Hi everyone, looking for advice on a contractor dispute in California.

The Backstory:

• I filed an insurance claim for bathroom/remodel repairs. The insurer issued a check for $9,713.95.

• I hired a contractor and ultimately paid him $13,400 across 5 Zelle installments (meaning | spent $3,686.05 out-of-pocket beyond the insurance check).

• No written or signed contract was ever executed for a $20,000 job.

The Dispute:

• The contractor is now accusing me of "insurance fraud," falsely claiming I received $20,000 from my insurer and pocketed the difference.

• His demanded balance keeps shifting: first he claimed I owed him on $20k, then $16.5k, and most recently texted asking for "at least $3,000" for upgraded vanity cabinets, higher-grade shower walls, and trash removal.

He bought these "upgraded" materials and did trash removal on his own initiative-there were zero signed change orders or prior written approvals for these extra costs.

Action Taken:

• I sent him a final text with blacked-out copies…