if someone signs a contract that says they have to pay $1000 for my work and they dont pay will it cost me more than $1000 to get the $1000 ?

That depends on (a) whether you handle the matter yourself; (b) how hard the defendant will fight the action; and (c) whether the other party will, or can, pay a judgment voluntarily.  If you handle the matter yourself in small claims court, there is no defense to your claim, and you know where the other party has sufficient assets to pay your judgment (i.e. you know their bank account), you should ba able to do it for less than $1,000, not counting the value of your time.