Immigrant Labor: Reality vs Politics in US Construction

In this episode of Hard Hat Chat, Justin Smith, CEO of Contractor+, and Gerritt Bake, CEO of Build PRO, take on one of the most avoided but critical conversations in the construction industry today, the role of immigrant labor and the growing gap between political narratives and jobsite reality.

Justin and Gerritt speak directly from the contractor perspective, cutting through headlines and talking about what actually happens in the field. From labor shortages and rising project backlogs to housing delays and workforce burnout, they explain why immigrant labor is not a side issue but a core pillar holding the US construction industry together.

The episode explores how immigrant workers fill critical skill gaps that domestic labor alone cannot meet, why many of the hardest and most physically demanding trades rely heavily on these crews, and how productivity, reliability, and craftsmanship often outweigh political rhetoric. Through real contractor stories and realistic examples, the conversation highlights how immigrant labor drives job completion, stabilizes schedules, and keeps costs from spiraling even higher.

Justin and Gerritt also discuss the economic impact of labor shortages, the consequences contractors would face if this workforce disappeared, and why fair treatment, safety training, and clear hiring pathways are essential for the future of the trades. Rather than framing the topic as a political debate, the episode centers on business survival, human dignity, and the reality contractors live every day.

This is an honest, grounded conversation about who is building America, why it matters, and what contractors must understand if they want to keep their businesses running in an increasingly constrained labor market.

🔧 In this episode, you’ll learn how to:

• Understand the real role immigrant labor plays in construction
• Recognize why labor shortages are a math problem, not a political one
• See how immigrant crews impact productivity and jobsite reliability
• Prepare for the future workforce reality in construction
• Build stronger, more loyal teams through fair treatment and training
• Avoid the economic consequences of ignoring labor realities

If you want to understand the truth behind the workforce keeping construction moving, this episode delivers clarity without spin.

Creators and Guests

Host

Gerritt Bake

CEO at American Contractor Network

Host

Justin Smith

CEO at Contractor+

What is Hard Hat Chat: No-BS Construction Discussion with Justin & Gerritt?

Hard Hat Chat is your backstage pass to the gritty and sometimes mind-blowing world of construction. Hosted by Justin Smith, CEO at Contractor Plus, and Gerritt Bake, CEO at American Contractor Network, this show is all about keeping it real—no corporate fluff, no sugarcoating. Tune in each week for straight talk on growing a contracting business, avoiding industry pitfalls, and sharing the occasional “holy sh*t, did that really happen?” job site story. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just getting your boots dirty, you’ll pick up hard-earned insights and a few good laughs along the way. Join us, throw on your hard hat, and let’s build something awesome.

Justin: Welcome back to Hard Hat Chat. Today’s conversation is one a lot of people try to avoid. But we’re not in the business of avoiding truth. We’re in the business of building — and that includes building honest conversations. So here’s the question:
How much of America is built by immigrant labor?
Gerritt: And the honest answer is: a lot. Enough that if every immigrant worker walked off the job tomorrow the entire industry would freeze. Schedules would collapse. Housing shortages would explode. Infrastructure projects would stall. Contractors would be drowning in backlog.
Justin: Yet this same labor force is constantly in the political crossfire. Debated like a statistic instead of recognized as the people who are literally holding the economy up in one hand and a hammer in the other.

Gerritt: Let’s get straight to the problem. America does not have enough citizens entering the trades. Every contractor listening knows this:
Not enough electricians
Not enough framers
Not enough roofers
Not enough laborers
Not enough welders
Not enough concrete workers
We have more job openings than workers. That’s not politics. That’s math.
Justin: Here’s the truth people miss: Immigrants aren’t “taking jobs.” They’re filling jobs that would otherwise remain empty. And if those jobs remain empty — inflation skyrockets, and project costs double.
Justin: People imagine immigrant construction workers as temporary, untrained, unskilled. But the reality:
They’re highly specialized
They’re fast
They’re reliable
They’re experienced
And they work the hardest and dirtiest jobs
Gerritt: Not only do they have skills — they mastered them in countries where construction is still a deeply respected craft. They come here bringing craftsmanship, work ethic, and determination that keeps job sites moving.

