It looks to me like you have a bigger problem than very crooked tile. Is it being installed over bare drywall with no waterproofing?

The shower walls have cement board and schluter that is flush with the drywall of the rest of the room (:

Yeah, what/where is your waterproofing?

And I would say a poor install on the tile. The pics he sent you (the last two), you can see the tile is set straight and even though the tile itself is uneven. The tile job you got is just straight up not set evenly.

It kind of reminds me of when I'm crafting a miniature room vertical and I don't allow the glue to set correctly and the bits develop a slump to them as they slide a bit out of place. Like your tiles weren't done setting before the next course above it was applied, so the bottom ones set in straighter, and the further up you get, the more slump and push out from even and straight you get.

A pro might correct me on this, but I think there should be spacers in there while the tile is being put in place to ensure the spacing is straight and even.

Is this a shower/tub or just a tub?

This is a shower/tub (tub to be installed once tiling is done ) and once again there is waterproofing, all of the shower walls have cement board and schluter, it’s just inset to be flush with the drywall outside of the shower.

Something is off. You know this, lets see what your contractor does to correct this. Hoping some tile experts can chime in. Do you have any photos of the before walls and what your inspiration is?

You really need to mix these tiles before you put them up; lay them out and move them around because of the variation.

It’s a tear out. Your tiler had no idea how to work with irregular tile. Spacers should have been used to adjust the gaps to keep the pattern regular, you can’t just slam them in like lugged subway tile. This is sad to see.

You have said twice that there is waterproofing but have not said what it is. What kind of waterproofing was used? Cement board and schluter are not waterproofing. Did your contract specify what waterproofing would be used?

The picks he sent you are 100% better than his installation. His show a lot of variation in tiles that create a varigated look. Your install is the result of sloppy uneven lines. I do think variation is part of the issues with your tiles as well and he should have asked you to lay them out in the order you wanted them in.

Sadly, this is a do over, but I'd be nervous to have him do it.

My contractor told me that the schluter and durock would properly waterproof. What would a proper waterproofing be for this project?

First time remodeler here!!🫠

Schluter waterproofing membrane **

First, CBU + Schluter waterproofing surface membrane = waterproofed walls.

Second, he has sent you photos of authentic zellige tile = handmade and more irregular = part of it's beauty. What you have is faux zellige tile that is not handmade = much more consistent in size (although, the edges are not straight).

I had Bedrosian Cloe White tile (a very popular faux zellige tile) installed in a tub/shower surround - in a vertical stacked pattern also - and the lines do NOT look like yours do. While the edges are not perfectly straight (in order to give the impression that it is handmade tile) the horizontal and vertical grout lines are straight when looking at the surround.

Cloe White (and other colors of Cloe tile - white has been the most popular by far) tile installations are posted all over this site. Many people used it for their kitchen backsplashes + others have used in a shower or shower/tub combo surround. While all of the installations have not been in a vertical stacked pattern, many have been + some have been installed in a horizontal stacked pattern. I don't remember seeing any of those stacked installations having the issues that your surround does.

I do know that this can be a difficult tile for some installers to install correctly - I have a friend who posts his work over on the tile subreddit - so, I've read comments by installers about not being fond of this type of tile. HOWEVER, if the installer has experience, while he/she may not enjoy installing this type of tile, the installations look good. I've also seen photos posted over on that sub by diy homeowners - several where the project was the first tile installation ever done - and the installations have looked better than yours (and most have been in a vertical stacked pattern).

Also, your installer should have mixed up the tiles in order to avoid having a section where so many light tiles have been installed next to each other. My eyes went immediately to the third and fourth rows from the bottom on the back wall because of how many lighter tiles are grouped together (especially in contrast to the first and second rows from the bottom where the tiles all appear to be a darker shade).

Cloe White tile is a V4 variation (the highest variation) - my tile installer spent time mixing the tiles up in order to avoid exactly what has occurred on your wall(s). Your tile appears to be a V3 - maybe a V4 (but I think Cloe White has more variation than your tile appears to have).

It's possible the misalignment could look better once it's grouted, if you use a grout close to the tile color, but that's never going to fix the color variation. Any experienced tiler knows to mix the boxes of tile up so different dye lots are distributed throughout the job. Or if there is vast variation between boxes, you can exchange some to get a better match. I hope you haven't paid for this yet!

I am not a pro, but have hung out here for years, and we just finished our own tub/shower combo. I hope a pro does see this. Cement board +schluter membrane is waterproof, but the membrane usually needs to hang over a tile flange on the edge of the tub, so any water the shower sprays onto/over the edge of the tub is redirected into the tub and doesn't sit on the deck. 

STOP STOP there is no waterproofing you do not install shower tile on drywall . No that is not a good install visually and stop him now and get this ripped out all the tiles cleaned if possible and a new tile setter who actualy knows how to do tile.I persnally do not like that tile for shower walls but that is a mess.. Is this just a tub surround ? Waht is going on with the ceiling that needs to be done before tile and tub install

The tile is a mess and should get ripped out. And, if you really like that old world look, have it reset horizontally. The vertical looks very modern.

There is "handmade" look and then there is *crooked.* what a bummer.

I had handmade tile done in vertical stack in my shower, and the contractor used a little bit thicker grout lines and a LOT of spacers to manage the variation.

Also I went through all the boxes and mixed the tile myself.

Oh my what the heck is going on here! redo! everything is being done wrong…that ceiling should be already finished before tile install..😬🧐🤪

I didn’t see the rain head in the sealing. Oh lord. This will never work. How will the tub be waterproofed where it meets the wall? This is a complete gut with a new team as you are getting bad advice from your ‘professionals’. You need a tub with a tile flange on three sides installed before the tile is installed. And yes the ceiling should already be finished prior to tile. Ugh.

Did the GC hire a tiling subcontractor? If not, he is doing work he doesn't have sufficient experience doing. He may be fine doing uniform subway tile, but he is clearly out of his depth here. A lot of GCs come up from the carpentry trade and may pride themselves as being generalists, but that means they're not going to be really good at the specialty trades. See if he will give you a credit for this work and start over with a real tile setter.

Also, with the matte finish and indentations in the tile surface, this will be a pain in the ass tile to keep clean in a shower.

A tub shower REQUIRES an alcove tub with an *integrated tile flange*, so the whole design and product selection is incorrect from the beginning.

Gut and start over with everything. starting with the design and product selections.

So sorry you are having to deal with the bad installation. Be polite but firm--it's completely reasonable for you to ask him to redo your tile. He needs to find someone to install that tile in a professional manner. Honestly, how could he not see that the tile hasn't been mixed and that the rows are crooked. It sounds as if he is out of his lane installing tile and making excuses to avoid more work.

I am not seeing schluter anywhere only cement board and the tile adhesive . So I cal l BS . So many things wrong I bet the wreproofing was not done right That tub all wrong the choices you made are the begininng of the mess .

Here is the Kerri membrane

Great but the tub will leak where it meets the shower walls.

The tub, with flange, must be installed first. Then the walls are installed, lapping over the tiling flange. That is the correct way. Nothing was planned or done correctly in those pics.