I was lucky with the valve pictured above. Sometimes I'm not that lucky.
If I make drugs for a living and I have a cure for cancer, you’d probably be pretty pissed if I give you a drug that cures your cancer but leaves you completely unable to move. I can say “hey, the drug is functional”
I would love to come to your work and watch you for a day. Let's see how many times you do things within the spec of your job, and see if I complain that, well, are you sure you did that right? Are ya sure?
If you want the extension to be out within 1/4" of an inch, then you need the tile setter to install the faucet. Or have the plumber install the tile.
There are so many things that can happen after the plumber has left the job site. After we leave, the wall may be furred out, or the the mudset under the tile may be thick or thin, the tile can be different thicknesses. Will there be deco's at that location? It's kind of a crap shoot. Have something to work with has save our bacon quite a few times. Nobody wants to pull tile to readjust the depth.
Are you saying by that "witty" comment, that the faucet is there, but "can't" be used?
Because if so, that isn't even the issue. It is being used, and being used very well.
When it can't be used, that is when it is "out of spec".
There are brands that allow the handle to adjust to the wall. Kohler makes some like that.
I like that Moen gives me quite a bit of options. They even have a handle extension if the valve really gets buried in the wall.
Don't be expecting plumbers to hang out several days to work alongside the tile setter. We don't get paid to drop by every few days to talk shop with tile setters.
Here is one I did a few weeks ago.
I trimed a HansGrohe a few weeks back, and the tile setter had furred out the wall almost to the point where the valve might not have worked. We would have had to go through the back wall and moved it forward. And that one was set right in the middle of the spec. At least when I left the job.