Justin: Every contractor has felt the labor squeeze. You post a job, maybe three locals apply, and two of them quit by lunch. Meanwhile immigrant crews show up early, stay late, and pick up the slack nobody else will touch.
Gerritt: And they don’t complain that it’s hot.
Or that it’s raining.
Or that the job is “too hard.”
They signed up for hard.

Justin: Politicians talk labor like it’s a scoreboard:
Protect these jobs
Ban those workers
But those talking points come from offices, not job sites.
Gerritt: Politics is loud
Reality is quiet
but reality is undeniable
Construction companies NEED immigrant labor
not as a luxury
as a literal survival mechanism

Justin: Let’s flip the narrative to dollars:
More workers = more housing
More housing = lower costs
Lower costs = economic stability
The current shortage of skilled labor is a major cause of:
High home prices
Slow construction timelines
Backlogged infrastructure
Contractor burnout
Gerritt: Immigrant workers aren’t the problem
They are the pressure relief valve

Justin: Think about roofing. The average age of an American-born roofer keeps rising. Young Americans aren’t lining up to carry shingles in 105-degree heat.
Gerritt: And the idea that if immigrants disappear, local workers will suddenly flood in to save the day?
Not happening.
There are crews right now on every site in America who are the only reason that job is progressing.

Justin: There’s a disconnect between the narrative and the truth. People yell about “outsiders” until their home is flooded or their power goes out.
Who shows up to rebuild?
Immigrant labor.
Gerritt: When a roof is leaking
no homeowner asks for a passport
They ask:
“How fast can you fix it”
Justin: Contractors know where the next generation of trade workers is coming from. Most apprenticeship lists are filled with:
First-generation workers
New arrivals
Hard-working families building a new future
Gerritt: And that’s the American story
Work hard
Build something
Create opportunity
Construction IS the opportunity

Justin: Contractors listening — don’t let politics distract you from your mission.
Hire the people who want to build
Hire the people who show up
Hire the people who care
The workforce doesn’t have a nationality
The workforce has a work ethic
Gerritt: And that’s what we need right now
Builders
Doers
People who say “give me a chance and watch what I can do”

Justin: If immigrant labor is the backbone — then the industry must invest in:
Language support
Safety training
Skill certification
Fair wages
Clear career paths
Gerritt: Because when these workers advance
the entire industry advances
Elevate them
And you elevate the craftsmanship of the country

Justin: Here’s the truth everyone should know:
America doesn’t just use immigrant labor
America is BUILT by immigrant labor
Housing
Skyscrapers
Roads
Bridges
Schools
Homes we tuck our kids into
All touched by hands from around the world
Gerritt: In Part 2
We’ll cover:
Real contractor–crew success stories
Policy changes that would actually help
How immigrant labor can solve the worker shortage
How to honor and protect the people holding construction together
Justin: Because if we want to talk about the future of construction
we need to include EVERY worker who is already building it
Stick with us
Hard Hat Chat continues in Part 2
Justin: Picking up right where we left off, we’re shifting the conversation from what immigrant labor is doing for the industry… to how we create an environment where everyone wins — contractors, communities, and the workers who are actually swinging the hammers.
Gerritt: Because this isn’t about politics. It’s about people and productivity. The industry doesn’t run on cable news opinions. It runs on real humans pouring concrete and hanging drywall.

Justin: I talked to a remodeling contractor in Texas recently. He had been cycling through local hires — no-shows, constant turnover, short-term commitment. Then he found a skilled immigrant father-and-son team. Within a year:
Productivity doubled
Quality improved
Callbacks dropped
Clients raved
They grew together as a team
Now that crew is essential to his entire operation.
Gerritt: They built trust, loyalty, pride. That isn’t politics. That’s construction. That’s America — where anyone willing to work hard can help build the future.

