VERNON CUSTOM HOME BUILDER & GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Built With Intention. Urban Infill, Zoning First.
VERNON HOMES ARE BUILT DIFFERENTLY
Heart Construction is a general contractor serving Vernon, specializing in custom homes, full renovations, and adaptive reuse of older urban-infill buildings. We work with homeowners, architects, engineers and designers through organized pre-construction, transparent budgeting and steady execution, so every decision is made with the facts in hand.
Building in Vernon rewards planning.
Zoning comes first. The City of Vernon is industrial or newly mixed-use, and its Planning Division administers the Zoning Ordinance while the Building division checks code compliance. Any variance goes to a public hearing and the City Council decides it. We confirm all of this before design starts.
Site contamination and industrial neighbors deserve early checks, Vernon has its own fire code amendments, and older 1920s structures nearby bring surprises. Sequencing protects both budget and schedule.
We guide the process so your decisions feel informed, not reactive, from the first feasibility call to closeout.
Around Vernon, we see adaptive reuse and mixed-use conversions, kitchen and bath updates in older homes, and ADUs or garage conversions on small lots. For each, we bring the same structure and discipline we apply across the Southeast 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 Walnut Park, South Whittier, West Compton and beyond.
OUR CONSTRUCTION COMPANY VERNON 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 Vernon
Zoning confirmation and any variance hearing set the pace in Vernon, so a feasibility review comes first. The City of Vernon plan check typically takes 3–6 months for routine permits, and 6–12 months when a variance, conditional use or design review applies. Construction of a custom home then runs 10–16 months. The one lever that protects your schedule is confirming zoning with the Planning Division before design begins, so nothing is redrawn after submittal.
What It Costs
Costs here sit where they do because of older structures, industrial-zone site conditions, the need to check the ground before design, and potentially heavier review. Custom homes typically run $500–$750+ per sq ft; whole-home renovations $325–$600+ per sq ft; detached ADUs $250,000–$450,000+; pools $120,000–$300,000+. Soft costs — design, soil and environmental studies, permits — are additional. You receive a line-by-line budget before construction begins.
Permits & Local Rules
The City of Vernon reviews projects in two tracks: the Planning Division checks zoning and CEQA, and the Building division checks code compliance. Variances go to a public hearing, and the City Council decides them. The 2023 and 2025 mixed-use rezonings changed what is allowed along Santa Fe Avenue and Pacific Boulevard, and Vernon's fire code was amended in 2024. We confirm zoning first, then sequence hearings and plan check from feasibility, so design decisions are made with the constraints known.
Where We Build in Vernon
We build for homeowners in Bell, Boyle Heights, Central-Alameda, Commerce, Downtown, Huntington Park, Maywood — the flat, urban-infill communities around Vernon City Hall and the Farmer John Plant. Inside Vernon, Santa Fe South is a rezoned mixed-use district, while the Central Manufacturing District is a heavy industrial core where industrial use governs. 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 Vernon
Who issues permits in Vernon?
The City of Vernon issues building permits through its Department of Public Works, Water and Development Services. The Planning Division confirms zoning and the Building division reviews code compliance. Whether you can build a home or ADU depends on your parcel's zone, so we confirm zoning before any design work begins.
How long is Vernon permitting?
Routine plan check runs 3–6 months. A variance or conditional use adds a public hearing and a City Council decision, which can push permitting to 6–12 months. Confirming zoning first protects your schedule. See our custom home build timeline for every phase.
Cost to build a home in Vernon?
Custom homes typically run $500–$750+ per sq ft. Older structures, industrial-zone site conditions and heavier review push toward the upper end. Soft costs — design, soil and environmental studies, permits — are additional. You receive a line-by-line budget before construction begins.
Which Vernon zone am I in?
Vernon is mostly industrial, with mixed-use districts such as Santa Fe South (MU-S), rezoned in 2023 and amended in 2025 under Ordinance 1307. Each zone allows different uses, and residential use may need a variance. We confirm your zone with the Planning Division before design starts.
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 Vernon homeowners:
- Custom Home vs Remodel vs Rebuild in Los Angeles
- Remodel, Rebuild, or Add an ADU in Los Angeles?
- ADU Los Angeles: Is It Right for Your Property?
Nearby areas we serve: Walnut Park · South Whittier · West Compton · South Gate · West Whittier-Los Nietos · Santa Fe Springs
Region: All Southeast LA communities we serve · Everywhere we build