Lest I be accused of "Seagull Management," I apologize for my lack of participation - it's just that I am currently working in an area that has less internet access than rural Cambodia
Still, I am delighted that this thread has some life to it.
There's a reason I placed the thread in the 'business' section. Make that two reasons.
First, the various customers have expressed a willingness to 'get it right.' Sort of makes me wonder if, perhaps, we're in error when we assume the customer is only interested in 'cheap.' Along with this, the shows illustrate what can go wrong.
Sure, there is the occasional job where some hack charges Rolls-Royce prices and delivers a broken Yugo. There are also a number of episodes, though, that show jobs that went wrong when the contractor went beyond his abilities, either in skill, or scale. There are business lessons there.
Second, one contractor has pointed out to me that he can tell when folks have been watching "Holmes;" they expect a contract, and expect the job to be done right. There's less customer resistance, or desire for 'half-measures.'
I like the way both Mike and Cindy are quite up-front with the customers as to what they offer. Their presentations, from first contact to the close of the job, stress just how much MORE they're doing than someone else might. There's some lessons in salesmanship there!
I'll agree that I'd like to see some more detailed financials for each Holmes job. I'd really like it if every show closed with "Mr. Smith paid $25,000 to a hack for a job that we would have charged $28,000. With the additional work required to fix the mess, we ended up charging him $35,000. More important, what should have been a 5 week job festered for 15 months, between the hack's efforts, our demo, and our work."
Regarding Cindy Stumpo, I'd like to see some of her financials. I'd like to see just how much more it costs to 'do it right,' as opposed to the main differences in price being the real estate and custom marble expenses. Does it really cost more to do quality work? Are the higher labor rates offset by less wasted material and time - and fewer call-backs?
I wonder how many hacks really want to be hacks .... is it possible that they just don't know how to run a job site, or a business?
......and of course the DIY guy watching him does not have to put $$$ in the pot every Friday from his efforts no matter how long it takes. This is the main problem with 'quality' work - there is a limit somewhere between the Rolls-Royce no-effort-spared masterpiece job and what the customer is prepared to pay, so you don't starve. And every customer has a different take on where the break point is. Remember, there's a mug born every minute but they do tend to be cheapskates! 
