Another photo

It's hard to see...
Does the wall by the can stick out farther than the opposing wall?
In other words, one side of the curb lines up in a different location than the other side?

Yes, it looks like one wall is 1/2" longer than the other. I can't really think go a fix without a tear out, probably of the whole shower. So I guess the question is how much does it bother you?

Is the whole thing out of square with the floor tile too? Or is that just the picture?

GoodHouse: yes the wall jets out a bit out so the silver trim goes to the floor instead of continuing with the rest of the silver trim....

Carol: well, yes it bothers me because I wasn't expecting a mistake like this and I paid him to do a good job. He had said his guys do a good job and now I question that. There's no good way to fix this without tearing out is there.

I guess my question now is do you think this is a minor mistake and I should accept it just let it go? or this should be something that should be fixed?

Wendy: it's just the picture I think. The floor tile is square 12x12 and shower tile is 24x12.

Is the step over into shower even needed ? That is, Even though it's small, someone with a sprain ankle will see it as an obstacle

They had to know this before they started tiling. I would insist on a further discussion with the gc. It would have been a simple fix during the framing phase, but now...? I would tell him I'm not satisfied and ask what he's prepared to do.

Well your options, I would think, are to accept it and maybe get a discount off the total. Or have him tear it out and redo. You should meet with the GC & see if you can agree on a course of action.

I would say this is not a small thing you can ignore. But if you are planning to have glass covering , think we can have a work around putting latches on the extended wall side.

Was it explicitly specified that the plane of the shower curb was to be in line with the wall? If not, then I don't think you can really call it a mistake. Perhaps not the "best" judgement call on alignment ,but ....
If it really bothers you, have them take off the tile on the face of the curb, and the top of the curb. Add a layer of cement board to the front of the curb so that once the tiles go back up they will align with the wall. They will need to recut the tiles on the top of the curb to be slightly wider but that will fix it it drives you crazy.

I agree with groveraxel. Not a very professional job, as the error should have been obvious after framing. Dismissing it as a minor cosmetic thing is very rude.

Ask your GC if he could hang a door on jambs that are not aligned? The answer would be, "No." So why should he frame the jamb around a shower door opening out of alignment?

The fact that he calls it a minor cosmetic problem indicates that he does see it as a mistake and not an intentional part of the design.

Thanks everyone for all the great comments.

Groveraxel: Yes I totally think this alignment problem could have easily avoided before the tiles went up but the gc wasn't here most of the time to watch his crew.

Carol: thank you for the suggestion and I will try to negotiate with my gc to see what's the best course of action. His crew did a good job overall but this problem is just an eyesore...sigh

Have the contractor pull the tiles off the top and face of the curb. Shim it out on the left side to line up with the proud wall and retile. The curb will be about 1/2" wider on the left than the right side but I don't think your guests will notice it and I'm guessing it won't drive you nuts in the long run. It's reasonable to expect that the wall and curb should line up without having it in writing. The GC should, at a minimum, do the cosmetic fix as described above - at his/her expense.

Tell him you withhold payment until it's right.

Off topic but if a crew left my bathroom that messy (even in the middle of a project) at the end of the day I would be question the professionalism.

Once you start shimming out of square, it affects other areas...the nearest grout joint on the floor will be out of square, the shower door plane will be out of square. These conditions will be more obvious than the misalignment of the curb at 6" above floor level.

IMO, the tiler needs to remove the tile on the face of the left wall and then remove the next tile in from the end on both tub and shower sides as well as a couple of floor tiles. Take out the cement board and last 2x4, rip another 2x4 down 1/2", install it along with new cement board and retile. Tell the GC you will provide whatever tile is needed as long as he fixes the error.

Thanks Scott Design! the contractor agreed to fix the problem. I will make sure his crew does what you suggested as it is the proper way to fix his error.

I've only paid him 1/2 of the total so I guess I still have a slight leverage :)

Thanks for all the great inputs everyone!

I love this site!

Scott design.. I would never agree to let someone fix this is the manner you have suggested. If there is a waterproofing layer on top of cement board ( ideally there should be ) and you try removing the first tile in as you suggested, there is a very high likely hood that this waterproofing layer will be compromised. If you also rip out the cement board up to that same point, you are now introducing a seam in the cement board directly under a grout line in the tile ( a bad idea). If you happen to be able to remove these tiles without doing any further damage, it will also be difficult to retile so that there is not a bump as you transition from the original tile to those being replaced.
A much better option is to remove the face and top of the curb along the entire length and build it forward to line up with the wall.

