Seems to me that the underlying question is, "How does one find a reliable/trustworthy technician?" If I were new to an area (instead of a resident of 45 years), I'd get recommendations from experienced players and pros. Of course, if I were new to an area, I'd have to seek those people out as well.
All of the five luthiers I've used over the years have had networks of satisfied customers, and I got to know them all personally. When one died a few years back, a local player constructed a very large sympathy card (about 2x3 feet) and took it around the memorial service asking us to sign and indicate what instruments Rick had worked on. By the time it got to me, it was covered with signatures and guitar and bass models. (Every bar band in the area depended on him or one of his colleagues at the store where he worked.)
But lacking personal local contacts, I might ask on a forum like this one, specifying my location and the nature of my needs. For anyone in mid-Minnesota I can point out the shops I have used and trust completely. Not every area might be so fortunate, but my years doing stories for Acoustic Guitar suggests that there skilled hands all over the map.