroyo Vista, Mission West, Arroyo Seco Parkway — flat tree-lined streets from the Rialto Theater to Wynyate, with hillside pockets on the western edge. Olga's flat bungalow blocks and Raymond Hill's sloped lots share the same historic review, but the hill adds geotechnical, grading and Hillside Permit scope. 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 South Pasadena
Does my older home need review?
Possibly. A Certificate of Appropriateness may be required to demolish any building 45 years or older, preceded by a Historic Resources Evaluation and Notice of Intent to Demolish under SPMC Section 2.65(E)(3). Inventoried homes also need one for exterior alterations, heard monthly by the Cultural Heritage Commission. We check your status before design begins.
How long does a second story take?
Plan on 6–12 months for permits when a project needs both a Certificate of Appropriateness and Design Review, then 10–18 months of construction. The Cultural Heritage Commission meets the third Thursday of each month, so we keep every approval on one calendar. See our second story vs home addition guide.
Cost to build a home here?
Custom homes typically run $600–$950+ per sq ft. Matching original materials, public design review, and hillside geotechnical and structural scope push you toward the upper end. Soft costs — design, studies, permits — are additional. You receive a line-by-line budget before construction begins.
Can I build a two-story ADU?
Usually not. Two-story ADUs are permitted only when the primary dwelling is two stories, and a historic property is limited to one story. Otherwise detached ADUs cap at 16 feet for one story or 22 feet for a two-story pitched roof. We confirm this before design.
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 South Pasadena homeowners:
- ADU Los Angeles: Is It Right for Your Property?
- Custom Home vs Remodel vs Rebuild in Los Angeles
- Cost to Build a Custom Home in Los Angeles (2026)
Nearby areas we serve: South San Gabriel · South El Monte · South San Jose Hills · South Diamond Bar · Temple City · Sierra Madre
Region: All San Gabriel Valley communities we serve · Everywhere we build