Common Questions

Quality Products:

With over 100 years collective experience in Granite and Bronze design and manufacturing, we are able to provide exemplary products and service through over a century of experience.

Customer Service;

Our industry focuses foremost on providing families with a memorial which best represents and honors their loved-one. To that end, we rely on personal conversation to elicit from our customers the information best suited for designing the most appropriate memorial design. The adage “you don’t know what you don’t’ know” is particularly applicable in this context, as most prospective customers have not had to design a marker. A general conversation with our designers asking leading questions will always enable a more personal, memorable product, and is no more expensive than automated online orders.

Competitive Pricing:

Our business model allows for extremely competitive pricing without degradation in product or service. We are aligned with manufacturers that have a collective 100 years of experience in Granite and Bronze production. We are not a specific volume -based company by design; our focus is on the customer service experience, quality design process, and follow-on support as needed.

Guarantee/Warranty:

We Guarantee our products and craftsmanship 100%. We can stand behind our products through careful design process and review before final production, using state-of-the-art design software to fully capture color and effects enabling the most realistic representation of what the finished product will represent.  Customers authorize and sign final design renderings before work begins.  If the product arrives and is not what was agreed to or damaged, they will have a choice of a re-make or 100% refund.  We stress the importance of ensuring the design is what you want, as these are completely custom items and can’t be returned.

Design Studio / Mobile Service:

Regional customers can utilize personal design services at our location, or our mobile service, enabling customers to see examples and materials at a location of their choice.

You can purchase a marker or monument from a cemetery, funeral, home, local monument dealer, headstone showroom or from a memorial online store. You can choose the headstone design, color, style, material, inscription, etc. for the marker. Before placing the order however, it is recommended to check the rules and regulations about the type of marker or monument your cemetery allows. For instance, some cemeteries allow granite and bronze markers only; many cemeteries require granite tombstones with lawnmower-proof edges, and other requirements.

Giving an average cost of marker or monument can be complicated considering the many factors involved including material, size, and shape. In addition, prices will range widely factoring regional demographics. For example, a purchase from a typical brick-and-mortar establishment serving an urban area will cost more than a store in a rural or less-developed location. E-commerce has changed this to some degree.

Whether you choose a full burial or cremation, one of the many things you’ll need to decide when a loved one passes is how their final resting place will be marked. There are a variety of options available through either a monument company, funeral home or cemetery.

Everlasting Markers and Monuments provides custom cemetery memorials, grave markers, headstones, upright monuments, flush, slant, bevel and flat markers, and family estate mausoleums in Granite or Bronze. We also sell a wide variety of burial Urns and memorial benches.

Many families opt to purchase a memorial through a mortuary/funeral home, usually as part of a “package deal.” In an industry context, markup and cost of a marker from a mortuary/funeral home has historically been higher. 200% to 300% higher than through a monument Company. In many cases (especially Bronze Products), mortuary/funeral homes are buying from the same manufacturer as a monument company. Further, with the emotion and turmoil of a recent death, it’s not always easy to focus and provide design information. Take time and make the marker purchase a less emotional and separate at a point distant from the funeral and burial.

Although there are no set rules as to what is considered a normal amount of time to decide upon and purchase a marker, some cemeteries do have restrictions with regard to how soon a marker can be placed. In addition, certain religious customs and cultures may have required ceremonies around placing a memorial, which could affect timing.

Creating a marker with a well-thought-out theme can be time-consuming; an upright monument will take considerably longer to produce, depending on many factors (primarily color choice and size). In some cases, it can take several weeks to design, layout and finish a marker. In the case of Bronze, an average of 26 different staff members check and verify for content and quality before release and shipment. It’s not uncommon for a bronze marker to be be-cast several times to get perfect production quality! Ask company representative(s) for specific information if time is a factor.

Yes. If you want to add something a little extra special to a headstone or grave marker,  lettering and/or inscriptions to existing monuments and markers, depending on space available; it can be expensive however.

This is becoming more popular with the internet and e-commerce enabling selection and design online.  It is plausibly one of the more thoughtful methods of ensuring your loved one’s peace of mind by ensuring your final thoughts and ideas are captured while still in a state to convey such things. Many companies will even store the marker until needed, and provide a discount.  Ask if your monument company will do this for you.

Yes, they can. Cemeteries tend to dissuade customers claiming that a customer’s headstone does not conform to their quality standards, and they [cemeteries] would not be liable for damage to the stone. If cemetery management insists you must purchase from them, ask for their by-laws, in writing. As mentioned elsewhere, some cemeteries have very specific design requirements; always check before shopping!

Cemeteries have guidelines regarding marker dimension and size, usually dictated by the location of the plot in the cemetery (and as many other factors).  Common marker sizes are 24”L X 12”W X 3” thick for Granite flat style, and 24W X 30H X 6” Thick for uprights.

Memorial placement is the last detail of a burial. Before placing a marker or monument, we suggest allowing time for the ground to settle. Most cemeteries allow installation after a specific amount of time (at least a few weeks) as recently covered graves tend to settle and shift, thereby affecting the leveling of the marker. This problem is most common with upright headstones as they may begin to lean. Flat or lawn level markers are not affected to such an extent. Nonetheless, they may slant slightly. In case you are to place a marker or monument in a lawn cemetery, then you may do so as soon as you wish to.

Most cemeteries charge an installation fee. If the cemetery (or an outside vendor) install the marker, whether it has been purchased from the cemetery itself or elsewhere, a fee will be charged. These fees can vary widely; always inquire about fee’s as they can add significantly to the overall price of a marker.

Yes, you need to fill out forms for permit or authorization requiring the signature of the owner or next of kin for the placement of a marker or monument. Typically, the company from which you are purchasing the headstone can assist you with this task.

Most cemeteries have an endowment care fund for general maintenance and upkeep of plots. This fund is also utilized for repairing markers that are damaged by cemetery equipment. They cannot waive liability for damage to the monument caused by their employees or agents. However, cemeteries often do not disclose this fact to customers, and encourage prospective customers to buy from them or else they would not be responsible for the damage. To find out about the correct cemetery policies, it is suggested that you read the cemetery by-laws carefully.

Yes, it is possible to add a photograph to a marker. There are two different photo formats available. Both ceramic and laser are available for granite markers. Laser etching creates a high-detail image on a memorial on the darkest of granite colors (Diamond or Galaxy Black). Bronze markers can only use ceramic photos. Adding a photo can range in price depending on size and style; photos can add significantly the price of a marker or monument.

Yes, you can get government-furnished markers and monuments for eligible veterans for free. You will typically need a copy of the DD 214 to get the process moving.
Note: Government provided markers have specific guidelines and very little leeway on design. If there was a mistake on a date or name spelling, etc., you will not get another one.

After marker selections and options, a rendering of the marker will be produced and sent to you within 24 to 48 hours. Once a customer is satisfied with the layout of the marker, the marker will be ordered and proof of order will be sent to the customer.

If you don’t want to use a credit or debit card, we accept other forms of payment as well. Including personal checks, money orders, Square Cash, PayPal, Venmo, or even cash if you’re a local customer.

Yes. Please call 916.264.9284 to set up an appointment. Meetings are by appointment only