"That's not the same. They are paying for a product and they are have
to
pay for R&D. That goes for anything you buy off the shelf whether it
is
software, a toilet valve, or an A/C. I am not complaining about the
price of building supplies, now. "

Software purchases also normally require a purchase of maintenance in
order to receive support when bugs are found, additional resources to
test the software (because it rarely works as advertised), training,
and (sometimes) additional hardware. Whether I buy that in the initial
license or on the back end, software/technology is generally a bad
comparison because the license models are very bloated.

I didn't read through all the posts, but sometimes the quote is based
on other factors that may not be apparent to the purchaser (i.e., I was
going to go fishing tomorrwow, but if you pay me enough I'll work for
you instead).

I like to save money as much as the next person and I try to learn to
do things myself (I'm not necessarily handy, but I'm inquisitive and
like to learn new things), but there are also times when I'm willing to
pay the premium to have someone else do it. It's rarely a black/white
issue. I had some insulation work done last year...sure, I could have
done it myself, but it was worth it to me to pay someone to a) get it
done while I was at work, b) not have to deal with the attic heat, the
itching and the crawlspaces, and c) it was actually cheaper than if I
rented the equipment, bought the materials at non-contractor rates.

When it comes time to rewire some of the electric, I know what I can do
and/or what I should probably contract out.

Dave