I got this email inquiry from a potential customer yesterday:
Comments: I recently started a website with (deleted name of host) which is a do-it-yourself web hosting site. After a week or so, I think I’m about ready to throw in the towel! The problem is that I’ve paid for my domain for the next 4 years!! Can you all build my site through the existing host so I don’t lose my money? I want a great website at an affordable cost (I’m sure you’ve never heard that before!)
I work in the area and could stop by your office at some point. My website is (deleted)
Thanks,
(name deleted)
See my reply after the jump.
The Short Answer:
No, you will not lose the years that are pre-paid on your domain names.
The Long Answer:
When you purchase a domain name, you buy it from a registrar. Registrars don’t (can’t) force you to use their hosting company. If you are the person that owns that domain name, you can point it at ANY hosting company for as long as you own it. Each domain name has a pair of information entries for the name servers that are associated with your domain name. Remember that and say it with me “NAME SERVERS”. Those two name server addresses serve as the “zip code” for your domain, and it points the domain name that you own to some host on the web. Since you are the owner of your domain name, you can login to your domain registrar (godaddy, network solutions, tucows, etc.) and change those name server entries. Once you do that, all email and web hosting traffic will then be pointed at your new host. Make sure that you choose a host first, setup an account with the host, setup email accounts, and then move the domain name last so that you don’t have downtime.
Now, since you are worried about losing $40 or so on your domain names, and you want something “great at an affordable cost”, we should probably meet or have a phone conversation to discuss what an “affordable cost” and what “great” is. 