Justin: This is where people get it wrong. Immigrant labor isn’t cheap. It’s competitive. But most importantly — it’s reliable.
Contractors aren’t hiring cheaper labor
They’re hiring stronger work ethic
Gerritt: Quality and speed reduce job costs. Crews who show up and produce consistently are more valuable than any slight wage difference.
Hiring isn’t a social experiment
It’s business survival

Justin: When immigration is functional and fair, contractors gain:
Clear hiring channels
Legal workforce stability
Better training pathways
Less job site risk
Confidence in labor continuity
When the system is chaotic, everyone loses — especially the people doing the work.
Gerritt: Contractors don’t want loopholes. They want clarity. Because the tighter the rules are, the easier it is to build strong teams without fear of legal chaos.
Justin: There’s a reason immigrant labor dominates the hardest sectors:
Concrete
Rebar
Framing crews
Roofing
Demolition
Agriculture-aligned trades
These are the jobs people say they want until the alarm goes off at 5 AM in 20-degree weather.
Gerritt: Yet these workers step up every day
and they take pride in it
It’s time the public respected that
instead of pretending someone else will pick up the tools
Justin: Look — we WANT more American-born youth in the trades. We’re pushing apprenticeship programs everywhere.
But right now?
The waiting list for workers is longer than the waiting list for projects.
Gerritt: Immigrants aren’t replacing American workers
They are buying us time to rebuild a pipeline of new ones
This is teamwork
not competition

Justin: Now let’s call out the other side too:
If someone helps you build your business
you pay fair
you train fair
you treat fair
no exploitation
no shortcuts
Respect must flow both ways
Gerritt: Because the people building homes
should be able to afford a home too
A rising industry should lift everyone

Justin: Contractors hire based on a simple philosophy:
I don’t care where you’re from
I care if you show up
I care if you do good work
I care if I can count on you
End of story
Gerritt: Construction doesn’t care about politics
It cares about productivity
Jobs get done by workers
not by opinions

Justin: If the industry pushes immigrant workers away
the result will be:
Contractor collapse
Project inflation
Worker burnout
Longer lead times
Housing shortages
Broken infrastructure
Nobody benefits
Gerritt: America can’t continue to grow. If half the workforce disappears overnight
Justin: Immigrant labor built:
Skyscrapers
Highways
Hospitals
Power plants
Suburbs
Warehouses
Schools
Military bases
Generations of structures
that hold the country up today
Gerritt: They didn’t take the jobs
They took the bricks
and turned them into the American dream
Justin: Here’s the reality we stand behind:
If you love the home you live in
Thank a contractor
If you love that your contractor showed up
Thank the crew
And if that crew speaks multiple languages
Thank them even more
Because they are choosing to build YOUR community
Gerritt: We don’t care what the politicians say
We care what the workers do
And the workers are building America
one nail
one beam
one home
one dream
at a time
Justin: Construction is unity
Construction is opportunity
Construction is proof
that when people work together
everybody rises

