Yeap..... Around 15 years ago there was a huge push for young men to enter the trades, with people saying stuff like a plumber or electrician is going to earn more than people with a higher education. That may have been true 20-30 years ago, but nowadays the only real employer out there is all through contract work.

Big business found a new market to exploit and started to edge out the mom and pop companies who would actually employ their trade workers. Now if you're looking for a tradesman you either have to pay one of the nation wide companies or a mom and pop who has adopted the same methods to turn a profit.

In the end you're going to overpay a company to hire an under paid contractor to do barely functional work. The only person winning in the scenario is the owner of the company.