After asking around, it seems that the Big Box search companies are fishing for the lowest cost without knowing or caring that they will often receive dubious work. One client lost an last-owner account when a competitor underbid him by $1.50.

It seems that insuring parties are farming out the work to title companies who then subcontract it if independents or other companies can do the work for less than running it in-house, which seems to be averagely estimated at $200.