@CPATaxHelp — (1) Send a written notice giving the contractor 10 days to resume work or you'll treat the contract as abandoned. Send certified mail and email. (2) If they don't respond, hire a new contractor to complete the work. Get at least 2 quotes for the completion cost. (3) File a complaint with your state's contractor licensing board — abandoning a project is grounds for license suspension. (4) File a claim against the contractor's surety bond (if required in your state). (5) Sue in civil court for: the difference between what you paid and the value of work actually completed, the additional cost to hire a replacement contractor, any consequential damages (hotel costs if the home is uninhabitable, eating out, storage). Document everything: the original contract, all payments, photos of the incomplete work, communications, and the cost to complete. For $45K contracts, many construction attorneys will take these cases on contingency or reduced fees because the facts are usually straightforward.