I didnt have the same experience. I repaired a few Iphones at an indy repair shop and the repair was solid and way cheaper than with apple.
I repaired an iPad and two iPhones at indy shops. Shop #1 did the iPad kinda right, except the one button(tm) was crooked after the screen replacement. Shop #2 did the two iPhones perfectly. Even the one with water damage.
So just ask around.