“I already bought the materials and paid my two guys” is the part that gets me. You spent maybe $1,300 out of pocket, but the real problem is that this will cost you more time and energy if you chase it. Filing in small claims for that amount means taking a day off work, driving to the courthouse, filling out forms, and hoping the guy even shows up. Even if you win, collecting the money is a whole other headache that people don't warn you about. I’d eat the loss, write it off as a lesson learned, and be glad you didn’t sink more into that project. Add a contract with a deposit next time, that’s what actually protects you.

Did writing down what you needed actually hold up when you got back in the room, or did that list quietly go out the window once the pressure hit?

Yeah @leor86 that cook was onto something, but I find just reading my lists out loud does the trick for me.