How much should a headstone cost?

Oostende · ‎03-14-2010

Does anyone have any recent experience?

I am looking at a 27" tall, marble headstone on a 36" base for one of my loved ones.

I have no idea how much is too much.

The price for engraving and setting comes to just under $4,000.

That sounds reasonable to me but what are your thoughts?

The marble is about a thousand more than the granite but it does not wear as well.

Would you care about that?

RedTop · ‎09-01-2010

$4000 is an average price for that size stone, base, engraving, and setting.

Oostende · ‎03-14-2010

Oh, good! Thank you @RedTop!

My family was wondering.

RedTop · ‎09-01-2010

@Oostende

I help care for our family cemetery, and currently have 2 marble headstones that are cracked and need repaired. I urged the family to pick out a granite marker, but "the marble one was so pretty"! So here we are now........

Oostende · ‎03-14-2010

Oh dear, @RedTop !

I was also going to get marble because it is so pretty.

I guess you would recommend granite then?

RedTop · ‎09-01-2010

I just know the granite stones in our cemetery have held up better.

JeanLouiseFinch · ‎10-03-2011

The way I was brought up, visiting loved ones' graves wasn't something we did. I've already told my kids they can cremate me.

Duckncover · ‎07-16-2021

We bought granite for my mother's gravestone. It has dark gray and tiny bits of pink in it. I think it was around $4K and I tend the grave regularly and it is standing up to the elements perfectly after ten years. Her grave is on a large cemetery so I see lots of different stones....of those made from marble don't weather well and will deteriorate eventually. I recommend granite.

mspatmac · ‎06-10-2015

@JeanLouiseFinch wrote:
The way I was brought up, visiting loved ones' graves wasn't something we did. I've already told my kids they can cremate me.

I'm with you @JeanLouiseFinch I told mine I would haunt them if they spent more then the bare necessities.

Icegoddess · ‎03-19-2010

I have no idea on pricing, but my local news had a segment today saying there is currently a granite shortage causing a big backup in getting headstones. They didn't say what the cause was. I'm sure it's not a shortage of granite, but probably the labor to cut it.