[y-c-o-m-b]

This has been my experience with nearly every utility-related service I have ever needed - same with people in my social circle . Plumbing, electric, chimney, appliances, etc. all do this. Even with the rise of DIY, the demand for these services are still high. I live in a suburban neighborhood flooded with work vans for electricians and such, so you'd think the high competition would keep prices low. You'd think, but that definitely wasn't the case when I called around for estimates, and they were all booked out days to weeks. Crazy

[AdamN]

I think the work is spiky so the quotes are inversely related to how busy the contractor is at that moment (for small shops). Also, there is the supply/demand of the people doing the actual work who are often not employees and may be available or not for that project in that neighborhood.

And then there's the availability of the part/unit which drives price.

[hcknwscommenter]

There's also a weird consolidation going on in what are traditionally mom-and-pop style "trade" industries. E.g., a significant portion of the individual contractor Co. vans you see driving around could be owned (or at least partially owned) by the same private equity outfit. Thus, prices and supply can be "managed" to the detriment of the consumer. I think it will be a few years or possibly a decade before state/local/federal governments catch on to what is happening here.

[sokoloff]

Presumably the bid and level of busy-ness are positively correlated rather than inverse/negatively correlated.

[AniseAbyss]

Because for decades parents have told their children to become lawyers, doctors or if everything fails go into IT.

Physical work is underappreciated.