WESTSIDE CUSTOM HOME BUILDER & GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Built With Intention. Canyons, Bluffs, Beach Flats.
WESTSIDE HOMES ARE BUILT DIFFERENTLY
Heart Construction is a general contractor serving the Westside, specializing in custom homes, full renovations, and hillside and coastal residences. We work with homeowners, architects, engineers and designers through organized pre-construction, transparent budgeting and steady execution. Our Pacific Palisades office puts a founder-led team close to every community from the Palisades to Culver City.
Building on the Westside isn't simple.
The Westside is not one jurisdiction. Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety permits most neighborhoods, while Santa Monica, Culver City and Beverly Hills run their own departments and Los Angeles County covers Marina del Rey and Ladera Heights. Knowing which counter your parcel belongs to comes first.
Hillside grading limits, fire-zone construction standards, coastal review and floor-area caps stack up quickly, from the canyons above Sunset Boulevard to the blocks near the Santa Monica Pier. Sequencing them before design is what keeps a project moving.
Our role is to guide the process from first feasibility review to closeout, so every decision feels informed, not reactive.
From estate remodels near The J. Paul Getty Museum to bungalow additions, garage-conversion ADUs, coastal rebuilds and fire-hardened homes, 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 South Bay, Southeast LA, Harbor and beyond.
OUR CONSTRUCTION COMPANY WESTSIDE 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 Westside
On the Westside, the permit office sets the pace. Routine plan check runs 2–6 months; projects with hillside grading, Planning clearances, haul-route approval or a Coastal Development Permit run 6–12 months. A custom home then takes 10–18 months to build. The lever that most protects your schedule is a feasibility review that identifies your parcel's rules before design, so Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, or your city's department, sees one complete set.
What It Costs
Costs vary across the Westside because a flat Mar Vista lot and a Bel-Air canyon ridge are different jobs, with hillside engineering, fire-zone exteriors, coastal review and finish expectations driving the spread. 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, permits — are additional. You receive a line-by-line budget before construction begins.
Permits, Rules & Fire Codes
Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, the cities of Santa Monica, Culver City and Beverly Hills, and Los Angeles County each issue permits here. Reviews that define the region are hillside grading and haul-route rules, Coastal Development Permits and Design Review in Beverly Hills. Fire-zone construction standards and residential sprinklers are our base specification, not upgrades. Floor-area limits shape design on flat lots. We sequence these from feasibility so design decisions are made with the constraints known.
Where We Build in Westside
We build across the Westside, from Bel-Air, Brentwood and Pacific Palisades in the hills to Santa Monica and Venice on the flats, including the streets around Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. A Bel-Air ridge means haul-route limits and heavy retaining, while a Venice or Santa Monica lot is flat but sits inside coastal review and tight height rules. 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 Westside
Who issues Westside permits?
It depends on the parcel. Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety covers most Westside neighborhoods, but Santa Monica, Culver City and Beverly Hills run their own building departments, and Los Angeles County handles Marina del Rey and Ladera Heights. Coastal parcels may also need a Coastal Development Permit. We confirm jurisdiction on the first call.
How long does permitting take?
Routine plan check runs 2–6 months. Projects with hillside grading, Planning clearances, haul-route approval or a Coastal Development Permit run 6–12 months, and construction of a custom home then takes 10–18 months. A feasibility review before design is the best way to protect the schedule, because it surfaces the slow reviews early.
Cost to build a home in Westside?
Custom homes on the Westside typically run $600–$950+ per sq ft. Hillside engineering, fire-zone exteriors, coastal review and finish level push you toward the upper end, and soft costs for design, studies and permits are additional. For a wider view, see our Los Angeles cost guide. You receive a line-by-line budget before construction begins.
What do hillside lots require?
Hillside lots add grading limits, haul-route rules for trucks and hours, soils and geology reports, and often fire-zone exteriors and sprinklers. Some canyon districts cap hauling volume and restrict work hours. We commission geotechnical input before design and decide at feasibility how much earth moves, so the haul path is chosen, not discovered.
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 Westside homeowners:
- Pacific Palisades Fire Rebuild Permits 2026: Timeline, Costs & Requirements
- Custom Home vs Remodel vs Rebuild in Los Angeles
- Second Story vs Home Addition in Los Angeles: What Actually Works
Nearby areas we serve: South Bay · Southeast LA · Harbor · Central LA · Antelope Valley · South LA
Region: Everywhere we build