So many thoughts......
First off, and most importantly, any tradesperson who is not charging himself or his workers out at at LEAST $50.00 per hour is not going to be in business very long.
Two, the public at large are MORONS when it comes to the cost of construction. Everyone thinks they are getting ripped off, no matter what the price, unless the price is a fraction of what they expected, or some guys does them a supreme favour.
Three, the public at large HAS NO FUCKING CLUE as to the scope of work of your average project. I often have friends ask me my advice on problems or projects with their homes (and they never listen because I tell them the correct way to fix something and the correct way is going to be expensive. Long story.) But I wish I had a dime for every time I heard them say, "It's just a whatever". Ok, if it's "just a whatever", then you do it. Example. A friend wants to buy a house in Greektown off the Danforth. It's expensive. But they figure that they can rent out the basement to help pay the mortgage. Ok, whatever. He says to me, "how much to put in a basement walkout?" I say 30 grand. They stare, scoff, roll their eyes, almost choke. "It's JUST a door", they say. I smirk. "Ok, then you do it", I respond. So I go through how it's going to cost 30 grand. I add up all the scope of work. Excavation, disposal of spoils, underpin existing foundation wall, smash through existing foundation wall without bringing the back of the house down, rework said foundation wall. Sump pump system with battery backup, drains, then build the retaining wall, SM insulation under slab, rebar, stairs, light, railing, waterproofing, backfilling, grading, sod. Oh, and the price of a good door. They don't believe me and find a flunky who says he can do it for 8 or 9 grand and laugh at me, saying I don't know what I'm talking about, or I'm too rich.... Ok, whatever. Flunky starts the work. (Shows up in running shoes.) No permit, no design. Brings a door from Home Depot on his truck on day one. Long story short, he undermines their foundation (yes, door is in and foamed in place with foam everywhere.) Builds a retaining wall out of 8" block (bad block job.) Everything moves. "JTK, come help us PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE". (No, I'm not a tradesman, long story, but I know my way round better than most tradesmen.) Ends up costing them 50 grand, plus whatever they paid the flunky.)
Four, people have been watching too much Holmes on Homes and they think that what they see on Holmes is reality and that level of dream-world service is what they should get (but not have to pay for). People, Holmes is not reality. Holmes is bullshit, Mike Holmes himself is bullshit.