You sound like a good candidate to use the SavvyAviator maintenance program. He charges $750 a year for a single engine and manages all your maintenance. You decide on every expense but he does a great deal of coordination between the shop and help you understand how to keep the airplane in top shape by spending that extra money where it is needed and not spending in every corner that some shops covet as profit centers but offer little additional safety or benefit.
BTW-since I took my A&P class I probably spend more money on maintenance than before but now I spend it where it really makes a super safe plane and adds value to the aircraft rather than what ever way the service writer could pry money from my hand.
Almost all the times seem 2x sometimes 3x the real time it takes to do the work spec-ed out and on top of that they seem to often bill you twice for the same items one example plus what Duncan has said above: repairing the mags but then again to change the timing...seems redundant to me.
Edited:
I wasn't going to say much about this but the longer I look at it the more it chafes me...
Across the board these times are ridiculous. If I take my Cadillac to the Cadillac dealer to work on it I expect a pretty good hosing but these guys take it to another level. He must have kids in college you have to pay for their semesters tuition.
He is $xxxx for inspecting your mags and I had two bendex IRAN'd for $525 for both together at a Bendex shop.
#5 He wants 3 1/5 hrs to replace gaskets on valve covers?
$100 to check a battery, each battery? Ea for $100- 2 batteries?
2 hrs to fix a chafed line...could be right but based on other charges I assume hes allowing himself a very nice margin.
#11, 1.5 hrs to adjust idle mixture when it is already in the shop being annual-ed? Unless there is something crazy with your model this seems off.
#14 Spark plug warn “Too limits” means they are still serviceable. Warn beyond limits requires replacement. So I'd say this option should be put off till next inspection.....(I bought 12 new Champions for about $25 ea look around) If you are really worried buy a plug or two to keep in the plane so if you have trouble on the road, you just pop it in and away you go. This is something you can do in the field or any mechanic can do for you if you have the part in your plane.
#15 1.5 hrs to twist some wire around the vband clamps??? Its only $127.50 but when they put a half dozen or dozen of these little 1.5 items in there they start to add up to real money. You can safety wire them yourself for 35 cents for the safety ties. The twist plyers are at harbor freight for $9.
#16 again 1 hr to tighten the oil filler tube.....1, 2, 3...its tight oh 10 seconds but we better allow 1 hr for that.....gotcha.
#17 you must have a built in Ox bottle they are really ripping you hear. 6 hrs to do an inspection on the ox bottle....$760. $250 outside labor.... I guess $500 is just to Remove and replace the bottle the other outside labor is the actual inspection. I'd take the bottle to the outside place for them to re-certify the bottle.
#19 are paper air filters really $288, I get mad when they charge me $28. Again .6 hrs to put it in? That must include walking back to the parts guys across the street to get it.
#20 I'd fix the roosen visor myself. 2 hrs....really.
#22 seeping oil return hose? Take it off, clean it, inspect it put it back on and tighten it....not 2 hrs when you are already in there and cowls removed.
#23 $510 to clean fuel injectors.....Arn't new fuel injectors about $600? For Gami's?
Is this a Jet maintenance shop by any chance?
Part of this may be me.
I fly this bird in conditions that you really wouldn't want to have a problem and I do it quite a bit. So not knowing any better I have told them I want factory parts on it. So the Champion parts might be a good example. I'm sure this will come up in our conversation as an option. I just don't know which way to go.
Seemed odd to me. 
