TARZANA CUSTOM HOME BUILDER & GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Built With Intention. Ranch Flats, Gated Hills.
TARZANA HOMES ARE BUILT DIFFERENTLY
Heart Construction is a general contractor serving Tarzana, specializing in custom homes, full renovations, and teardown rebuilds on deep ranch lots and gated hillside parcels. We work with homeowners, architects, engineers and designers through organized pre-construction, transparent budgeting and steady execution, with a founder on the first call.
Building in Tarzana isn't simple.
Most parcels south of Ventura Boulevard fall in the City's Hillside Area, where the Baseline Hillside Ordinance caps by-right grading, limits envelope height and lot coverage, and treats a large remodel as a full hillside project. LADBS reviews it, and narrow streets can add Zoning Administrator relief and Neighborhood Council input.
Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone rules, the Mulholland Scenic Parkway Specific Plan on upper ridges, and HOA review in Braemar Country Club Estates and Silverhawk Ridge stack on top, so we settle geotech, street status and approvals before design begins.
We guide the process so decisions feel informed, not reactive, and you never mediate between the HOA and the City.
We handle teardown rebuilds with an ADU, whole-home remodels of hillside and gated estates, and backyard ADUs near El Caballero Country Club — and we bring the same structure and discipline we apply across the San Fernando 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 Toluca Lake, Sylmar, Valley Glen and beyond.
OUR CONSTRUCTION COMPANY TARZANA 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 Tarzana
Pace in Tarzana is set by whether your lot sits in the Hillside Area. Routine LADBS plan check at the Van Nuys office runs 2–6 months; hillside grading, Planning clearances or haul-route approval push it to 6–12 months. Construction of a custom home runs 10–18 months. The lever that protects the schedule: resolve geotech, grading quantity and street status before design, so plan check runs once.
What It Costs
Costs sit high because hillside foundations, retaining walls, fire-resistant assemblies and HOA-grade finishes stack on top of the large footprints these lots invite. 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 soils studies, survey, permits — are additional. You receive a line-by-line budget before construction begins.
Permits, Rules & Fire Codes
LADBS issues the permits, and four rules shape most Tarzana projects: Baseline Hillside Ordinance grading limits, Zoning Administrator relief on substandard hillside streets, fire-zone requirements, and by-right ADU approval. Fire-zone construction standards and residential sprinklers are our base specification, not upgrades. Floor-area limits shape design on flat lots, and the Mulholland Scenic Parkway Specific Plan adds design review on upper ridges. We sequence all of it from feasibility so design decisions are made with the constraints known.
Where We Build in Tarzana
Braemar Country Club Estates, Silverhawk Ridge, Monte Verde, Tarzana Estates, Tarzana Ranch, Tarzana Village — the neighborhoods around landmarks such as El Caballero Country Club and Tarzana Recreation Center, from deep flat ranch lots to gated hillside view parcels. Tarzana Village flats mean 70x140 lots, floor-area limits and simpler site work, while Braemar Country Club Estates adds hillside grading, fire-zone rules, HOA review and view-lot engineering. 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 Tarzana
Do hillside rules apply to me?
Most parcels south of Ventura Boulevard sit in the Hillside Area under the Baseline Hillside Ordinance, which caps by-right grading in R1 at 1,000 cubic yards and sets envelope-height and lot-coverage limits. A Major Remodel – Hillside is triggered when one year's alterations exceed 50% of the main building's replacement cost, pulling the whole house into hillside standards.
How long does plan check take?
Routine LADBS plan check runs 2–6 months. Hillside additions with grading, Planning clearances or haul-route approval run 6–12 months, and ADUs are approved ministerially. We submit grading, building, ADU and fire reviews in parallel and send weekly written updates. See the custom home build timeline for the full sequence.
Cost to build a home in Tarzana?
Custom homes typically run $600–$950+ per sq ft. Hillside foundations, retaining walls, fire-resistant assemblies and gated-tract finish standards push toward the upper end. Soft costs — design, geotechnical studies, permits — are additional. You receive a line-by-line budget before construction begins.
Am I in a fire hazard zone?
Tarzana is a named LAFD Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone community, and the 2025 state maps expanded very high designations in parts of the Valley. Hillside new homes and major additions must meet Chapter 7A ignition-resistant construction and brush clearance. Our Class A roof, ember-resistant vent and tempered glazing base specification is documented for insurers.
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 Tarzana homeowners:
- Cost to Build a Custom Home in Los Angeles (2026)
- Custom Home vs Remodel vs Rebuild in Los Angeles
- ADU Los Angeles: Is It Right for Your Property?
Nearby areas we serve: Toluca Lake · Sylmar · Valley Glen · Sun Valley · Valley Village · Studio City
Region: All San Fernando Valley communities we serve · Everywhere we build