I would submit that you don't lose the overall perspective of the job. Are you looking for a $8500 job? Or an $18500 job. $38,500 job? Are your expectations with respect to scope and detail in line with your budget?
It's important to pick a shop that does the kind of work you expect, in addition to the willingness to accommodate unique or specific wants (such as doing your own dis- and assembly.)
I did NOT say it's important to pick a shop that charges amounts consistent with what you want to pay. If that is your only criteria, forget most all of the pre-qualifying mentioned above.
Everything previously mentioned in this thread above is important, but if this isn't factored in, all of the above may be for naught.
Good, fast, cheap... Pick 2 and you do not get the 3rd.
I do high end aircraft painting, (mostly Lancairs and Evolutions) but I don't do a lot of RV stuff, beyond jobs that need a lot of composite work, because that is our specialty.
I consider it highly important to become familiar enough with a customer to be able to understand where he fits in per the above.
If you are not happy with the quality of my work, it really doesn't matter what it cost, because I have failed to meet your expectations.
If you are happy with the quality of my work, but not the cost, either you or I didn't properly qualify each other for this job.
Some of the posts suggest "expectations" ... we do it the way we do it, and I suspect that that is true of most shops. We just need to keep plenty customers that want it the way we do it.
Brad Simmons
Airframes Inc
Milan, TN
www.airframesinc.com