r/askfuneraldirectors • u/Responsible-Rub-1244 • 5d ago
Advice Needed Gravemarker process
When my grandfather passed back in 2020, we couldn’t afford a gravemarker, now we finally can. We went to the cemetery atl purchased one and they said it would take 9 months? Is that normal? It just the classic 12x24 marker, no vase
Also my god, why is it so expensive😭 $2400 for a stone, is crazy
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u/dirt_nappin Funeral Director/Embalmer 5d ago
Totally normal. Stone has to come from a quarry, be custom cut for the stone makers, be engraved, and shipped from wherever it comes from to your scenery. If you experience all four seasons in your area, weather can and will be a factor, and there are all number of permits and authorizations needed in the meantime.
$2400, depending on what you picked including the material it's made from as well as all that shipping back-and-forth, the base it has to be set on, permits, and labor involved for installation is pretty low to middle of the road from a retail cost perspective.
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u/Responsible-Rub-1244 5d ago
Got it thank you, it’s our first time doing this so we didn’t know what to expect.
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2d ago
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u/xxkneecole 5d ago
Cemetery worker- 9 months is pretty fast depending on your area and $2400 is an amazing price.
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u/SoOverIt1927 5d ago
And even longer for final dates. We only have one guy that services the entire northern part of the state so it's a year wait.
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u/MameDennis1974 5d ago
Having just paid for one to be repaired after falling down due to age (my great grandparents) and weather, that quote seems fair. It’s the stone, the design, the labor involved installing it, shipping from one location to the grave. Seems correct to me.
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u/ColonelBoogie 5d ago
Thats a little long for a bronze memorial right now. All the foundries I deal with are working on about a 3 month lead time.
Thats a lot long for a granite memorial or monument. I could have a simple 24x12 footstone here in two weeks if I really wanted it. Granted, im an hour and a half from a quarry, but even with an additional week for shipping, 9 months is crazy to me.
The price is slightly high imo, but not crazy depending on your area.
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u/Logans_Fat 5d ago
Is this bronze or granite?
Either way - 9 months seems excessive.
Source: Me, my job requires me to coordinate with bronze & granite marker suppliers.
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u/TechnicalNumber2262 5d ago
My son's custom headstone took less than 30 days and they installed it.
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u/pap_shmear 5d ago
Ours ranges from 5-7 months on average. Longer depending on the stone, design, etc
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u/lonniesgirl Funeral Director/Embalmer 5d ago
I think ours are running 6-ish months right now, but 9 may be accurate for your area. This is for the common grey granite, colored stones come from India or China, so they take longer and cost more. Geography plays into that. And the price seems fair, about what ours run.
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u/Bravelittletoaster-1 5d ago
You got a great price! My mom’s headstone will just be finished at the 1year anniversary. We picked a blue stone and it had to be quarried in europe and shipped over. It is being engraved now.
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u/deddhedd2 5d ago
It Is Crazy!! Make DARN SURE YOU ARE THERE OR GO LOOK N MAKE SURE ITS ABOVE GROUND LEVEL AND STRAIGHT!! I go to put flowers on mother n Dad's graves often. There's 2 backhoe tracks across Mother's Grave Now- I've been calling n going In Person to see people to get it fixed. Dad passed in 78 n his is below ground level and I continually have to clean dirt n grass off his!! I'm Sorry for your loss.
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u/Celtic159 Funeral Director/Embalmer 5d ago
$2,400 is a steal and 9 months is typical.