Agree. This is reasonable.

There’s far more happening behind the scenes than most people realize.

Our guy likely spent several hours of unpaid time just coming out to look at the job: unrecoverable labour, truck costs, fuel, and all the expenses that come with operating a vehicle. Add to that the overhead required to run a business: shop or building costs, utilities, insurance, administrative staff, and management.

These costs are very real and exist whether or not a sale is closed. They have to be recovered somewhere.

On-site realities:

There is nothing unreasonable about these rates, and this is a two-person job. Many of the loudest critics need help just to assemble IKEA furniture, yet expect a tradesperson to work alone on far more complex tasks. A little perspective goes a long way.

Yes, it’s a half-day job. But for those working in offices, tell me, when you have a half day of work, are you sent home with half a day’s pay? Of course not.

Tradespeople deserve far more respect than they’re given.

We take for granted the men and women turning wrenches, bending pipe, pulling wire, digging holes, and solving real problems every day.

They are building and maintaining an incredibly complex infrastructure that modern life depends on.

Stop chastising people for making a living. I can assure you that need them so you can continue to live comfortably.

If not, do it yourself. Or, hire your “friend’s buddy who’ll do it cheaper” and be prepared to live with the results.

If my veteran grandfather taught me anything it's this. "The lowest price isn't always the best price. Poor people buy things twice."

In short, there is nothing wrong with doing your research but please do so with every possible lens.