Kivi...I appreciate your comment about a shoddy repair and all of your concerns are valid and need to be addressed by the installer. Whether tackling the wall or the curb there will be the same concerns particularly waterproofing issues on top of/around the curb and shower pan where waterproofing is required and critical.

I should have been more clear on what cement board would be removed. It is the cement board on the end of the wall in order to get to the framing.

As far as removing the larger porcelain tile ...it has been done successfully without significant damage to cement board, other tile or wall framing IF the installer takes his time. As a GC, I have had jobs where changes have been requested requiring the removal of tile and the key is technical skill, the right tools and time.

This installation is recent and the thinset will not be totally cured behind the dense porcelain tiles allowing for less difficult...not easy... but less difficult removal. There is no grout so damages to other tile edges or cement board is also reduced. Once the end tiles are removed he can get behind the wall tiles and try to carefully pry them off. Otherwise, he can score the tiles with the right power tool and remove smaller pieces so as not to disturb the integrity of the wall and have minimal effect on the cement board. Then move forward with modifying the end framing.

Unless the shower is a steam shower or you have a tiled recess in the wall, the vertical surfaces typically do not have a waterproof membrane (for a variety of reasons) until you get within 12" of the shower pan where water can sit in the pan due to drain blockage or stay moist constantly due to frequent showering, etc. If waterproofing material was used such as Laticrete Hydroban, then it can be reapplied once the cement board is checked out, seams taped and sealed (if any), etc.

This repair is not an easy fix and will be time consuming but with attention to the technical details, it should have the same results as your other walls. There's always more than one way to skin a cat. As I understand this, the right side of the curb aligns with the wall and metal strip but the left side does not. In this case, I would rather leave it as is than substitute a correction (an angular, multi-dimensional curb) that brings on other issues both cosmetic and technical.

When replying to these discussions I rely on my experience in the field. I understand that jobsite conditions here on Houzz may not be as I have assumed but hopefully, the suggestions generate ideas on ways to approach them. I am interested in how your GC and installer will approach this one.

So I asked the contractor to fix the error and initially he suggested to just take out the tiles from the top n front of the curb and do a fade out. I think that would look worse than what it was originally. I told him to shave off the wall that was overextended on left side of the curb and at first he said no but as I insisted that this was a negligence on his part not overseeing his crew and I would pay for the tiles that might be damaged, he finally agreed to do so. Yay! N the problem is now fixed! Thank you for the suggestions!!

looking at the pictures the floor just does not look square looks like it tapers from one side to the other, also should of lined up the tile joints on the curb to the floor mabe its just the pictures but the jobsite is very dirty goods luck

If it's recessed shower I'd remove the curb anyway. While he's fixing it tell him to just remove the curb altogether.

Yeah it tapers, check for beer cans in the dumpster.

Take curb tile off and put hardi backer in front of curb and re tile it so it's flush.

Great fix! Congrats

Good work, alin. Glad you insisted, and it looks like it wasn't that hard a fix after all.

Dude, I learned this the hard way. If you still owe him anything...DO NOT PAY!! It is his responsibility to make this right. If he doesn't, threaten legal action!!

Good luck. I feel your pain. :(

Just saw the "after" pic. The tile in front of the curb is way off. This is almost more noticeable than the uneven wall.

Sorry I had not noticed the original second picture showing the curb aligned with the other wall.. I agree building out the curb would not have been the best remedy....however I am a bit perplexed because he apparently shaved back the long wall...and redid the curb, but it still looks like the shower curb is not aligned with the floor tiles...or was that a separate issue? Otherwise glad it worked out for you.

There is also a serious issue with the floor tiles not being aligned with the wall step/wall tiles - like that's noticeably out
Definitely have a chat with him.. That's pretty substandard
I had the same issue with brick work on an outdoor room - I had them redo it (after a couple of arguments "it's the bricks, it's the floor, you won't notice it" (um I did notice if I was telling you) every excuse possible)
Good luck and nice tile choices!

Yes I only noticed the floor tile not aligned with the shower curb after I took these photos. I'm pretty sure if I complain to my gc about the floor tiles he will flip out. He already told me I'm too picky and there are certain limitations n compromises when it comes to remodeling ( the house is old and walls crooked, etc ) and tells me I can't expect everything to be perfect. After this bathroom remodel, I know who not to hire.

Please provide some photos from a standing position of the whole area. I am sure we are all curious

This makes me angry. I'm having a renovation flashback. The mess his crew left at the end of the day is already a red flag, and then telling you that you are "too picky" after he has done shoddy, unacceptable work in your house....sheesh!

At this point, I wouldn't even trust him to fix it correctly. Please don't pay him the rest of his money if he leaves your house like this!!!

