Wallace is a native of Wilmington, N.C. and a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A N.C. licensed general contractor, he was a builder and developer in the Research Triangle Area of North Carolina for 12 years. During the 1990s, Wallace served the housing industry as Regional Director for the National Association of Home Builders, Executive Director for the Home Builders Association of Mid-Florida and President of the Triangle Community Coalition. West is currently a principal in Coastal Carolina Streetscapes, LLC. He is a certified instructor for the NAHB University of Housing and an instructor for the North Carolina Builder Institute.