very poor job, what was the condition of the wall behind the tile when he started was it level/smooth?

he built the wall, continued telling me how the wall is bowed, so itll naturally have some lippage, afterwards I asked why the top tile was sticking out so far, he reiterated how the side wall is also bowed in a little, thus, having the same issue... I sat there staring at everything for a good 10-15 seconds, and afterwards said 'you built the wall'. Yes he was in a rush to get paid, it is my fault, although from a distance everything kinda looks ok, and without knowing, wasn't aware of how much lippage was 'standard'... I made a fuss about the mediocre job, and today he came to see if he could replace the tiles that were in question, in this case from the shower lever down, and the top tile, 5 minutes later he realized the he couldn't, because the drywall was coming with it. He said he'd be willing to remove everything below the shower lever, but he'd be reluctant considering it may do more damage and because he's adding new drywall, that there may be a chance that the tiles wont butt up nicely to the others, he said he wasn't willing to remove the whole wall... im very concerned, and I'm not sure if i should proceed...

Sloyder - it was an unfinished bath before he started, all 4 walls were up... he just had bring it in 6 inches to make room for plumbing..

I do not say this lightly: this contractor is incompetent. All the things you highlighted with your photos are unacceptable. It's not just the sheer quantity of problems...each one of those is a red flag. Good tile contractors deal with imperfect walls by shimming the studs so the walls are dead flat and plumb after the tiling surface is applied. They also only use cement board -- never drywall -- in any areas where the tile and grout will be exposed to moisture. In addition, such surfaces need to be fully waterproofed with a roll-on membane. Once you start removing tile, you damage this membrane, but that's probably not a concern for him as I doubt he applied membrane in the first place. I won't even ask about how he constructed the shower base and tied it in to the walls. You have a totally unacceptable tile job that is not only well below any workmanlike standard, but it will leak and cause damage if you leave it as is. I'm sorry to say this, but this is not something that can be fixed. The only solution is ripping it out and starting over with someone who knows what he is doing. And sue that idiot...

Thanks kudzu, I did call a paralegal today in the event I go that route, he did say that I would have to give him as many chances as he'd answer to to fix all of the issues, although I feel like the way its going this job will not end...

After what you have added to your original post, all things considered what you have is a complete do over. I would hate to think of the way he installed the waterproofing if he felt drywall was acceptable not to mention the pan/wall tie in as kudzu mentioned.

lazzz-

I'm sorry you have to deal with this...all your instincts about this are correct. I took no joy in trashing that tile job, nor did I do so casually. I just thought it was important for you to know that the problems go beyond what you see because it's clear he doesn't know (and/or care) about the fundamentals of waterproofing and the important prep that is required before even beginning to tile. I understand about the potential legal requirement to allow him the chance to fix it. However, the "fix" needed is nothing less than ripping out everything he did and starting over. And, of course, even if that was done, his ability to do it right a second time is not something I would bet money on.

For comparison, I recently had my bathroom retiled. My contractor spent one day on all the major demo, and then a week of two guys leveling the floor, shimming the walls, and installing cement board. Then 3 days of building the shower pan and waterproofing everything. After these first 2 weeks, he was finally ready to begin tiling. The tiles installed were 24"X24", 12"X18", and 12"X12"; lasers and standard levels were used throughout the install. It took 7 working days to install about 400 square feet of tile, and one long day to epoxy grout everything. Then 2 days to install plumbing fixtures and silicone caulk where needed. I have 1/16" grout lines and you would have difficulty finding any lippage. I'm not saying this to make you feel bad; I'm just giving you details about how a competent contractor does things.

Just to clarify kudzu, he did use cement board for the shower head wall, i called it drywall... although the prep and the workmanship my contractor used sounds nowhere near the system yours used. I will just have to bug him enough that he gives up, which would allow me to move forward in finding someone else to do the work right, and afterwards use legal matters.