I'm wondering what the top looks like! If there is not a match of left and right walls at the floor, do the surfaces match at the top? What did they do there?

Goodhouse: here's some updated photos taken today.

My gc told me that the tiles were started from the end and are lined up with the tub and tub is not perfectly straight, it's impossible to ask for perfection. He said that The bathroom is a remodel and so the walls were kept and may not be totally straight.

Kmkane: I asked abt the lines not lined up, he said that the floor tiles and wall/curb tiles are two different entities and they don't have to line up at all.

Jillqberry: thanks for the support, I agree he's not a good gc. He just tells his crew do this and that and just left them to do the work without really overseeing the project. Although he's insured and everything, he told me his guys have been with him for 10 years and are very experienced, but the truth which i found out later by asking his crew, is that they only work with him occasionally on some jobs, and one of them is an illegal immigrant, he's the one who tiled everything.

Kmkane: I asked abt the lines not lined up, he said that the floor tiles and wall/curb tiles are two different entities and they don't have to line up at all.

Jillqberry: thanks for the support, I agree he's not a good gc. He just tells his crew do this and that and just left them to do the work without really overseeing the project. Although he's insured and everything, he told me his guys have been with him for 10 years and are very experienced, but the truth which i found out later by asking his crew, is that they only work with him occasionally on some jobs, and one of them is an illegal immigrant, he's the one who tiled everything.

alin, per your updated pictures i agree with gc that grout lines need not match up, but that's my opinion. I like the updated pics but i'm NOT crazy about the long white line on the curb....If you show my comment to your gc , i can hear him/her already ("what will it take to satisfy you all") LOL. But then again we are not ones to satisfy. GC is there to do a job you are satisfied with

Pretty common for GC's to not hang around a job site too much, but clearly your does not overly concern himself about the details of the job. Things like grout lines being aligned are obviously things he does not worry about, nor does he demand of his workers. Sure they are smallish details…and as far as something like the curb goes… its not like the curb tiles have something else to line up with, so they certainly could have made the effort to cut them to follow the same lines as the floor. A big deal?… probably not but just a sign of not caring about details. On that note….. why did they use a different tile/layout above the decorative tile on the left side of the door but not on the right side of the door? …and the trim is only on the bottom half of the left side… but all the way to the ceiling on the right.
As you said… you know who not to hire next time...

alin1390, Kivi is right, this GC just doesn't care about details! The curb grout lines could very well have lined up. Your CG saying it's a different entity is just an excuse to be lazy. Plus, those other details are not good. the tile layers may be good workers, but they aren't good craftsmen.

There seems to be a whole lot of crazy with this tile job. He is just using every excuse in the book to see how much he can get away with.

* No reason on earth why the grout line on the curb does not line up with the two grout lines on the floor. Have him redo it.

* Is there a center seam on the end wall to the left of the shower and full tiles on the right end wall? Plus the horizontal seams of the left end wall do not line up to the seams on its adjacent shower wall.

* The outside of the shower walls have a different decorative trim than inside the shower. If that was a choice, then it might have been better not to use the thin liner tile above the inside shower decorative molding.

* Why is silver trim around the opening of the shower and the curb? Was this his choice?

* Agree. This work area is a mess.

If he is the experienced professional, then why is it you, the homeowner, can spot his poor workmanship with little effort and he cannot. Nonsense that you are just too pickey.

He bids the job as an experienced insured contractor, then provides you with inexperienced unsupervised workers. He leaves you in the position to do his work for him, by having to preform quality control over “his” job. Bet he didn't tell you that he was only going to do a mediocre job when he gave you his estimate. I would renegotiate a better price if you have to live with some of this poor workmanship.

I am pickey and proud of it. I only want to do my jobs once and once right. I had a bad experience similar to yours years ago and decided to do what I can to not get into that situation again. When they come to bid my job, I always tell them that if they cannot provide a high quality work, then this is probably not the job for them. Best to weed them out before the problems happen.

When getting bids, I give each contractor a room floor plan, a check list of everything I want done and photos if possible. I usually select all the materials and have samples before I get the bids. This way my bids are more consistent.

I do check Contractors' licenses online and check references.

When I walk the project with the contractor, I openly "tape record" our entire meeting. When they write my bid / contract, I have them write in that all things agreed to during our taped discussion dated XX-XX-XXXX are to be provided per this agreement. You would be surprised how many of the bad contractors decide they do not want my job. I no longer hear, "No, that’s not included in the bid. I don’t remember us discussing that. Etc."

The other thing I suggest is that homeowners go to their City and get a copy of their home’s blueprints. They are available for a nominal fee and are well worth having.