1200 sounds like a gouging . How much is the Honda OEM Part?
That's how a lot of stupid shops are. They like ripping people off. Hairing is doing the right thing by changing it himself. As long as he knows what to expect by doing so, and has the tools. Something like this would have been easy to narrow down, if you hook a fuel pressure gauge to the shrader valve on the fuel runner. If the fuel pump is not producing enough pressure at times, it will stick out like a sore thumb. Like you, I'd prefer to have a vehicle right in front of me to diagnose, but it also sounded like a fuel pump to me, as well. Now, lets just hope the "mechanic" diagnosed it properly.
