Get 3 bids, some contractors give you more value at the same price.

Than why post about paying a reasonable amount?

Probably someone would hold them to that price even though what they wanted the contractor to was apples to oranges! If you call a reputable vendor in or around The Villages, they will tell their show up and hourly prices!

If someone goes ahead the price was reasonable.
 

If somebody goes ahead with a job, then you know the cost was reasonable to them, otherwise they would not have done it.

People are looking for posted prices so they can make a preliminary estimate of what their job might cost. It’s understood that the timing and the details matter a lot. But if there are multiple posts and all the particulars are listed then you can adjust and make a decent guess. If the guess is wrong, no big deal you will find out when you get actual quotes.

I think recipients just want data and prefer to make their own judgements as to whether it is relevant or not.

But posters don’t necessarily want to be simple data providers. They have other reasons for posting about their projects. And, as others have mentioned, they don’t necessarily want feedback other than positive feedback on the prices paid as they are fait accompli. I get it.

People tend to think differently. Most things you can research cost on line. Part of reasonable is quality.

In addition to what everyone else has said here, if I had a vendor I was satisfied with, I wouldn't want to put them in the position of hearing from a potential customer after they gave a quote: Well, someone said on social media that you only charged X amount for their job. Then they have to (a) figure out who the customer was and then (b) explain the difference in costs. If someone is serious about getting work done, they have to contact the vendor anyway. And if they're smart, they'll contact two or three vendors. Yes, this takes time.

What I'm interested in when I'm looking for recommendations (whether it's a restaurant or a home/landscape improvement/repair) is whether folks were satisfied with the product or service. Once I get some answers, then I contact those vendors and make my decision on whether I want to pay that price. And as far as restaurants go, they pretty much all post their menus online.

Research is the name of the game here. We shouldn't rely on others to define "reasonable" for us.

While I agree with what you said, there are some contractors who will try to charge a higher price based on who they are dealing with. Having a price that someone else actually paid puts them in a better position to negotiate a fair price. I consider myself an excellent negotiator, but I have known others who are terrible at negotiating. Believe it or not, some contractors can sense these people and take advantage of them.

Agree, and this situation occurs a lot more often on sites like Nextdoor. People need to find a person/business whom they like and trust and hire that person/business. Free estimates are not free. They are a cost of doing business

And conversely most who are looking for a contractor specify, at a "reasonable cost". Can't think of a more stupid question to ask.

So, you would hire a contractor without knowing the actual cost?