My advice: do NOT hire an attorney; it will eat up all of any award you receive.

Take lots of photos.
Act quickly. There may be a time limit and even if not, judges like cases filed sooner vs later, for preservation of evidence, fewer questions about “why did you wait?”, etc.
Bring evidence from the web or whatever source to back up your statement about how the work was done improperly.
Bring texts, emails, etc., showing he acknowledged his mistake.
Bring an estimate from another contractor to repair the work.

the court can only make a judgement "FOR MONEY THAT IS OWED YOU—IT CAN’T ORDER SOMEONE TO DO OR NOT DO SOMETHING."
(caps are because I copied from the Magistrate website)


Would asking him to pay for the repairs by another party be "making him do something?"

Hire someone else to complete the work.

I would wait to get it fixed, but it’s not necessary.

No attorney. Better off without one as a plaintiff in Small Claims court.
File quickly.
Pull together every document you have. Have a couple of estimates in hand to repair/replace the work that was done.
If you can live with the situation for a little while, I probably wouldn't make any repairs until after the hearing.

1- You're going to ask the court to award you money. How much depends on how badly the job was performed. You might try and get all you paid back but that rarely flies. Better to ask for a specific amount, somewhere less than 100% of what you paid the guy.
2- No, you don't need and shouldn't get a lawyer for Small Claims Court.
3- File in the Small Claims Court that has jurisdiction over the property where the work was performed.

The other advice given you in answer #1 is spot on. File your claim rapidly and document everything. Take multiple photos, get pertinent information from the web printed off, plus any correspondence you've had with the contractor, especially proof of payment(s) and any discussions you've had with him about the quality of the work.

Don't leave stuff at home thinking maybe you might need it later. Your day in court is your one chance to get it right. Make sure you have everything you need with you and readily available to show the judge if asked.

Finally, recognize that you're going to be in a legal proceeding which has its own rules. You will be given an opportunity to explain to the judge what the problem is. The contractor will also be given an equal opportunity to do the same. Don't interrupt if something said annoys you and don't show frustration, aggravation of anger. Keep calm and let the judge do his/her job.

that in the claim?

I guess it's time for some Judge Judy.

so the judge can get a clear idea of what the problem is. You can provide additional documentation if needed at trial.

The judge can award any amount (s)he feels appropriate. It it almost always less than the claim.

good idea. Don't worry about "court costs". Small Claims filings are not expensive.

Watch some Judge Judy shows. It won’t be exactly like this, but it will give you an idea of what questions might be asked.

They did not allow attorneys. You can consult one, check to see who would give you a free consultation if you do call one for advice. Make sure you have all documentation and take pictures of the bathroom and the crappy work, they will only want to see a max of about four or five pictures.

File in your county since that is where the offense took place... I think.

I'm just out the thousands that I paid the dude, then I'll eat the money to have it demolished and rebuilt the correct way. It sucks but not enough to get the courts and such involved.

Then, you don't have any lawyer's fees so I'm not sure where you're getting the idea that it's too expensive. You do need to check what the claim limit is in Small Claims Court. Your project cost may exceed that amount, in which case then you need to go into District Court with an attorney and that can run into money.