Lazzz did you check to make sure he's licensed? If so I wonder if you can file a complaint with the local board or at least threaten to do so. Also does he have yelp reviews?

Also if the job was under 5k, you don't need a lawyer. Just go to small claims court. Make sure you have tons of pictures of what it looks like. Every corner, etc.

"The contractor continues telling me that he hasn't had a client complain about the craftsmanship similar to this, and is try to make me think im crazy"

This is the part that scares me about his redoing the project the most, the fact that he finds nothing wrong with the work he did.

lazzz-

Thanks for the clarification. Is the shower head wall the only wall where cement board was used?

Thanks cpartist - the job was 8K, but i do believe here in Ontario small claims court limit is now 25K. Hes on trustedpros, Windsor Contractors website states he is licensed... and to your point, I have no issues writing a number of bad reviews, I wouldn't want someone to have to deal with this...

kudzu - yes thats the only wall he cement boarded.

cpartist - the job was 8K, here in Ontario the limit is 25k for small claims. Based on the Windsor Contractors website he is licensed.

I noticed there is a Schluter drain there. Is this a Kerdi waterproofed job?

Avanti -- hmmm, im not sure... i've got a pic of the pre-tile work. Ill post that shortly.

kudzu - yes the only wall that cement board was used is on the shower head wall..

Drywall on the other walls would be ok IF schluter kerdi was used to waterproof the entire shower. Drywall may not be the best choice, but it is perfectly acceptable and meets U.S. building code (maybe not Canada ???) when covered with Kerdi.

That said - this fella's setting work is poor at best.

Some of the things like the tile being bowed and causing lippage with the brickwork pattern are beyond his control, but the slope going the wrong way, the rough cuts, the poor cleanup, and the missing grout / caulk certainly are.

No drinking and tiling, this one needs to go to rehab.

Three feet up the walls doesn't get it. At a minimum, it should extend to the showerhead.

Aside all that, he didn't correct the out of plumb walls and generally did a crappy job. This is a total rip-out and do NOT try to use him again.

Could be worse and we've seen it here too.

Hubs is doing our master bath and has encountered out of plumb walls and we are using 12X24 tiles, which are unforgiving. He has spent many hours working on the walls to get them straight and flat. Our main concern is with the 39" glass panel and 30" glass door, you are only given 1/16 leeway or the glass doesn't fit. Today he has measured, remeasured to make sure when he tiles tomorrow, it all works out. We want a slope in the shower floor but obviously not lumps like yours. Hope you get your issues "straightened out", (sorry for the pun). I think we would seriously reconsider the larger profile tile for any other jobs we might do.

If you go the legal route, check and see (or have your lawyer see) if your state is a "right to cure" state. Some states have laws where the service provider has to be given a chance to fix the mistake before you sue them. If I were you, I wouldn't even wants the guy "fixing" it, but just FYI.

Avanti / C F - a paralegal here In Windsor told me what seems to be 'right to cure' as the judge would be reluctant to have the contractor pay without me getting the work done elsewhere and just run with his money. Is there no other way of getting around this? Otherwise I would have to give him 'more' chances...

That sounds odd? I would get quotes from other contractors to fix the mess, and bring that to the judge with the pictures. You could also hold back payment for the original work, and tell the contractor I am not paying as it is going to cost X$$ to fix this. The contractor should have insurance to cover this loss, or not pay his Sub.

I hope that you are able to get t his taken care of. Care to share the name of the contractor? I am in the same area as you and will be looking to do a bathroom reno in the next year. I want to avoid this person.

Ohh my husband has heard of that company. Thanks for letting me know! I hope that your situation ended up okay, though, now that you're purchasing new.. good for you! Just keep an eye on the builders because I have seen some houses being built around here that are shoddy workmanship. Windows being placed a foot too high, doors in wrong, insulation vapour barrier issues etc.

I ended up doing the bathroom entirely myself last year and it turned out amazing. Crazy that average Joe's can do better work than some people who are paid to do it. Good Luck!