Dealing with the loss of a loved one is never easy. Making sure their final wishes are respected is a significant undertaking, even during grieving. They may include an engraved marble headstone or gravemarker as part of their last wishes.
Headstone costs can vary depending on the headstone size, how much monument lettering, and if the deceased person wanted laser etched photos. It can be confusing to understand the final price since most companies quote differently. Some may charge per character, while others may quote for the marker and the engraving.
In this article, we’ll take a look at what makes the average cost for a memorial stone and explore some of the cheapest headstone engraving options available. We’ll also help you find ways of saving money on headstone costs so that you can create a loving memory without running into debt.
The Average Cost of Headstone Engraving
Headstone costs can be all over the place. Even if you use one of the cheapest headstone options available, adding things like hand etching will put your stone on the higher end. However, there are some average costs for headstones and headstone engraving. Let’s breakdown some of these headstone costs:
- The average price of a standard flat headstone is approximately $1,000.
- The average cost for more detailed upright headstones is approximately $1,000 – $3,000.
- The average cost for higher quality, laser-etched, hand-etched, or family and companion headstones is approximately $10,000.
There are extra costs on top of these basic prices, depending on the answers to these questions:
- Is the stone granite or marble?
- How much detail do you require in the engraving?
- Will a person or a laster etch photos onto the stone?
To have a little bit of everything on the gravemarker, you will be looking at an average cost of about $2,500.
Cemetery Fees
There may be some additional cemetery fees associated with your headstone purchase. The average cost of a headstone may also include long-term maintenance fees. For these fees, you can expect to pay around $200 and $500.
Those fees cover getting the stonework restored every 5 to 10 years. This works out to an average cost of roughly $50 per year. Depending on how quickly the headstone degrades, it may need frequent cleaning, but the cemetery may also need to address any cracks or fractures in the stone.
Headstone Engraving & Manufacturing
Headstones and gravestone markers can be a beautiful and loving way to remember a loved one for generations. Personalizing headstones has marked the dearly departed throughout human history, including the person’s name, date of birth, date of death, and possibly a short verse or prayer.
Today headstones include this basic information but can be decorated more elaborately with laser etching, hand etching, a portrait of the dearly departed, or other images. The sky is the limit with what you can do. Below are a few things you’ll need to consider when choosing headstone engravings:
#1. Adding a Death Date to a Headstone
Even though personalizing gravestones with additional details such as a photo or saying wasn’t always common, adding dates was a customary practice of headstone engraving.
Dates added to a stone are a crucial piece of information seen on almost all grave markers. If your loved one requires a final date added to a stone, you can do this with a gravestone date plaque.
Most humans are generally interested in history, and dates on a gravemarker are intriguing for those who frequent a cemetery. Whether they go to a cemetery for research or visitation, it is not uncommon to wander the paths admiring some of the older stones and the information they hold.
Some people even make a hobby of creating rubbings of grave markers or headstones, and usually, they seek out those with older dates, as they are of greater interest to these hobbyists.
it is recommended you do the following when purchasing a pre-need headstone:
- If it is a bronze headstone, give your family the receipt and instructions to contact us with your death date. (We make purchasing the additional date or information plaque as easy as possible.)
- If it is a granite memorial, tell your family to contact a local monument engraver to add the death date when the time comes. Most cemeteries should be able to recommend a local engraver.
#2. Choosing a Grave Marker Design
The total cost of a headstone design can vary depending on any personalized touches that would honor the deceased. Did the person like a particular flower, such as dogwood flowers or roses? Did they enjoy outdoor activities, such as hiking through a forest?
Or perhaps they lead a simple life, which would be perfectly depicted by a simple polished appearance or even wood grain border.When deciding exactly how the design of your headstone should look, keep the person’s interests and hobbies in mind.
Due to the nature of laser etching in granite or marble headstones, you can’t change the basic design, but with emblems and personal words, you can customize the marker to the fullest. Adding those final touches to the monument or headstone may make all the difference in how you can remember friends and family members.
#3. Arranging the Text on a Design
A picture may speak a thousand words, but nothing carries a message better than the written word. The most common type of monument or headstone engraving comes in the form of words, including:
- A person’s personal catchphrase or saying.
- A religious verse or psalm they found great comfort in.
- A line from their favorite book or poem.
These additions can add a lot of character to the tombstone and give a better glimpse at what kind of person they were. Although you can’t change the basic look of a design, you can usually customize the arrangement of text.
Can I Make Changes At Any Stage?
If the headstone design does not turn out as you expected, you can adjust or remove any information on the first layout of the marker. At this stage, you have a choice of adding an addition of a verse, a personal emblem, or a picture that will make your loved one’s headstone more personal.
For an additional cost, you can add certain emblems, such as banners or ribbons, that can be personalized with a small amount of text. In most cemeteries, you’ll notice that companion markers will have a ribbon featuring wedding rings. This design typically adds the date of marriage or the years the couple was married.
Whether on an emblem or in the body of the plaque, personal laser etching of text brings the deceased’s personality to the headstone. This may give others great comfort in the message the headstone displays.
