Ep # 147 Renovation Without The Stress

Renovation shouldn’t feel like a gamble. We sit down with Charlotte general contractor Eric Fiel of Beyond Home Services to unpack how a true design-build model calms the chaos of remodeling, from the first consult to the final walkthrough. With 30 years of residential experience and a studio partnership with his wife Sarah’s interior design firm, Home Theory, Eric explains how integrated planning, tight scopes, and frequent communication deliver beautiful spaces without the headaches.

We dive into the biggest myths about hiring a contractor and the exact steps to verify a North Carolina licensed general contractor through the state board. Eric shares how his team uses documented processes and CRM tools to keep clients informed on selections, change orders, and timelines. We also cover real numbers: typical project minimums around $60,000 to $65,000, what goes into a high-end bathroom or kitchen, and why aligning design choices early prevents budget creep. The conversation maps out service areas across the Charlotte metro—from South Charlotte, Ballantyne, and Matthews to Waxhaw, Marvin, Mooresville, and Sherrills Ford—and why staying in North Carolina helps maintain quality control.

What sets this story apart is resilience. After a devastating house fire in 2022 destroyed their home, office, and vehicles, Eric and Sarah finished active projects on time and rebuilt stronger systems—an experience that deepened their empathy for clients living through change. That perspective, along with recent honors including multiple Charlotte Area Remodeler of the Year awards and a 2025 NARI Southeast Regional win, reveals a team built on integrity, craftsmanship, and calm under pressure.

Thinking about a remodel or addition and want less stress and more clarity? Subscribe, share this conversation with a neighbor, and leave a quick review so others can find it. Ready to start your project? Visit beyondhomeservices.com and hit Contact, or call 980-866-5175.

Beyond Home Services
Eric Fiel
Kannapolis, NC
[phone]
beyondhomeservices.com
[e-mail]
NC General Contractor License: 87435

Episode Transcript

Intro/Close (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, ReginaLeague.

Regina League (00:10):
Hi, everyone, and welcome to another episode of
the Good Neighbor Podcast, basedhere in Charlotte, North
Carolina.
Excited today to introduce youto Eric Fiel.
He is the owner and generalcontractor with Beyond Home
Services.
Welcome, Eric.

Eric Fiel (00:26):
Thanks for having me.

Regina League (00:28):
Yeah, I'm so excited to talk to you because
uh I'm looking to remodel somethings in my house.
So I've got a lot of questionsfor you.

Eric Fiel (00:36):
Excited to learn more.

Regina League (00:38):
Yeah, yeah.
So tell us a little bit aboutyourself, uh, your journey here
in the Charlotte area, and whatbrought you here and about your
business.

Eric Fiel (00:48):
Sure.
So Beyond Home Services is afull-service design and build
company serving clients throughthe Charlotte throughout the
Charlotte metro area, includingSouth Charlotte, Valentine and
Waxaw, and the Marvincommunities.
We're focused on reducing theinherent stress of renovations
by approaching our clients withour 30 years of experience,
systematic process from start tofinish, and frequent

(01:12):
communication.
Our team is extensivelytrained, licensed, and insured
to ensure our clients' projectsgo smooth, even when we uncover
those surprises that you knowcome up in every single project.

Regina League (01:23):
Yeah, thank you, HGTV, right?

Eric Fiel (01:26):
Right.

Regina League (01:27):
Because we all know now when Chip uncovers
something, how traumatic thatconversation could be.
What made you get into thisindustry?

Eric Fiel (01:37):
Yes, I've been building and creating uh in the
in the residential space forover 30 years.
I was born in the Midwest andraised to learn the value of a
strong work ethic and integrityfrom an early age.
Uh, beginning in my earlyteens, I was blessed to learn
hands-on from my dad uh and mygrandfather.

(01:57):
And uh when I met my wife, weclicked instantly and throughout
our 20 years of marriage, weworked side by side, renovating
and creating uh and bringingspaces to new life.
In 2018, we moved to Charlotteand we found an opportunity here
to apply our skills and talentsin the Charlotte's growing
communities.
You know, the the communitieshere have just exploded, uh, and

(02:20):
we're we're constantly rankedin uh one of the most
sought-after areas of the UnitedStates to move to.
So in 2021, I passed my examsand became a licensed general
contractor, and we both openedour own companies.
Uh, Beyond Home Services is thegeneral contractor side of the
business, and home theory is mywife Sarah's interior design

(02:43):
business.
And together we've metincredible clients throughout
our journey that have invited usinto their homes to transform
their spaces, and most recentlyhave won awards for our work in
2024 in 2025, including fiveCharlotte Area Remodeler of the
Year Awards, uh, and mostnotably the 2025 NARI, which is
the National Association of theRemodeling Industry, Southeast

(03:06):
Regional Remodeler of the Yearaward for a project we competed
in the residential interiorscategory from 100 to 250,000.

Regina League (03:14):
My goodness, congratulations.
Yeah, on your website, and yourwork is stunning.
So who is your ideal client?

Eric Fiel (03:23):
Our ideal client wants a uh full service uh
start-to-finish uh company tocome in and and give them, uh
breathe new life into theirspaces, uh bring new ideas, uh,
and bring along a licensed anduh creative team with them uh to

(03:43):
complete their space.
Uh our team is is again uhhighly extensively trained,
fully licensed, uh, andcommitted to uh our projects in
the process.

