Some people make it sound like building an engine is magic and art requiring a wizard.
It is simply having all parts machined to the correct sizes and then proper assembly in the correct order, with good fasteners and gaskets.
Granted knowing what combination of parts work well together, requires knowledge and experience.
If someone such as Keith provides a package that has the right combination of parts with the proper machine work already done, the vast majority of the high skill work is already done.
Granted a well designed engine such as a small block requires much less skill to assemble than a FE requires.
I'm guessing that a good shop would final assemble a small block in a few hours, with a couple more hours, if the clearances were not correct. I know I have done it in a day, when all went well. If I'm correct here, we are only talking saving $500 to $1000 in labor. However you may save more if the shop no longer has to stand by the whole product.
All the talk of morons scrambling to build their engine and then blaming the parts seller for his own mistakes is a little over blown. Sure it is a valid point, but what about the people who know nothing about an engine, buy a complete engine, and plumb the remote
oil filter wrong? I suspect Keith has stood behind a lot of engines that were destroyed by the purchasers total ignorance. I think I would be more afraid of the guy purchasing a fully assembled and warrantied engine who has never changed a spark plug in his life, than someone who plans to assemble his own engine. The majority of people who plan to assemble their own engine likely have quite a bit of skill and experience.