#4. Checking your Layout Proof
Once you agree to a particular engraving, you will receive a proof shot (in some cases, two proofs) or layout of your marker. This layout is a scaled-down version of what the final headstone will look like.
If there are any additional design changes to the monument or gravemarker, you can submit them once you see the initial layout. In some cases, the company will give you a second layout to go over the final draft of your headstone engraving. With cemetery approval of your marker, you can be assured that you will get the exact information and design you requested.
Getting a second proof is not always covered as part of the cost by most headstone dealers. We strongly recommend that you carefully look over this proof before giving your formal approval of the headstone. This means you have to be very thorough with the proof and be completely satisfied with it, so there are no mistakes.
Headstone Lettering in a Different Language
One thing to consider when designing your headstone is whether or not all languages are accommodated. You can add most languages that use “English” letters (like Spanish or German) without extra cost or issues. Headstone companies that do not commonly use English-related letters (like Chinese or Arabic) may incur an additional charge.
Manufacturing Process
The manufacturing, engraving, and etching of a monument or headstone is a labor-intensive procedure. Whether it is hand carving or using compressed air for a sandblasted piece, making a monument is a complex skill that requires years of experience.
From the construction of the concrete foundation or concrete base to designing and etching the upright headstone, each phase has a cost associated with it – and for a good reason. The tombstone must be of high quality and withstand years and years of exposure to the elements while also providing the personalization that the family desires.
Memorials.com offers granite and bronze headstones and some of the best prices around, and each material goes through a unique manufacturing process. Let’s take a look at the two of the most popular choices for a headstone.
Granite Headstones
One of the best headstone materials is granite. Most upright headstones are made from granite because they are strong, durable and versatile.
The process of making granite headstones starts when factory workers first begin cutting down large blocks of stone that come from granite quarries. After the stone is cut to the appropriate size, for example – 12″ x 24″ x 4″ thick, the individual headstones are polished as desired (usually just the top face for flat or flush markers).
Polishing
Polishing the stone not only refines the highest-quality appearance of the stone but also prepares it for the engraving process. Once polished, the workers apply an adhesive-backed rubber stencil to the granite headstone face that is to be personalized.
Stenciling
This stencil guides engraving any information, such as words, dates, or emblems, into the granite headstone surface. In earlier years, the design was hand-drawn onto the stone and then hand-carved. This process left a lot of room for error, which was very difficult to correct once engraved, and many cemeteries today are filled with stones that have these errors.
While engravers now use computers to help produce a more precise and cost-saving outcome, the process is still greatly reliant on the artisan’s skill and ability to work with the programs and machinery.
Carving
Once the stencil has been applied, the the difficult skill of engraving (also known as carving) is done in a special sandblasting room. Workers use a high-pressure air hose to trace the design from the stencil into the granite headstones in this room.
Laser Etching
Laser etching is a popular way of catching all the detail of original designs and photographs at a reduced cost. A computerized laser burns the stone’s surface, capturing a picture’s complexity. This process is favored over hand etching because the buyer will save money and get an accurate design.
However, it doesn’t offer the same artistic flair or provide the same depth needed to create contrast for the lettering and other factors like design and style. Since laser etching is so cost-effective, it is not uncommon today to see many cemeteries full of laser-etched headstones.
Finishing the Granite Headstone
Once the design is carved from the stencil, the engravers fill the crevasses with black litho. It makes the letters stand out against the natural coloring of the stone. The uncut portion of the stencil is then removed, and the headstone is ready to be shipped after the standard final preparations.
Bronze Headstones
Bronze is an ideal material for memorials and upright headstones as it is durable and affordable, and plaques can be applied to an existing headstone. The first step in making bronze headstones is to turn the bronze into a liquid that can be poured into molds.
The Melting Process
Blocks of bronze are placed into a large pot and heated to about 2,000 degrees and starts to melt. A mold with the information that is to be on the marker is then made. Next, the melted bronze is poured in.
Mold-Making
An artisan takes the outer design mold and inserts and measures all the information on the grave marker, including lettering and any selected emblems. Once the mold is prepared, the melted bronze goes into the molds and is allowed to cool and set. Once cooled it is ready to be removed from the mold.
Chasing
At the “chasing” phase, workers grind around the headstone design and information details, removing any imperfections that may have appeared while the bronze cooled in the mold.
Painting
Once the bronze headstones have been chased, workers apply several coats of paint of your color choice, called oxidation. Then they rub a solvent around the lettering areas of the headstone. This removes some unwanted paint, which helps create the contrast between the polished design and the darker background.
Finishing the Stone
Once the details are complete, a lacquer coating is applied, the bronze is mounted to 4-inch thick pieces of granite, and the bronze headstones are ready for shipping. If your location is outside of a specific area, shipping costs may be added.
Conclusion
Whether the family has selected a bronze plaque on granite, bronze-only, or granite-only memorial, it is essential to understand each option’s manufacturing process and any associated cost.
These markers are made to last a lifetime, if not longer. By shopping ahead or dealing directly with a funeral home or memorials.com, you’ll find the most cost-effective solutions for your headstone to help you save money without compromising on quality.
Although the average headstone cost will vary, one of the most important things to consider is that you will be creating a loving tribute for a family member or friend for future generations to visit and remember.