How to Buy a Gravestone

Choosing a marker or stone for your loved one's grave is something that you should do with great care and consideration. The stone will stand for generations as a reminder of the life of the deceased.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Yellow Pages
• Recommendations

1. Contact a manufacturer of grave markers and set up an appointment to meet. It's best if you get a recommendation from a trusted source, or you can look in the yellow pages under "Monuments."
2. Go to the monument company personally and look at photos of the types of grave markers the manufacturer provides.
3. Select the material for the headstone. Granite is most popular (and comes in a variety of colors), but you may also choose bronze or marble. Have the company show you actual samples of these materials.
4. Choose the type, size and shape of stone you desire. Remember that many cemeteries have limitations regarding headstone type and size. The monument company should review these limitations for you before you order the stone.
5. Determine what information will appear on the stone. Most monument companies include a certain number of letters or words in the price of the stone, but if you want more information, more elaborate carving, or pictures to appear on the headstone, you will have to pay more.
6. Go back to the company to approve the final layout. Before the information is carved into the stone, you will need to approve the design on paper.
7. Allow four to six weeks for completion of the carved stone.
8. Check the marker to be sure all information is correct.
9. Have the stone set. Either the monument company or the cemetery will be responsible for setting the stone, but you will have to pay an installation fee regardless of who sets it.

Tips & Warnings

• Look for a monument company that is a member of the Monument Builders of North America (MBNA) or the American Institute of Commemorative Art (AICA). These members generally adhere to strict professional standards.
• Expect to pay at least $500 for an average-sized grave marker.
• Adding ceramic pictures to a headstone increases the cost by about $300.
• Veterans may be eligible for special burial rights. See the Department of Veterans Affairs Web site (under Related Sites) for more information.
• Monument companies suggest that you let some time go by before choosing a headstone for a loved one's grave. Such important decisions are difficult to make when you are grieving, and once your choice is "carved in stone," it will be difficult - and expensive - to replace if you decide you've made a mistake in judgment.