Escutcheon can't be installed.

Here's a 7K southern Florida tile job that I visited last week. I think I'd pay it.

I'm not exactly sure what that means - that someone paid $7000 and got a crummy job? they could easily have paid $9000 and got the same crummy job no?...We agreed on a price - then i went out and purchased non-returnable materials b/c they had been shipped from across the country...and once they arrive the job now costs 50% more...I wasn't told i could only get certain tiles - and this certainly wasn't a fancy one or anything...

Flat tile like that needs to be perfectly flat. It's a lot more noticeable if it's not exactly perfect than with something beveled like a subway tile. Make sure he's using these to keep it level, especially if he wants to charge you extra. These spacers are more expensive, which might explain the increase in price.

Beautiful tile selection by the way. In the future, you might ask him if there is a potential range in cost for different materials to avoid any confusion.

Well, there's 'perfect' and there's 'perfect'. When the edge is eased, it softens the transition from one tile to the next if they are the slightest bit off (while still being perfect). But with a sharp edge, they have to be like a razor; there's no ability to make the joints flow smoothly with the grout.

I saw a wall tile job a few months ago that just floored me: large tiles with a subtle linear shading, matte finish like honed stone, sharp edges, and laid absolutely perfectly. Noticeably perfectly. Clean, simple, modern. And it was a single-person bathroom in a hospital! Whoever laid that tile was an artist (and had the right tools to ensure that perfection).

Now, having said that, is it $2400 more to install? I don't know, because we don't know the size or how complex the room is, etc. But I could believe it. It also sounds as though you should have involved him in the selection of the tile. I bet he could have gotten the same tile somewhere in Florida.

If that includes building the whole shower, including the pan, and waterproofing it all topically, it is ballpark for a good job involving large format or glass. Or other difficult tile. Tile is NOT ''just tile''. But you better have waterproofing in there somewhere.

"I'm not exactly sure what that means - that someone paid $7000 and got a crummy job? they could easily have paid $9000 and got the same crummy job no?"

True that, but a low bidder is most likely to not be making any money on your job. If the tile turns out perfectly, it will be worth the money. If you agree to it, I'd sit on it until completion.

check to make sure you are paying typical per sq ft price for installation in the area. I don't fluctuate my price unless it's a substantial change from the bid. Tile is more art than science in some respects and to gain perfection is time consuming.

"Check to make sure you are paying typical per sq ft price for installation in the area."

You do that in Florida, and you'll get typical garbage installation.