If the installer used matching grout and caulk from the same manufacturer it may be installation technique or 'wander' in the manufacturers color matching.

"Do you think we are being to picky"? (sic)"

I find homeowners by and large fuss about the little things while they have no clue about the big things. That's why paint colours and application trump structural superiourity every time.

You chose the grout colour. But you let the installers or builder choose caulking colours? Then it seems to me you don't have much right to complain that they're not to your liking.

Funny thing about grouts: endless shades to choose from, but after a year of use they pretty much all look the same.

I do not think you are being too picky. What you have described can make a bathroom look sloppy.
If this were something so minor, why the guy can not make it look good? I spent the other day like 20 minutes with one of my colleagues deciding a grout color (He is even pickier than me)
To us, everything is important.
Mae, do not accept a slopppy job. You are the one that is going to look at it everyday.

when I selected the grout color I was told the caulk color would match

Different story! Then, you're entitled. It should have been from samples and in writing

A lesson I learned from my pickiest customers.

When it comes down to any finish aspect of a build, the attitude to keep a customer happy is termed....Close enough isn't!

I have seen any number of disputes over color matching that came down to actual color testing, and despite the apparent differences in the color it WAS an exact match.

The surface of the material can make even perfect matches not appear the same to the naked eye.

The slight texture of most grouts and the difference in caulk alters their appearance even though the actual measurable color is the same.

Thanks brickeyee - I understand what you mean - I have seen that happen with paint color when it is in two different finishes I.E. flat or semi-glossy.

I will take go back and look at the caulk with a different set of eyes and keep that information in mind. Thanks to everyone for helping me gather facts, I want my projects to be done correctly but I also want to be a reasonable person. We had to have so much of our tile work re-done just because of bad installation that I guess I automatically assume the worst.

Just curious does gardenweb grade me on my grammar and spelling? Because mine is not great!

Could be that in a year it will look the same. But that's YOUR year that YOU live there. And does that mean that after a year, matching grout might not match anymore?

If it bothers you now, seems like it will bother you more every day of that year. Or I should say that it would probably bother ME more every day of that year. No offense to installers and such, but it's easy to say it's not a big deal unless it's your home that you live in and dreamed about for how-many-ever years.

We had tile put on the floor of the master bath, then into the shower/toilet room. Same tile, same grout, same install date. But it looks totally different on the wall of the shower. They are two different rooms, so it's okay. But just the placement makes them look very different. In my case, it's okay because they aren't right up against each other.

grout can change for many reasons such as cleaners used, fading from sunlight, lack of cleaning, etc., but initially the caulking should match the grout if it comes from the same supplier and lot #'s. We have one tile supplier here with the exception of the big box store. Most if not all tilers prefer the supplier. When a caulk the same color as the grout is out and has to be ordered, many tilers will grab something that is close enough 'cause god forbid having to make another trip over to fill in the correct color match caulking. After all time is money? We're in a small town so eventually the "close enoughs" run themselves out of work. There's really no excuse for the caulk not to match the grout in new work or on a new tile project.

"but initially the caulking should match the grout if it comes from the same supplier and lot #'s."

Good luck on that one.

The actual pigments and colorants are unlikely to be exactly the same, especially when the different surface textures are factored in.

It is very easy to alter the final color of grout by simply adding more or less water to the mix.

OT

We're in a small town so eventually the "close enoughs" run themselves out of work.

That is so true. I build in a Metropolitan area of nearly six million. Never a shortage of new marks! But when I toured some new homes under way in Niagara Falls (Ont.) with a masonry contractor friend, I couldn't get over the workmanship and attention to detail even in entry level projects.

I just ordered some sanded 100% silicone caulking from Color Rite. I'll post my experience with it after I try it out. Seems like a good product from what I've researched so far.

Can't the amount of water added also change the color of grout?

Also, both the top and bottom panels below are the same shade of grey. They look different based upon other factors and our brain making assumptions. Block the middle of the picture (the seam and bevel) and let your eyes adjust.

Amazing.

Mama Rachel..that was amazing.

I don't know about altering the water content intentionally to achieve color variations in regards to things designed to help prevent water intrusion. Seems like the risks of changing the properties of the material might outweigh the benefits of color modification in some cases. Who knows.

I wasn't suggesting the water content be adjusted on purpose to achieve a different color, but suggesting the "recipe" wasn't followed to achieve the correct color.

Or, they are actually the same color, but appear different based on the tile around it or light, as illustrated in the graphic shown.

Ok. I understand. Indeed color matching anything is tricky business. All the possible reasons for variations mentioned above, and probably more, are right on. This detail often gets overlooked because discerning customers are usually too few and far between to make it a common practice to work out before it's applied and , some contractors may not feel it's their responsibility to go to bat for them to make it right if they feel it's not their fault. Pass the buck has been around for a while and it's usually the people with the most of them that win that game in the long run......depending on how you look at winning.