What you are seeing is the common result of incorrectly using grout instead of caulking at the change of plane. Is this an issue? It depends on how well the waterproofing and pan under the tile were done. I wouldn't count on that being done correctly by someone who makes a basic error like this, but hopefully you observed how the waterproofing was done during the remodel and it's not a problem. The point is that grout is not waterproof so it's only an appearance problem if the work you can't see was done correctly. Did you take photos while the work was in progress?

Some…it was a concrete (maybe not concrete, but it was poured) base, Kurdi (sp) boards on the walls, and they also painted some red stuff on the walls.

Kerdi boards would be waterproof and should never have Redguard applied over it.

The combination of waterproofing products is a worry. As a rule you should not mix manufacturers products. But the grout cracking is expected for where it's installed and you can either live with it or replace it with caulking.

These dilemmas make us crazy. Why? Because they are Tile 101. Basics. You don't grout changes of plane (I guess you just demonstrated one reason why). You don't need Red Guard (a mostly DYI product and topical) over an approved product for wet areas like Kerdi, Hydroban, Schluter, GoBoard, etc, that doesn't require a topical layer of anything on top of it if you use the system properly according to manufacturer instructions.

I was wrong - they used cement or green board and red stuff over it. There was a Kerdi shampoo cutout thing - the box they put in the wall. My fiancee was much more involved than I was…sorry about that mistake.

We renovated our kitchen and master. I have to vent for a second, because as crazy as hearing about this stuff makes true professionals, it makes homeowners even more so. The construction and trade industry is not regulated well enough. I don’t mean by a government entity - it could be private - but there is NO standard of work. A GC just has to pass a test. He doesn’t need to have one ounce of knowledge about project management (which is arguably more important than anything else) as a GC. If they can’t plan and manage, the entire thing falls apart. Similarly, someone doesn’t need to hold any sort of professional anything to lay tile, to instal Sheetrock, to do literally any labor work.

We were provided recommendations by a designer who also came with recommendations and this entire thing has been a nightmare. Yelp or any of the sites with reviews are useless - most GCs and small shops don’t have them. Maybe I’m missing a database of confirmed experts, but that’s been the biggest challenge. How do we find actual professionals???

"they used cement or green board"

Hopefully they used cement board with the proper screws, taped with non-alkaline tape and thinset applied to the joints and NOT greenboard, which is not nor or ever been an allowable substrate for a shower system.

As far as fining a pro, Dragonfly has a long list of ways, you can search him out on here, look for tile issue posts and he has probably already posted his list, or wait and he will be along shortly to post said list for you here on this thread.

It is very hard to tell if they used grout or color matched caulk. The caulking some manufacturers sell will crack as it shrinks. See that little "caulksickle" on the left side of your first picture? I doubt you could accidently form that out of grout.

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In my state you need to be certified/qualified to do electrical and plumbing....a GC cannot do them. There are also national and local requirements for showers/baths and you should as as the GC about those. A good starting point is to ask what building permits and inspections they are going to have done. Sometimes they are not required, but ask knowing the answer to see the reaction, if they get nervous move on. Angie's List is a good resource to find contractors, but then get references and see the work and feel them out in person. Educate yourself about the work to be done on the internet and Youtube and ask lots of questions.

As stated in earlier entires, in change of plane silicone is the way to go. The unsanded grout used in tighter joints for mable is fine in those tighter joints, however in the wide joints in between the tile and the tub, especially where there is a change in plane, there needs to be flexibility. This is why silicone needs to be used.

I don’t suppose anyone has recommendations for tile pros in the Indianapolis, IN area?

The other issue that we need to have fixed is the shower floor. It dips in one spot before the drain and water pools - a recipe for disaster with marble. I’ve already come to terms that we’re going to have to tear out and replace all of the marble (replacing it with a different non-marble tile) on the floor. Its almost a shower room, it’s so big, but I just want it done right. It makes me sick to think about money we might as well have lit on fire, but lesson learned. A database or way to confirm someone is a legit contractor would be fabulous!!

Jennifer Lynn, Give me a few hours to get back to office. I'm the Regional Director for the National Tile Contractor's Association including Indiana. Best if you send me an email: dragonflytile@wi.rr.com. Thanks