An Introduction to Headstone Price

Most people do not think about headstone prices until the need arises. After the loss of a loved one it’s really hard to focus on getting the “best deal”. Knowing a few basics can go a long way to giving you piece of mind. This short article won’t give you exact prices, but it will give you the factors that determine the price of a headstone.

The main things that may influence the price of your headstone are:

• Type
• Material
• Design
• Size
• Shipping

Headstone Types
There are many different types of headstones. For the purposes of this article we will look at four of them – grass markers, bevel Markers, slant Markers, and monuments. The following are listed in order of increasing price:

• Grass markers
• Bevel markers
• Slant markers
• Monuments

So, you would expect to pay less for a grass marker than a monument – all other things being equal.

Headstone Material
The large majority of headstones are either granite or bronze. Everything else being equal you would expect to pay more for a bronze headstone.

Headstone Design
Headstone design can be either standard or custom. A standard design would be a stock design. Many stones with standard designs are sold, so they are less expensive. Little or no change is allowed accept the name and dates of your love one. On the other hand, custom design is made to order. The cost will vary depending on how complex or extensive the design is. In other words you can do almost anything you want with a custom design (depending on the size of the stone) if you are willing to pay extra.

Headstone Size
This one’s easy… as the size of the stone increases so does the price.

Shipping
Headstone prices can vary depending on how far the stone has to be shipped. One good reason to buy a headstone locally as opposed to over the Internet is because of the shipping cost. If two headstones are exactly the same, the one that has to get shipped the farthest is the one that will cost more. Also, some types of granite must be imported. These are usually types of granite that have a particular color. The cost of importing is another type of shipping cost you should be aware of. Even if it is not specified on your invoice you are still paying for it in the price of the stone.

When pricing a headstone remember that cemetery regulations play an important role. Finding out what the regulations are from the beginning will save you a lot of wasted time. If you need help with the details of headstone prices contact your local headstone services company. If you live in the tri-state area (PA, NJ DE) you may contact us.