We just finished re-doing our guest bath (and are about to start on our master bath). We tiled up to the ceiling, around a tub, with a decorative strip of smaller tiles all the way around the walls. My GC -- who we're using because he did such a great job when we expanded and re-did our kitchen a few years ago -- did the tiling. He's not a full-time tile guy, let alone a tile master craftsman the likes of Bill and Mongo who post here. But he knows what he's doing, he takes pride in his work, he wants to please me as the customer, and he doesn't take shortcuts to save time. I know he went a couple of days over his estimate on this job because some days there was a lot of tile cutting, but he never complained nor raced ahead just to get done. One morning I mentioned how a few of the small tiles in the listello section weren't spaced quite evenly, and in one place the variation in the tile colors didn't seem as random as elsewhere. His reply: "Yeah, I noticed that, too; I moved a few tiles around as I set them yesterday to even out the spacing, but I was going to pop a few more off and reset them this morning." These weren't problems he created; it's just the way the tiles came on the sheet -- yet he agreed that it would look better to adjust, and was going to do so on his own (and at no additional cost for his time). THAT is what I value in a good contractor! I'm sorry, sherwhy, that your contractor doesn't have similar values; we consider ourselves fortunate to have found this guy -- which is why he's slowly getting job after job to re-do most of our house! -- Eric

Yep, we did finally get an update today. Original contractor had promised to get back in touch this past Monday, but stood us up (said he "forgot"). In the meantime we got our ducks in a row (opinion from second tile contractor which confirmed our suspicions, checked on the original guy's license, met with attorney, etc.), kept trying to get in touch with him, agreed to meet today, and he actually showed up. Initially he offered to take out the current shower and build a new one, but when we remained insistent, and without too much further discussion, he agreed to refund the money we paid for the shower plus a little extra to have his creation demolished. So, it looks like we're going to be alright. Aside from the lost time, the stress and the hassle, of course. Thanks for all the advice, everybody! :)

Had the tile been purchased at a tile store it could have been returned when the flaws were pointed out. It surely must have been seconds due to the irregularities, which a site like Overstock would not necessarily disclose. According to the OP the installer did the right thing: "He showed several sheets of the tile laid together on the floor before he installed them and asked if the spacing was okay. The spacing was a little uneven, but not a lot so I said it was okay. Now that it's installed, there are some areas with really wide grout lines that stand out a lot that weren't like what he showed me before he installed the tile." Had the installer provided the tile, it would be on him to make it good. However, the OP provided the tile, which was not purchased from a tile store but from an online discounter that also sells towels. Should he have told her she wouldn't be happy with the job because of the spacing? Perhaps, but that is telling a client that her tile is no good. It's one thing to adjust sheets of square tile and another to adjust sheets of lanterns. Had he suggested this, it would have necessitated an upcharge -- again the OP would not have been pleased at all. I can imagine that post. Bottom line: she bought the tile, didn't have a lucky purchase, and didn't know to try to return it. He pointed out irregularities -- he could not have seen every one in the boxes. She okayed it. He did the right thing and she could never have anticipated that after it was up some pieces would be so off. It's a shame because it's a focal point. But it's also a pretty backsplash and most people would not notice. I think it's practical to live with it. Few of us have totally perfect kitchens. But if it still bothers the OP before everything is completely finished, and it won't break the budget, rip it out and replace it.

So sorry it's taken me so long to see your question (I blame it on my decision to start a PhD program while continuing to work full time AND building new kitchen cabinets - I'm a glutton for punishment!). DH swears that he verified the waterproofing after the tear-out. I do appreciate the questioning though, because if it weren't for the previous experience of DH and our previous contractors (who did our other baths and were fabulous), I wouldn't have a clue about the waterproofing specs. But there's more: I insisted on a second tear-out/re-do in another area. The tiler started the layout for the tile around the entry to the shower, on a vertical partial-wall, with full tiles at the bottom, and near the top it devolved into a series of diminishing tiles. I can't even fathom why. All the cut pieces were front and center, where they were most obvious. So at that point, I spent a Saturday measuring all the remaining areas and drew the proper layout in sketch-up. I gave it to DH and said he needed to insist on that layout and tell the tiler to ask before deviating more than 1/4" on any cuts. (He didn't deviate, and it turned out great.) Yesterday the tiler was here and DH was not. So instead of studying for my finals, I got to explain to the tiler why it was NOT ok to hide a large gap on the back toilet wall by building out the adjacent wall with a 1/4" skim coat. My head almost exploded when he suggested that... but instead I calmly explained that I would be doing all of the finish carpentry, and I considered it my job to hide such imperfections. I also calmly suggested that if he continues doing tile jobs, he should consider such issues during the layout phase. Lessons learned: Be careful who you hire and why you hire them. You're not doing a friend a favor, and definitely not saving money, by hiring somebody just because they need work and you think they'll do a decent job. This has been the most expensive and lowest-quality install we've ever had. Plus the guy only shows up for about 2 days every 2-3 weeks so it's taking For...Ev.....Er.... (fortunately this is the "extra" extra bathroom). Another lesson: "Green" remodeling uses high-quality materials AND high-quality installation. It turned my stomach to have good tile torn out, but it also turned my stomach to see lovely tile installed like an afterthought. Last lesson learned: While some spouses are very handy, they are not always good project managers, especially when working with difficult situations. But hopefully they're coachable. (At least we're still married and in love.) But of course you all knew these. So did I, but that didn't stop me from forgetting and relearning. I'll try to remember to post photos when finished. Thanks again for advice (and giving me space to vent!).