Justin: Welcome back to Hard Hat Chat. In Parts 1 and 2, we talked about how immigrant workers are filling a labor shortage that would completely freeze our industry if they disappeared. We talked about their skill, their drive, their impact on our economy, and the truth about how much America depends on them
Immigrant Labor_ Reality vs Pol…
. Now we’re going one step deeper. Not just what immigrant labor does today but what they mean for the future of construction in this country.
Gerritt: There’s a phrase you said earlier that stuck with me. America isn’t just using immigrant labor. America is built by immigrant labor. And if we’re going to build the next era of this country, we need to make sure the people doing that building are supported, respected, and included in how we plan ahead.
Justin: Exactly. Because here’s the real question no one in politics wants to answer: Who is going to rebuild the bridges that are falling apart? Who is going to construct the new power grid? Who is going to expand our housing when families are priced out? Who is going to build the factories bringing manufacturing back to the US?
Gerritt: The same people already doing it. They’re on job sites right now, pouring concrete and framing houses while everyone else argues about them on TV.
Justin: We have a housing shortage in every major city. And every contractor listening knows one of the top reasons is not materials. It's not interest rates. It’s workers. We do not have enough boots on the ground to build the amount of housing America needs for the next decade.
Gerritt: And guess who is ready to show up? Immigrant workers. They’re not asking for a handout. They’re asking for a chance. They’re asking for a fair shot to build a life by building the country. That’s not politics. That’s the American dream in steel-toe boots.
Justin: And here’s where contractors come in. We are the frontline of workforce development. Not colleges. Not think tanks. Us. We’re the ones teaching the trades, the safety, the craftsmanship. We are the ones giving new workers their first opportunity to prove themselves. So we better make sure we’re ready to train the workers who actually show up.
Gerritt: And let’s talk about skills for a second because people love to say immigrant labor is unskilled. Really? Try tying rebar in the heat all day. Try running a framing crew that can stand walls faster than you can get the next bundle of lumber delivered. Try roofing in triple-digit weather without complaining. That’s skill. That’s toughness. That’s professionalism.
Justin: When you walk a new worker to a job site and they already know the tools, the code, the workflow, and they can learn your system in a week, you don’t question where they’re from. You say thank God they’re here. And if that makes someone uncomfortable, that's their insecurity talking. Not reality.
Gerritt: One hundred percent. So let’s talk loyalty. Because contractors know turnover is brutal. Hiring is brutal. You invest in workers, you train them, and then they vanish. But immigrant crews? When you treat them right, they stay. They bring friends and family. They become your foundation.
Justin: They build your company while they build America. That’s a partnership. And we need more partnerships like that. Because the backlash isn’t coming from the jobsite. The respect is there. It’s coming from the sidelines. From people who have never worn PPE a day in their life.
Gerritt: Anyone who has ever run payroll knows this truth. If you remove immigrant labor from the equation, the cost of every project doubles. And I’m not talking theory. I’m talking math they should be teaching in every economics class.
Justin: And let’s talk safety. These crews often walk into a new country and a new industry with language barriers, cultural differences, and zero orientation. Safety training should be a priority. OSHA training should be accessible. And leadership should be intentional about making sure every worker gets home alive.
Gerritt: Safety doesn’t depend on what language you speak. It depends on what standards you hold your company to.
Justin: And speaking of standards. Let’s hit the big debate: legalization and work authorization. Look, contractors want rules. Clear, fair, enforceable rules that allow workers to operate without fear and businesses to operate without guessing. Everyone wins with clarity.
Gerritt: Nobody wants slip through the cracks hiring. We want an honest path. Because when this workforce is stable, the entire supply chain becomes stable. And when that happens? Prices drop. Backlogs shrink. Homes get built. The economy grows.
Justin: Immigrant labor isn’t the threat. It’s the safety net keeping the industry from collapsing.
Gerritt: I want to shift to the human side for a minute. We hear stories every day. A worker who came here at eighteen, now a foreman managing twenty guys. A young woman who came from a rural village now running a roofing business with twelve trucks. A father who sends money home so his kids can get an education. These stories are real and they are powerful.
Justin: This industry doesn’t just build buildings. It builds lives. And those lives belong to everyone who steps onto the jobsite.
Gerritt: And here’s the leadership message for every contractor listening. These workers are not temporary. They are not a stopgap. They are the future leaders of the trades. They will become your supers. Your estimators. Your project managers. Your partners.
Justin: The future of construction depends on who we invest in today. And immigrant workers deserve that investment. Because they have already proven themselves a thousand times over.
Gerritt: I want to end with this. We need unity. Not division. We need more people building the workforce instead of tearing each other down. Construction is about getting things done. No excuses. Just results. And immigrant workers are delivering results every single day.
Justin: If you want to see the truth, don’t look at headlines. Look at the skyline. Look at the homes. Look at the roads. Look at the buildings where our families live, work, and heal. Look at the structures rising over every city in America. Immigrant labor did that. They are helping build the most powerful nation on Earth one job at a time.
Gerritt: This isn’t a political statement. It’s a gratitude statement. Thank you to every worker out there who wakes up early, works hard, and builds the places where America lives its life.
Justin: That’s Part 3 of Immigrant Labor in US Construction. We’re proud of this conversation. And we’re proud of every worker in the field fighting to build the future. This industry rises when we rise together.
Gerritt: And the truth is simple. Without immigrant labor, construction stops. With immigrant labor, America grows.
Justin: We’ll see you on the next episode of Hard Hat Chat.