350 HP 318 Build

standard shop rates in my area are 100~125 an hour, so for specialty work that's not insanity or out side of the realm of reality.

hourly rate should not be a reflection of how many people your operation is. i don't see a correlation for that.
When you're a one man operation, the billable hours only have to cover your time, materials and expenses. If you have more than one person operating in different capacities (sales, shipping, warranty, etc) now those same hours have to pay more peoples' paychecks. The rate has to go up to cover that.