Buying a headstone comes down to five steps, in this order: check your cemetery’s requirements, choose a style, select a size, choose your granite, and personalize the design through written proofs. Nothing should ever go into production until you’ve approved a final proof. Once you approve it, a memorial in stock granite typically takes 6–10 weeks; fully custom work runs 3–6 months. This guide walks through each step the way we’ve walked families through it since 1979.
Step 1: Why do cemetery rules come first?
The single most expensive mistake in memorial buying is ordering a stone the cemetery won’t accept. Cemeteries set their own rules, and they vary enormously — some memorial parks allow only flat markers or bronze, others cap heights and widths by section, and many require that their own crew set the stone. Before you fall in love with a design, call the cemetery office and ask:
- What styles are allowed on this specific plot or section?
- What are the size limits — maximum length, width, and height?
- Who is allowed to install — outside monument companies, or only the cemetery’s approved installer?
- What fees apply — setting fee, endowment care, and any design-approval paperwork?
Get the answers in writing if you can. Our cemetery rules guide covers the fine print in more depth.
Step 2: How do you choose a style?
Within whatever your cemetery allows, style is a balance of prominence and budget. From ground level up: flat markers ($1,100+) sit flush with the grass; bevel markers ($1,325+) rise above it on a gentle slope; slants ($1,850+) present a tall angled face with room for real artwork; upright monuments ($3,650+) are the classic tablet-and-base form, engravable front and back; memorial benches ($3,600+) give visitors a place to sit; and cremation monuments hold urns within the stone itself. Our style comparison guide puts all six side by side with sizes and starting prices.
Step 3: What size do you need?
Size follows two things: how many names the memorial carries, and what your plot allows. As a reference point, a standard single flat marker with one name is 24" × 12" × 4"; two names or side-by-side layouts move to wider stone, and infant markers are smaller. Every style page on this site lists its standard dimensions, and our headstone sizes guidecollects them all in one place. Remember that the cemetery’s limits win: a companion upright does no good if your section caps monuments at marker height.
Step 4: Which granite should you choose?
Granite is the working standard for modern memorials, and color is where the stone gets personal. Our standard is Sierra White, which is included in every published base price. Beyond it, we source granite from quarries around the world — deep blacks, grays, and earth tones — and darker stones read differently under engraving than light ones. The granite and materials guide explains how color affects contrast, and how granite compares with bronze, which many memorial parks require.
Step 5: How do inscription, artwork, and proofs work?
This is the step families worry about most, and it’s the one with the strongest safety net. You’ll choose the names and dates, a verse or epitaph (our epitaph ideas guide has starting points if the page is blank), and artwork from our design catalog or fully custom. Ceramic memorial photos can be added — they carry a lifetime warranty, and we can merge photos or replace backgrounds. Everything is worked out on written proofs, revised collaboratively until it’s right. Nothing is produced until you sign off on the final proof and place a deposit. The full sequence is on our design process page.
What happens during production and delivery?
After final proof approval, memorials in stock granite typically take 6–10 weeks; custom shapes and imported colors run 3–6 months. All told, most families should plan on one to six months from first call to installed stone. Cemeteries usually prepare the ground or pour cement before delivery. Where cemeteries allow it, we install our own work throughout Nevada and Northern California; where they require their own installer, we deliver the finished memorial to them. Local pickup is available too. For a fuller breakdown, see the timeline guide.
Can you buy a headstone remotely?
Yes — and it’s more ordinary than you might think. Because design work happens by phone and email, families anywhere in the U.S. can order from us exactly the way Reno families do: same catalogs, same proofs, same sign-off before production. We then arrange delivery to your cemetery or its approved installer. Our nationwide ordering page explains the logistics.
What should you ask any monument dealer?
Whether you buy from us or from a shop down the street, these questions separate craftsmen from order takers:
- Will I see and approve a proof before anything is produced?The only acceptable answer is yes — in writing, with revisions until you’re satisfied.
- What exactly is included in the quoted price? Name, dates, verse, design, and granite — or a bare stone with every line item extra? Ask what the quote excludes, too (tax, setting fees, endowment care).
- Who installs the memorial? The shop, the cemetery, or a third party — and who is responsible for it arriving and standing straight?
- What is warrantied, and for how long? At our shop, ceramic memorial photos carry a lifetime warranty and painted surfaces a 10-year warranty. Any serious shop can tell you its terms without checking.
- Have you worked with my cemetery before?A dealer who knows your cemetery’s rules will catch problems before they cost you money.
Questions families ask
How long does it take to get a headstone?
Once you approve the final proof, memorials in stock granite typically take 6-10 weeks. Fully custom work runs 3-6 months. Start to finish — design, production, and delivery — most families should plan on 1-6 months, and cemeteries usually prepare the ground or cement before delivery.
Do I need the cemetery's permission before ordering?
Yes — always start with the cemetery. Many cemeteries restrict styles (some allow only flat markers or bronze), set size limits, and require approval of the design. Checking first prevents ordering a memorial your cemetery won't accept.
Can I order a headstone by phone or from another state?
Yes. Most of our design work happens by phone and email, so families anywhere in the U.S. can order the same way Reno families do. We arrange delivery to your cemetery or its approved installer, with the same proof-approval process.
What if my cemetery requires its own installer?
That's common, and it's fine — we fabricate your memorial and deliver it to the cemetery or its approved installer. Where cemeteries allow outside installation, we install our own work throughout Nevada and Northern California. Local pickup is also available.
Ready to start, or just want to think out loud with someone who does this every day? Call 775-323-1835— you’ll reach the family that has designed, carved, and installed memorials since 1979, and there’s no obligation in a conversation.