Headstone styles
Upright Headstones & Monuments
The classic monument. Upright headstones offer the most room for names, dates, verses, and artwork on both front and back, and can be shaped into nearly any custom silhouette.
About this style
The upright is the classic monument — a vertical granite tablet standing on a granite base, the silhouette most people picture when they hear the word headstone. It offers the most room of any style: the tablet is polished on both the front and the back, so names, dates, verses, portraits, and artwork can carry across two full faces. The sides are rock-pitched, keeping the natural character of quarried stone around the polished surfaces.
Uprights are also where custom work opens up completely. A tablet can be shaped into nearly any silhouette, so if the standard forms in our catalog are not quite right, tell us what you are picturing and we will draw it. Every element is sandblast-engraved. Sierra White granite is our standard, and because we source from quarries around the world, the same monument can be made in deep blacks, grays, or earth tones.
A single upright starts at $3,650, and that price includes both the tablet and the base, along with one name, dates, a verse, and a catalog design in Sierra White. Sizes run from a 24-inch single tablet to side-by-side companion monuments 42 inches wide and larger. One caution before you begin: not every cemetery section allows upright monuments, so confirming your cemetery's rules is the first step we take with every family.
New to all of this? Start with our guides to headstone styles and how to buy a headstone, or see how nationwide ordering works if you are outside Nevada.
Sizes
Standard upright monuments sizes
Cemeteries often dictate exact dimensions for each section, so confirm your cemetery's rules before settling on a size — we help with that in step one.
| Configuration | Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Single grave, one name | 24" × 6" × 18" + base 36" × 12" × 6" |
| Single grave, two names | 36" × 6" × 20" + base 48" × 12" × 6" |
| Side by side, two names | 42" × 6" × 20" + base 54" × 12" × 6" (larger sizes available) |
Unsure what fits your plot? Our guides to headstone sizes and cemetery regulations explain how plot, section, and cemetery rules shape the choice.
Design references
Catalog designs to start from
A catalog design is included in every starting price. These references are starting points — every element can be adjusted, and custom artwork is always an option.
Installed work
Real upright monuments, real families
Memorials we designed, carved, and set — each one approved proof by proof before it went into production.
Who chooses this style
A good fit when…
- Families creating a monument to carry the family name for generations
- Couples who want a single companion monument over side-by-side graves
- Designs that need both faces — a portrait and verse on the front, more of the story on the back
- Anyone who wants a custom silhouette rather than a standard rectangle
Personalization
Making it theirs
An upright gives your design the most headroom of anything we make. The starting price includes a catalog design, and from there the tablet can be shaped into nearly any custom silhouette and engraved on both polished faces. Ceramic and porcelain memorial photos carry a lifetime warranty — we can merge photographs and remove or replace backgrounds so the portrait is exactly right — and painted surfaces carry a 10-year warranty. Design is collaborative and proof-by-proof: nothing is carved until you approve the final proof and place a deposit.
See the full design processCommon questions
Families often ask us
What does the $3,650 starting price include?
Both the tablet and the base, with one name, dates, a verse, a design from our catalog, and standard Sierra White granite. It excludes sales tax and your cemetery's setting and endowment fees. Additions such as a second name, memorial photos, or an upgraded granite color are quoted plainly before you approve the design.
Can an upright headstone be a custom shape?
Yes — the tablet can be shaped into nearly any silhouette. Custom monuments generally take 3 to 6 months to produce, compared with 6 to 10 weeks for stock granite after you approve the final proof, and we will give you a realistic timeline before you commit.
Do all cemeteries allow upright monuments?
No. Some sections are flush-marker only, and others restrict monument size. Checking your cemetery's requirements is the first of the five steps in our design process. If an upright is not permitted where your family's plot is, a slant or bevel marker often is — and we will help you compare.
Can both sides of an upright be engraved?
Yes. Our uprights are polished on the front and back with rock-pitched sides, so both faces are ready for engraving. Many families put names, dates, and a design on the front and carry a family name or additional verse on the back. Double-sided engraving adds to the cost and is quoted in your proof.
More answers on our full FAQ page, or in the buyer’s guides.
Keep comparing
Styles families weigh alongside this one
Slant Markers
A large angled face gives slant headstones more room for lettering and custom artwork, standing out with real prominence. Polished face, rock-pitched sides.
From $1,850
Cremation Monuments
Full-sized cremation monuments — also called estate monuments — hold one or more urns within the monument itself. Size and shape are fully customizable.
Call for quote
Memorial Benches
A place to sit and remember. Granite memorial benches come in many styles and shapes, and can hold cremated remains placed in or beneath them.
From $3,600
Still deciding?
Compare all seven styles side by side, with height profiles and starting prices in one table.
All headstone stylesEst. 1979 · Reno, Nevada
Design a monument together
From a classic tablet to a fully custom silhouette, we'll draw your family's monument with you and put nothing into stone until you've approved the final proof.