> There is also a skin in the game effect that even a paid random plumber is not actually that invested in doing a good job and, while you cannot compete in terms of speed of executing a fix, or possession of special tools, you can compete - and exceed - on final quality simply because you really care about the final outcome.

I have experienced this recently, as I have been making the rounds through various lawn care companies. I'm on my fourth one in the past four years, and I just have not been able to find one that truly cares about the lawn with the same love and detail that I would. And why should they? I am just one of many lawns they take care of each month.

Although I still generally lean towards the parent commenter's philosophy of paying the experts to do what they are good at, there are just some areas where the extra level of care and attention is worth the decrease of efficiency in getting the thing done.