BroJack writes:

and so we have a scarcity of skilled blue collar people. In this
area, you can wait up to 6 months for stump grinding, asphalt paving,
spot welding, masonry repair, painting, etc. More often than not,
messages requesting estimates are ignored. You gotta damn near beg
people to work for you.

Nonsense. You just have to pay them enough.

Of course, the trades like to set up all kinds of "protections" and
"codes" that foul up the marketplace. Maybe you live in a place like that.