A Shopper’s Guide & Checklist For Headstones & Monuments
Download Our Shopper's Checklist for Headstones
With monuments, a lower price does not always mean a better value. When shopping for your loved ones headstone, be sure to evaluate the quality of the stone, design and craftsmanship. It's also important to feel confident and comfortable with your monument maker, so pay attention to the customer service you are given.
We have gathered 10 questions from our years of experience to better help you during this hard time. Read our guide, and take the downloadable checklist with you while you compare and shop at dealers, funeral homes, cemeteries or on the web. If the headstone maker can't answer YES to all 10, we recommend you consider looking elsewhere.
1. Does the price include the foundation and installation?
Our pricing includes the best quality granite, engraving of names and dates, personalized carvings as well as delivery and installation. Please visit our pricing page for more more information.
2. Does the dealer guarantee that the headstone meets your cemetery regulations?
Our monuments are designed to be accepted by local and national cemetery boards.
3. Can the dealer give proof of their granite origin?
Only our BLUE GRAY™ granite, which is quarried in Vermont, carries the official SEALMARK™.
4. Will the Memorial company install The monument in your cemetery?
Most online companies and funeral homes do not take responsibility for installation of your monument.
5. Does the price include design details?
Beware of dealers who charge extra for long names or simple details like a cross or star.
6. How will custom designs be carved?
Lesser quality dealers sometimes use paint to fill in flat carvings, frosted lettering or etching and other shortcuts which may case inscriptions to become illegible over time.
7. Does the dealer offer a perpetual warranty for their stone and craftsmanship?
Ask for it in writing.
8. Is this headstone the same thickness and size of others you’ve seen?
Small details like these can affect the quality and price of your monument.
9. Can the dealer show you examples of headstones they created several years ago?
How do they look today? Did they withstand the test of time?
10. Will the dealer show you the mock-up prior to production?
To ensure the monument is a true representation of your loved one, ask to see an example of your custom drawing or design before your monument maker starts the production process.
At Ohio Monuments, we check YES to every question
When it comes time to shop for a memorial or headstone for your loved one, you can trust the quality of our materials and the precision of our craftsmanship. With over 130 years of combined experience, Ohio Monuments has been helping families create highly personalized family memorials that are a true reflection of a life well lived.
Please contact us for more information, browse our FAQ page or visit one of our local showrooms for further assistance shopping for or designing a perfectly customized monument.