Serving Durham, NC & Surrounding Areas
Building Trust.
Transforming Homes.
Expert remodeling, porch additions and accessory dwelling units. We specialize in small-scale, high-impact residential work — including multi-generational living and aging-in-place improvements that let you stay in the home you love.
Who we are
About Us
Building Homes for Life, From the Ground Up
At Common Ground Builders, home construction is personal. Founded by sibling team Patrick Fay and April Xayavong, our company brings together two distinct lifetimes of expertise to rethink how homes can better serve the people living inside them.
Patrick Fay | Co-Founder & Director of Construction
Patrick is a North Carolina Licensed General Contractor who has specialized in large-scale multifamily housing projects for over 15 years. His experience spans from Maryland to South Carolina, encompassing senior living, assisted living, 55+ communities, student housing, affordable housing, mid-rise renovations, and more. He has a passion for working directly with families, taking the high-level project management, precision, and structural standards of large developments and applying them to smaller, high-impact residential projects. In his free time, he enjoys working on personal projects, spending time with his wife and two children, hunting, and traveling.
April Xayavong, PT, DPT | Co-Founder & Director of Operations
After earning her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from UNC Chapel Hill, April has spent 14 years working as a physical therapist. She has helped various patient populations maximize their independence, move safely, and learn how to best function when mobility challenges arise.Through her clinical practice, she sees firsthand how standard home design often fails to support people as their physical needs change over time. Joining forces with Patrick, April uses her expertise in human movement and physical rehabilitation to ensure every renovation or build supports real life—enhancing safety, comfort, and independence without compromising aesthetic appeal. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and 3 children, hiking, reading and traveling.
Our Mission
We believe your home should adapt to your family, not the other way around. Whether you are looking to build an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) for multi-generational living, alter an existing layout for aging-in-place, or refresh your current living space, Common Ground Builders combines structural craftsmanship with therapeutic foresight.
We build spaces that look beautiful today and serve your family for a lifetime.
What we do
Our Services
Three core offerings and a scope written in plain English before a single board is cut.
Home Remodeling
Revitalize your living areas, from kitchens and baths to whole-house updates that respect the character of the home you already love.
Accessory Dwelling Units
Unlock the potential of your property with independent living spaces — detached cottages, garage conversions and in-law suites, permitted end to end.
Porch & Exterior Additions
Extend your home's living area and curb appeal with screened porches, decks and custom additions built for North Carolina weather.
A specialty of ours
Aging in Place
Most of our clients do not want to move — they want the house to keep working for them. We make targeted, good-looking changes that quietly add years of independence, without making a home feel like a facility.
Talk Through Your Home- Curbless, roll-in showers and comfort-height fixtures
- Widened 36-inch doorways and zero-step entries
- Blocking set in walls now for grab bars added later
- Improved lighting, lever handles and slip-resistant floors
Recent work
Our Portfolio
A look at what we have finished around Durham lately — the scope, not just the styling.
How it works
Our Process
- 01
Conversation
A free walkthrough of your home. We listen, measure, and tell you honestly what is and is not worth doing.
- 02
Design & Scope
Coordinate drawings, material allowances and a fixed written scope — so the price you see reflects the job you get.
- 03
Build
Experienced crews, a posted schedule, and a weekly update. We protect the rest of your house while we work in it.
- 04
Walkthrough
We finish the punch list before we ask for the final payment.
Get started
Request a Quote
Tell us a little about your home and what you have in mind. Your inquiry is very important to us. We will reach out soon.
- (984) 315-7070
- [email protected]
- Durham, NC & Surrounding Areas