ᐅ Wood-look tiles grouted with the wrong color – should the entire job be redone?

Hello everyone,

In our newly built apartment, we had wood-look tiles installed throughout the entire living area except for the bathroom, with 2mm (0.08 inch) grout lines. When ordering the tiles through the builder, we chose and confirmed a matching grout color in writing—a nice brown shade, exactly like the tiles. Despite a further discussion with the tiling foreman, the gray grout color we selected for the bathroom was used throughout the whole apartment.

The mistake was admitted in writing yesterday, along with the statement that nothing can be done about it now. I am absolutely not satisfied with the color and would prefer to have everything redone completely.

Do I have the right to demand this in this situation?

I can only recommend consulting a qualified specialist lawyer.

Report defects in writing and request their correction with a deadline. If not fulfilled, set an additional grace period and then

refuse acceptance.
Withhold payment.

Alternatively, appoint a replacement contractor if the defects are not remedied.

If it is a specifically required characteristic, then I see good chances.

Hopefully, the company is not on the verge of insolvency.

Oh – tricky.

Okay, you have it in writing – but with 2mm (0.08 inch) wide joints and a craftsman-friendly judge, I would be cautious about starting a substitute name on your own in advance. That could backfire.

Brown permanent marker? (Just kidding...)

Hello,
yeah, it could get interesting. You have it agreed in writing, and they messed up. Basically, it’s a solid case, but it can happen that a judge considers the effort to fix the defect disproportionate. It’s purely a cosmetic issue (you don’t like the color) and not a technical defect (all joints uneven, poorly filled, or leaking).
No idea if 2mm (0.08 inch) wide joints can be scraped out and re-grouted. If not, it would mean removing all the tiles and starting over. I’d be surprised if you could enforce that.

Find a good lawyer; you’ll need one. I think it will probably come down to a reduction in payment.

Definitely do not pay any invoice!

Best regards,
Andreas

If the contractor claims the task is unreasonable, here is a quote from an online source.

NEGLIGENT CAUSATION OF THE DEFECT – DEFECT REMEDIATION NOT DISPROPORTIONATE
HIGHER REGIONAL COURT OF FRANKFURT, JUDGMENT FROM 12.07.2013 – 24 U 143/12
Even if the effort required to apply the agreed thermal insulation is considerable for the contractor, the client still has the right to the delivery of the contracted work. The fact that this involves significant additional effort is solely the contractor’s responsibility if they have been grossly negligent in using incorrect insulation boards.

Of course, it is possible, but the effort is probably not really proportional.
This cannot be compared to thermal insulation, as that potentially involves regulatory issues and could lead to long-term structural damage.
The wrong color is purely an aesthetic issue, and this isn’t even a particularly special color. Gray is basically the standard color that is always used (in the past, only gray was available).

Nevertheless, it remains a defect that requires compensation. So the contractor must fix it. I’m not sure about using a permanent marker, but there is actually grout color available. That could be an option.
Alternatively, a financial compensation. He should just make an offer.