Homebuilders say immigrants' work is vital

I imagine that many of the people who say we should deport all these illegal workers are enjoying being able to buy a house at a good price. DP

Houses wouldn't be built on time or on budget without the help of foreign-born workers, many of whom are here illegally

By Lew Sichelman, Special to The Chronicle

SFGate.com: Washington -- Whatever your opinion regarding immigrants who have entered the United States illegally, realize that if you are in the market for a new house, it's likely to take longer to build -- and cost more to buy -- if they are forced to leave the country.

The National Association of Home Builders estimates that 20 percent of the construction workforce -- about 2.4 million people -- is foreign-born. While it's impossible to know how many are undocumented, some estimates put the number at 50 percent or more.

Whatever the true count, builders across the country say illegal immigrants play an important role in a construction labor market that is already stretched thin.

Craig Havenner of the Christopher Cos., a builder in Virginia, has no idea how many of the carpenters, brick masons, roofers and other craftsmen who work for the subcontractors he hires are here illegally. Nor does Michael Fink of the Leewood Real Estate Group in Trenton, N.J.

But both builders say they'd be hard-pressed to deliver their products on time or at the same price if "illegals" were ordered to leave the country, as some federal legislators have demanded.

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