HomeCost guidesGrave markers
Grave markers and what each type costs
A flat granite marker runs $400 to $1,200 and a bronze one $1,000 to $3,000, and then the cemetery charges a setting fee on top that nobody mentions until the marker arrives. Here is the whole bill.
Check what the section allows before you buy anything
Most cemeteries opened in the last fifty years permit flat markers only, so a mower can pass over them. Buying an upright headstone for a flat-only section means buying it twice. The cemetery office will tell you the rule in one phone call.
What each type costs
Flat granite marker
$400 to $1,200
A granite slab set level with the ground. The most common marker sold today, because most modern cemeteries require flat markers so their mowers can pass straight over. Granite is the cheaper of the two flat options and holds lettering well for decades.
Flat bronze marker
$1,000 to $3,000
A cast bronze plate, usually mounted on a granite base which is charged separately. Bronze costs more than granite, weathers to a darker patina, and is what most memorial parks and veterans sections specify. The base alone commonly adds $200 to $500.
Upright headstone
$1,500 to $5,000
A standing monument on a base. Many newer cemeteries do not permit them at all, so confirm what the section allows before buying anything. Price moves with the stone, the size and how much carving is involved.
Temporary grave marker
$0 to $150
A metal frame holding a printed card, used between burial and the permanent marker arriving. Funeral homes usually supply one at no charge, and one is often included in the services fee you have already paid. Ask before you buy, because they are frequently sold as an extra.
Companion marker
$1,200 to $6,000
One marker covering two graves, bought when a couple purchases plots together. Cheaper than two individual markers and it locks the design in, which some families want and others regret.
The charge nobody warns you about
The cemetery charges a setting fee, sometimes called an installation or foundation fee, to put the marker in place. It commonly runs $300 to $800 and it is charged whether you buy the marker from the cemetery or from anywhere else. Some cemeteries also charge an inspection fee on a marker bought elsewhere, which is legal and is worth asking about before you order.
So a $600 flat granite marker is realistically a $900 to $1,400 line once it is in the ground. Budget the setting fee from the start rather than meeting it later.
You do not have to buy it from the cemetery
Monument dealers, and in many cases Costco and online retailers, sell the same markers for noticeably less than the cemetery does. The cemetery can set reasonable specifications on size, material and thickness, and it can charge to install a marker it did not sell, but in most states it cannot refuse an outside marker that meets its specifications.
Get the written specification from the cemetery first, then price the same thing with two outside dealers. The difference is frequently several hundred dollars for identical stone.
Veterans get one at no cost
The VA provides a headstone or marker at no charge for any eligible veteran, in a national cemetery or a private one, in flat bronze, flat granite or upright marble. In a private cemetery you still pay the setting fee, but the marker itself is free and a great many families pay for one without ever being told.
The marker is one line on a much bigger bill
A full burial with the cemetery included runs about $15,395. The calculator separates what the funeral home charges from what the cemetery charges, because they arrive as two different bills and only one of them gets quoted.
See your cost (786) 818-0383Talk to one of our licensed agents
Common questions
How much does a flat grave marker cost?
A flat granite marker typically runs $400 to $1,200 and a flat bronze one $1,000 to $3,000, with the bronze base charged separately. Add the cemetery setting fee of $300 to $800 on top of either.
What is the difference between a headstone and a grave marker?
In everyday use they mean the same thing. In the trade, a marker usually means a flat plaque set level with the ground and a headstone means an upright monument. Cemeteries care about the distinction because most modern sections permit flat markers only.
How much is a bronze grave marker?
Usually $1,000 to $3,000 for the plate, plus $200 to $500 for the granite base it sits on, plus the cemetery setting fee. Bronze costs more than granite and is what most memorial parks specify.
Can I buy a grave marker somewhere other than the cemetery?
In most states yes. The cemetery can set reasonable specifications and can charge a setting fee, but it generally cannot refuse a marker that meets them. Get the written specification first, then price it with outside dealers.
How long does a temporary grave marker last?
They are meant for the weeks or months before the permanent marker arrives, and most funeral homes provide one at no charge. Ask before buying one, since it is often already covered by the services fee.
Related costs
Headstone cost in detail · Burial plot cost · Burial vault cost · Every line on a funeral bill