There's some truth to that, but conversely it used to be almost always the case that you commissioned your neighbor's mason/plumber/carpenter etc. for such things and knew they did good work and wouldn't rip you off. If they did one thing wrong and did another, the other neighbors would have told me about it. Even earlier, the guilds and fraternities made sure that everyone was cheated equally.
Today you simply don't have this security. I find it legitimate to do a bit more research. Whether that means three or five quotes. Well, for me that would be too much effort to make five inquiries for each trade, follow up, and then remember who it was...