The above grout looks like a better match to the installed tile surrounding the mosaic than the lighter design center sample which does not look like it would be a match.

Go back and look at your contract, I would be surprised if it doesn’t call out somewhere that samples, whether design center, elevations, products you have seen on other homes in the community are not exact replicas of your home. In essence, don’t assume, but specify if you want something different. Since the builder is saying no, I am leaning towards the contract supports this.

You can always re-grout but I can’t see from the photos where this is worth it.

Isn’t your tile different color than the design studio too? Did you select the color you got?

The more desperate they seem to get you to close, the closer you are to forcing them to fix it. The exact same thing happened to us on our first tract home, years ago. We learned to play good cop bad cop, and executed it to perfection. I think they should fix it, because anyone in the building industry KNOWS that grout color is a selection and artistic choice. Contract might rule, but if it were me, I’d throw a fit and refuse to close. Or rather, Id nicely say, you know, I’d like to close but my DH is P.O’d and posting pictures online.

Without knowing all the details of your contract and situation, our contract said something to the effect of “counters and backsplash tiling like the model home #3”.

So, we had something a bit on our side.

Would remove mosaic design and just use rectangle tile.

The two photos seem to be two different colorways. Your grout is an appropriate color for your tile. The lighter grout in the bottom photo complements the white tile. It's not the same color tile that I can see.

Yes, there is clause that says that tile and grout color variations will not be exact match to the design studio.

We tried to tell them, that we can’t go to walkthrough on given date, but they aren’t budging. there is no communication from their side for any email, messages, and they have the 7 day wait clause in the contract as well.

attaching full kitchen view, it might help To understand why we want tan/lighter grout.

so can we just redo lighter grout?

This looks good per what can be seen in your photos, your cabinets have a dark edging to them, everything goes together well and tile job looks good. Many folks who have walked before you can attest fretting over shades of grout color will soon fade to non issue when you get back to living life post build. It’s certainly not worth losing your deposit over.

So, as suspected, your contract is worded that design center samples aren’t a exact match. If it mattered down to the shade, the shade more important than the overall look which obviously works, then that should have been something to speak up about at the relevant time.

I can‘t agree with people recommending threating bad reviews and insisting on something that is different than the contract THEY agreed too. Have we really become such an entitled society that we stomp our feet, demand whatever emotions dictate at the moment? Hand shake agreements stopped working years ago. Parties on both sides are in for a rough road if we can’t stand by what we agreed to in our written contracts. Just my two cents, which may not be worth a penny in a building forum where dreams, aesthetics, and perfection all collide with being, as the saying goes, RIPPED OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What I stated was that I don't know what's in the OP's contract. I know what was in MY OWN contract, and I insisted that the company stand behind what they said, which was that the backsplash and counter would match the particular model home.

If the builder wanted to switch out the grout, imo, that wouldn't match the model home, would it? And in my situation, they changed the grout and also changed the orientation of tiles (and it looked stupid). And the builder tried really hard to get us to accept it.

By the way, I would never recommend posting anything but truthful reviews, and I should've stated that... a truthful review that the company can then respond to.

Edited to add: I have now just read the OP's statement that her contract says tile/grout will not be exact matches. With that comment, then I wonder why she posted this dilemma in the first place.

All that being said, it is possible to paint grout. I've done it myself on a bathroom floor, and it was worth it. It still looks great a few years later. It might be a challenge, though, on a backsplash with that pattern, and more visible than on a floor.

You're building with 'Toll' builders, a 'track' builder that tries to ^*&#*&(* everyone they can! WHAT is in your contract??

"tract" for the *(&^%#$%^ time robin and if you read the op stated what it says in their contract.

The tile in your home is browns, the sample tile is grays... it’s two totally different things, not just different grout. Why would you expect gray grout with brown tile?

Thanks you so much for your help. we might redo the backsplash after we settle. From what we read online, regrouting the subway tiles seems easy, didn’t come across much information about these kind of mosaic ones. we assumed we can get help from here.

So we have option of painting as well.

Gray design In the tiles blends with the gray grout and tan grout might help to highlight the design.

regarding the clause, we never noticed until the project manager refused to redo. We are in a state where attorney review is not part of the process. it Is our first time building a home, so we never see it coming. We are not playing victim here. Definitely the builders are not on the right side. they save installed lighter grout in the neighborhood for similar mosaic tiles.

Builders have separate paperwork for dark grout based on owners choice (which we came to know after our issue). Even the design studio people verbally agree that it is not their usual way to use dark grout without request. They are surprised when e stopped at the design studio to confirm on the sample.

These are not the only issue with the builders, and the work is not clean by their supposed standard and $$$ they are charging, please don’t judge, as people can be genuine with their worries,

thanks again for all your suggestions.

Hi, K.K.,

I'm sorry for your experience. I agree that the tile and grout you have looks good, albeit different from what you expected based on the Toll Brothers model home. I don't think you have any recourse regarding this selection based on how production builders typically operate.

Toll Brothers advertises themselves as "America's Luxury Home Builder." They were the nation's 10th largest builder in 2016; hardly a true one-of-a-kind custom home builder. Their version of a "custom" home is one of their standard models with the pre-priced optional extras you choose and which includes whatever changes they want to make along the way without your approval. The home is constructed on their lot and they control everything.

I'm making these distinctions not to criticize your selection of builder (indeed, if you like the neighborhood and lot you don't have an alternative choice of builder), but to make the point that building with a big national builder is very different than building a home with a true custom builder where the design of the home and everything in it reflects the individual preferences of the home owner.

I am confused. The tile installed is a different colorway than in the model home as Lisa G and Jane pointed out. The grout used matches the tile used. The OP's complaint should not be that they installed the wrong grout; it should be that they installed the wrong tile. But as mentioned, it sounds like your contract does not allow you to object to the tile they've installed.

I find the pattern kind of clunky anyway. I'd just bite the bullet later and eat the cost to replace the backsplash when you move in. There are, I bet, bigger fish to fry than the backsplash.

As far as the colors throughout your kitchen, the photo of your existing tile and backsplash look much better with your cabinets than the design photo. Sorry you're having this conflict with the builder, who sounds a bit heavy-handed, but perhaps it's not worth it to fight it when the existing installation looks intentional and lovely.

From the pictures the mistake looks like a better choice. As for the headache, don't be afraid to walk away. How much have you given them so far?