Replacing brake lines is very easy but most shops nowadays literally work on the modulus of replace this whole part if it goes bad, A brake line comes in a roll which they cannot straighten and shape like the one they are removing because of the flat rate system and also the supermarket help hiring syndrome where quantity beats quality.

e.g. when I changed the brake lines on a 07 chevy impala owned by an old lady on fixed income, It took me a whole day with jackstands etc. - but I made them very pretty too, bends that looked like factory stuff except they were nicopp - I also put a junction right at the rear subframe like GM did at the production line, but I actually put a U bend where the fuel tank fill tube was - GM literally smashed the tank in and the line bent itself to shape.

The rusted parts were right at the fuel filter and the firewall where it turns upwards and is protected by a heatsleeve.

If a shop did that - it would take about half a day I think if the tech knew how to make the lines.

Rusted out fuel lines are very common and tubing for it are sold at parts shops too, the filter union piece for GM is also sold at the same shops, The plastic clip types too.

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2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

This is driven by car owners that don't want to pay for quality work and want to know the exact cost up front before any work begins.

$ 80 Hr * 4 hr = $ 360 and parts markup that barely pays for printing the invoice makes for a money losing job and an irate customer that feels ripped off. " you changed me XX !! I can buy brake lines at Auto Zoo for $ 5 . "

This leads to zip tied lines and S bends to take up the slack of a pre made line. Customer does not see it and , at least initially , works the same as a proper job.

You want an estimate on a job today. Sometimes it will be accurate. On the other hand it can also be very inaccurate. With the mechanics lien act you pay whatever they ask or no vehicle.

I have personally read outrages bills of people I know. I know about how much the job should have entailed. Simply because I have done many of them many times.

I have no issue with anyone making a dollar. That is the way the system works. Too many auto repair bills today go far beyond this. The really bad ones around here have just lost the majority of their service business.

Word eventually gets around or even though people may know little about cars. These clip joints forget those people have probably paid for the same types of jobs before. So they at least have an ideal about what it should cost.