Todd Eidson, president and owner of Sierra Homes, spends a lot of time on job sites. Because he likes building. “I’m in my truck all day long, five days a week,” he said. “Some days I would appreciate a rainout so I could sit in the office and get over the paperwork hump.” But really, he’d rather be on the job.
“I started working on job sites at age 13. My dad ran a small contracting company in North Carolina,” he said. “Every summer I’d start by sweeping floors, stacking lumber, hauling trash.”
When Eidson met his future wife, Caroline, she informed him she was moving back to Texas, and if he wanted to be with her then he should come along. The couple found their way to the Texas Hill Country.
Shortly after moving to Fredericksburg, Eidson came to work for Sierra Homes, which specializes in green built construction. When the founders decided to retire, he bought the business. Until then his entire career had been in commercial building. Moving to residential was a real switch—from disconnection to connection.
“What I didn’t like about commercial was you never met with the owners or the end user. If you’re building a hospital, you’re not talking to the doctors in that operating room. If you’re building a school, you’re not talking to the teachers about the classroom,” he said.
With residential, Eidson stays connected to his clients, listening and taking notes. “I’m part marriage counselor, part paint-picker-outer,” he said. “Because I’m a builder, I can see in 3-D. Most homeowners can’t see how this dream house is actually gonna look on this hilltop. We help them get it to fit the site.”
Eidson says green building doesn’t limit a house to one specific style. “We will build anything—whatever the client wants to bring me,” he said.
One of Eidson’s goals is to help people think through how to build an energy-efficient home. He is a Master CGP, certified green professional, from the National Association of Home Builders. For some clients, he may install solar panels and a rainwater catchment system, as he did for Peter Ray’s ranch. “The house Todd and Sierra built for us survived the ice storm of 2021 and all the high winds we’ve experienced,” Ray said. “The solar panels have reduced our monthly bills significantly. The rainwater collection system provides clean, mineral-free water and complements our well.”
Other homeowners may find green benefits from something as simple as the orientation of a house. “Sometimes a client will pick the worst orientation on the lot because they’ve got the view in mind,” Eidson said. “If we have a poor-facing west wall, we need to do something about the design to minimize the hot summer sun beating down on that side of the house. We talk about roof pitches, awnings, deep porches. We look at doors and windows and orientations and sizes. We’re trying to minimize the amount of surface area that’s gonna get scorched.”
Paying attention to these details makes a significant difference in heating and cooling costs. “Our houses—if you set your thermostat at 74 degrees, it’s not gonna kick on and kick off all day. It’s gonna hold the temperature for the vast majority of the day, even in summer,” Eidson said. “After Winter Storm Uri, one client was without power for three weeks and the house never got below 55 degrees. Your pipes are not gonna freeze at 55,” he said.
The Fredericksburg Green Builder website for Sierra Homes has an alphabet of terms, from A to X (xeriscaping), with links to products and general information. “I’ve given clients a place to go and see what I’m talking about. They can do their own research, and I can help them understand the terms,” he said.
Sierra Homes is currently building a main house in Comfort for Bill Fore, next to the guest house where he currently lives. Fore says he didn’t want a “full-on green project,” but that every decision he and Eidson make contributes to conservation and sustainability. “Todd advised us to make the house perpendicular to the natural direction of the wind, with windows on one side of the house lower than on the other side, so we can get a natural draft,” Fore said. “We also put in a recirculating hot water-system that keeps the water circulating to all the faucets in the house at a warm temperature. So you never turn on a faucet and have to let it run to be able wash your hands and face. If you want it hot, it will take a couple more minutes.”
When Fore first met Eidson, it was at a Sierra Homes annual get-together for their clients—past, present, and possibly even future. “We were on the invitation list before we even had a contract,” Fore said. “I asked Todd, ‘You built houses for all these people?’ He said, ‘Yeah.’ ‘And they still like you?’ ‘Yeah.’”
That’s because Eidson just likes building. Since 2016 he’s been involved with a program at Fredericksburg High School called Casa Über Alles, meaning Homes Built with Pride. Sierra Homes and other members of the Hill Country Builders Association help students learn trades and build a custom tiny house that is auctioned off at top dollar. All the proceeds go back into the program. “They’re as nice as our Sierra Homes,” Eidson said. “If you’re gonna graduate and work in this industry, this is the level of quality you need to be striving for on behalf of your clients. That’s what we want the kids to see.”
The program has filled a niche for a variety of students—from those going into STEM careers to those planning to work on job sites immediately after graduation. In addition to gaining proficiency in all facets of construction, they also gain good, solid work skills: “Be on time. Yes, ma’am. Yes, sir. Present yourself in a businesslike manner,” Eidson said.
In recognition of his service in workforce development, Edison received the 2024 Distinguished Service Award from Hill Country Builders Association. He has also served on the U.S. Green Building Council and was just tapped to serve as the 2025 Area Vice President for Area 6 of the Texas Association of Builders, which includes the Hill Country. In 2023 Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce selected him as Outstanding Chamber Man.
Learn more about Sierra Homes at fbggreenbuilder.com.
Information about Casa Über Alles is at highschoolbuildingtrades.org.