Regina League (03:57):
So, in this work and line of work in such a
competitive industry, what aresome of the misconceptions
you're you run into?

Eric Fiel (04:06):
One of the biggest myths I run into is uh
contractors are a commodity, andall licensed contractors are
not licensed generalcontractors.
So, first, many contractors saythey are licensed, but this may
only be a business license.
Uh, for you to check and makesure that they are a licensed
general contractor, visit thewebsite, North Carolina

(04:28):
Licensing Board of GeneralContractors, and search for the
number they provide and theirname or their company name.
Make sure their name matcheswhat the board's website states.
Uh, no two businesses arealike, and the good ones have
well-documented processes, linesof communication, and detailed
scopes of work and estimates.
Look for contractors who useCRMs or customer relationship

(04:51):
management software tocommunicate your project's
progress and send contracts andchange orders.
Do your research and choose theone that best fits what you
value in a team and yourproject.

Regina League (05:02):
Oh, that makes a lot of sense.
Yeah, it's it's overwhelmingwhen you sit there and think
about it.
And then is your wife's side ofthe business involved in all
the projects from the interiordesign aspect?

Eric Fiel (05:15):
Yeah, so uh my wife who owns Home Theory is my
interior designer.
Uh, every single one of ourprojects uh is is given to Sarah
to work with the client.
Um most of the time it's thehomeowner uh to bring their
vision to life.
Uh we don't my business is a isa build, uh is a is a full

(05:39):
service design and buildcompany.
So we don't we don't work withuh homeowners who want to do
their own interior design.

Regina League (05:46):
Gotcha.
So let's talk about thedifferent services on your
website.
Obviously, it's clear kitchenand bathrooms.
Um what other kind of servicesdo you offer?

Eric Fiel (05:56):
So we'll we'll renovate any space uh inside the
home, uh whether it be alaundry room, kitchen, bathroom,
multiple bathrooms.
Uh we'll even do additions andoutdoor spaces.
Uh so it really we're talkinghigh-end typework.

(06:16):
Uh usually these spaces are uhprojects that that don't uh
usually fall below $60,000,$65,000.
Bathrooms, you know, bathroomsstart right about that for us.
We're talking uh full tileshowers, frameless glass, uh
shower doors, uh semi-customcabinets, upgraded types of

(06:40):
countertops and tile.
So uh any place inside thehome, we'll touch, but uh
usually we start around 60,000,65,000 for that space.

Regina League (06:49):
That helps.
I think that helps a whole lot.
So in your journey on openingand running a business, have you
run against up against anyhardships that you'd like to
share?

Eric Fiel (07:00):
Yeah, so uh is a personal hardship.
In 2022, our family suffered aloss of our house due to a house
fire.
Uh, this is a brand new housewe had bought um to uh to move
into and raise our kids.
So, in addition to the place wecall home, we also lost our
home office and the vehicles weuse every single day for life

(07:22):
and for work.
Uh so through this struggle,our community rallied around us
and we pulled ourselves up, andour perspective ironically was
able to change that we could dothis setback as a challenge.
Uh, our Midwest upbringingtaught us to be fighters and
problem solvers, and uh, we wereright in the middle of multiple
renovations at the time, andall of which still completed on

(07:44):
time uh without any delays.
So the added stress of dealingwith the house fire and
rebuilding uh the house over thefollowing years, uh, raising
our kids through it all andpropelling our business forwards
made us stronger as a team, uh,and my wife and I as a couple.

Regina League (07:59):
That is amazing, story.
Congrats on that as well,because oftentimes things can go
the opposite way.
And then you talk about yourcommunity.
That that's incredible.
So you you can work LakeNorman.
You do you go, you said you godown to Waxaw Marvin, uh up.
How far north do you go ofCharlotte?

Eric Fiel (08:18):
So we'll we'll go within an hour of Charlotte.
Uh, we'll go up to Mooresville,um, Sheryl's Ford, that area,
uh, all the way down to uhBallantyne, uh, Matthews, Waxaw,
Marvin.
Uh I'm a licensed NorthCarolina general contract
contractor, so I don't crossthat line uh there in South

(08:40):
Carolina.
So that's really the extent uhthat we go and as far north as,
like I said, Mooresville andSheryl's Ford.

Regina League (08:46):
Hey, I'm sure that keeps you plenty busy.
So uh tell our listeners how tofind you.
Let's repeat your businessname, your all your contact
info.

Eric Fiel (08:57):
Right.
So it's uh my website isbeyondhomeservices.com.
Uh to get started with us,visit the contact us link at the
top of the page and fill outour contact form.
Uh and someone from my officewill be in touch with you to get
started, learn more about yourproject, or you can call our
office at 980-866-5175.

Regina League (09:18):
Well, Eric, congratulations on all your
success overcoming a massivehardship.
And uh really I can't wait totalk to you uh on a personal
level.
Thank you.

Eric Fiel (09:29):
It sounds great.
Thank you.

Intro/Close (09:31):
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go tognpsouthcharlotte.com.
That's gnpsouthcharlortte.comor call 980 351 5719.