5 Questions to Ask Before Purchasing a Headstone

by oskydeveloper

May 2, 2018

in Headstone Planning

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Selecting a headstone for you or a family member can often be a strange time in your life. In order to get your purchase right, you have to ask the right questions before deciding on a headstone. Asking your headstone provider these 5 questions will make your selection process run smoothly.

1. What Do I Need to Consider with the Cemetery?

This question is especially important if you are looking at granite headstones online. The local cemetery that you decide to use will definitely have specifications regarding the dimensions that you can use for your headstone or granite monument.

When approaching your cemetery, keep in mind that many locations take into consideration:

The size of your monument or headstone
The style of headstone
The size of your actual plot

By making sure that you design your headstone to meet all of the necessary requirements, you are saving yourself a lot of heartache that could occur if you had not done your homework.

2. What Materials Are My Best Option?

Headstones usually come in granite or marble. While marble may look nice and polish up well, in our opinion, it doesn’t hold up to the elements as well as a granite headstone. When you purchase a granite headstone online or in person, you can guarantee that your selection will be able to weather the heat, cold weather, and moisture that come along with having a plot in our local regions.

Keep in mind that you could still use marble, but you would have to deal with crumbling stone and replacement eventually.

3. Does the Creation Process Take Long?

The time it takes to create headstones for graves is really based on what you have ordered. If you are looking at a single flat marker with minimal design, then your wait could be a few weeks. However, for more elaborate monuments and designs, the wait time can usually exceed a few months to complete. By talking personally with the manufacturer of your headstone, you will be able to get a better understanding of how long the creation process takes.

4. Do I Want a Photograph on the Headstone?

Not all markers and headstones are designed to hold space for a photograph of your loved one. Check with your headstone provider and ensure that the monument design that you select is available for photograph placement. This is always a nice touch to remember your loved ones by.

5. What Documents Should I Expect When Purchasing a Headstone?

Several forms will have to be completed while you are purchasing a headstone and planning its placement. Look forward to reading and filling out forms like:

Marker authorization forms
Photo release forms
Setting forms
Concrete border release forms

Gifford Monument is Available to Answer All of Your Inquiries

If you are in the process of designing a headstone for you or a loved one, don’t leave the important questions unanswered. Get in touch with Gifford Monument today to find out the answers to your pressing questions regarding the headstone design process.