Alternatives to filing a complaint include:

• arbitration, or seeking settlement by a neutral, third party authority acting as a judge;
• mediation, or using another neutral, third party individual to help arrive at an agreement by the opposing parties themselves;
• restitution from a state fund; or seeking reparations from the state with which the contractor is licensed;
• small claims court, or handling the matter yourself in similar fashion as a lawsuit (without a lawyer);
• or an actual lawsuit, which would sue the liable party with the assistance of a lawyer.