It's hard for a young guy like me to add much to this coversation that hasn't already been said. However, it is DEFINATELY vital tht you do your homework and realize that with gelcoat you get what you pay for. A friend and I both started 20' Campbell projects at the same time. He went with the low-bid guys, I went with a more expensive shop that was filled with 33' Daytonas and other big $$ boats.
My guy took a long time (six months) and cost more than he bid ($6,000) but the results are nothing short of stunning. My friend's boat looks like it was painted with a roller, and he's seriously considering grinding it all off and starting over from scratch. Go figure.
I used Fiberglass Reformation in LHC, on Port Street just behind Campbell. They do bitchin work, but it was really hard on me living so far from where the boat was, because I couldn't just "swing by" and check up on progress. So, if you can find a shop near you that does great work, go for it. If not... give Steve or Jill Power a call and tell 'em Dan Kahn sent ya. (928) 855-0877
I used this same guy a couple of years ago to do the inside of an engine hatch, nice work but took longer than told and price almost doubled from quote. Just my $0.02 worth.