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Facts of Monument Pricing

If you simply want a ballpark figure maybe we can be of assistance.  Just promise me you understand no two stones are the same.  Just because Cheryl (your hairdresser) purchased her mother's three-foot-wide black stone for $4,500 just last week, does not mean the three-foot-wide black stone you want to order today will be $4,500.  And this is why?

-Number of letters on Cheryl's Mothers Stone may be more or less.
The shape of the stone.
-The size of the base. 
-The number of sides that are polished.
-The stones thickness.
-The stones height.
-Sandblasted or etched?
-If etched, was it laser etched or hand etched?
-The size and number of scenes engraved or sandblasted.
-Are the scenes custom (photo) or standard (out of our catalog). 
-Front design only or front and back. 
-Photo?
-Vase and if so how many?
-Size of the vase. Shape of the vase?
-The foundation the stone will sit on.
-The location of the cemetery
-The color black chosen (not all blacks are the same)
-If Cheryl called and told us exactly what she wanted on her moms stone and signed off on the initial proof (that we require prior to production) her stone may be cheaper. The reason is we start charging a consultant fee for every time we have to go back to the drawing board. Please know we want to and will go above and beyond to present you with a perfect proof the first time.

(This is not to deter you from changing your mind but rather encourage you and your brothers, sisters, cousins, in-laws, or whomever to be on the same page prior to having us draw up plans for a stone. This is also why we ask each family to designate one person who can make decisions on the stone, because we do charge a consulting fee for every additional sibling or family member that ask us to make changes to a said stone.)
 


Please keep in mind that our prices are a direct result of what the quarries charge us to send a raw piece of granite or marble.  The stone industry changes prices on their products regularly.  It used to be we could expect a price change after the first of the year, but since the pandemic occurred at the same time baby boomers began aging the demand has simply been greater than the supply. 


The result has been product price increases in January and then again mid-year. 

The average increase since 2020 has been anywhere from 4%-16%. 


 
Monument pricing is incredibly individualized. I wish it were more simple and will do my best to help explain. 

Bevel Marker

Monuments that sit up off the ground about 6 - 12 inches.

$2,000 - $3,000 (gray) 

$4,000 - $5,000 (black)

Slant marker with a base (base not shown)

Markers that resemble small upright headstones, only with an inclined face.

Gray: $2,500 - $5,000

Black: $4,800 - $8,000

Upright headstones

These are the traditional memorials we most often imagine when we think of a tombstone

Gray $3,000 - $8,000

Black $6,000 - $16,000 and up

cemetery headstones | headstone | granite headstone | how much does a headstone cost
Small Single Flat Gray 
$1,250
cemetery headstones | headstone | granite headstone | how much does a headstone cost
Large Double Flat Gray
$2,200
cemetery headstones | headstone | granite headstone | how much does a headstone cost
Large Double Flat Mahogony 
$3,500
cemetery headstones | headstone | granite headstone | how much does a headstone cost | black granite headstone
Large Double Flat Jet Black
$4,000
Single Gray Granite
Oxford Monument Headstones
Oxford Monument Headstones
Oxford Monument Headstones
Single Gray Bevel
$2,000
Double Gray Bevel
$4,000
Single Black Bevel
$4,000
Double Black Bevel
$7,500
Oxford Monument Headstones
Oxford Monument Headstones
Oxford Monument Headstones
Oxford Monument Headstones
Gray Single Slant 
$2,500

 
Gray Double Slant 
$4,800

 
Black Single Slant 
$5,000

 
Black Double Slant
$8,000

 

Flat Markers-

Also known as flush or grass markers cost on average $1,000 - $2,000 if in the color gray. Dark reds and blacks will be double this price.

Oxford Monument Headstones
Single Gray Upright
$3,000
Oxford Monument Headstones
Double Gray Upright
$8,000
Oxford Monument Headstones
Single Black Upright
$6,500
Single Flat Grayy Granite Marker
Double  Black Upright
$14,000

Pricing for headstones is not unlike most goods, it depends on the size, quality, and features included, and the region where you’re making the purchase. Generally, you can expect to pay anywhere from a few to several thousand dollars for a traditional upright (that’s the monument you probably think of when you think “headstone”).

 

In North Mississippi the average upright headstone runs close to $6,800.  A simple flat markers price will be about $1,200 and a top tier memorial >$10,000.

 

GRANITE GRADE

Granite has been the material of choice for memorials since the turn of the 20th century. Its durability is inimitable. However, the grade and quality of the actual stone determines its durability. 

If you’ve seen a headstone with a hard-to-read inscription, or worse, a crack in its base, then you know that not all granite (and not all carving) is perpetually durable. At Oxford Monument Company, we don’t sell any monuments or headstones that are not monument quality.

The higher level of quality and craftsmanship the higher the price of the monument. Naturally commanding a higher value than headstone those made overseas with poor quality stone and mediocre craftsmanship. This is why it is important to know who you are purchasing you're from.

 

At Oxford Monument we pride ourselves in having roots in Elberton Georgia. We are proud of the fact our family has given this industry their all for four generations.  Having such strong ties to the quarries themselves gives us an added advantage when it comes to being sent Grade A top quality stones. After all generations and generations to come, will be looking at your stone. 

DOMESTIC OR IMPORT

Color is one of the biggest factors in estimating cost.  Granite's color is specific to the quarry it came out of. It relies on very a specific suite of minerals that God himself placed throughout this Earth. Specifically, those minerals are quartz and feldsbar (lighter colored granites) and amphibole and biotite (darker colored granites). 

 

 Elberton Georgia's Quarry's produce the Georgia Gray Stones that populate most of our cemeteries.  Gray granite is also the least expensive. Georgia Gray plentiful, sustainable granite has been the classic choice for generations of memorials. Bahama blue granite is another high-grade metamorphic rock abundant in quartz and feldspar. However, this gorgeous stone is specific to India. Beautiful blacks are quarried out of South Africa and Scandinavia.

In the middle range of price is browns and pink granites.

At the top end of the range are red granites and blacks.  Jet Black, known for its jet black character and etchability. 

You can expect a 50 percent difference in price between Gray and Black granite memorials.  

I must say in the hundreds of cemeteries I have done restorative work in, not once have I ever cleaned or restored a black headstone. They are simply resilient and resist the elements like no other color. 

HANDYWORK MATTERS

To add personalized details the artisan will use a multi-step carving process that begins with sandblasting to remove the polish where the inscription will go. During a separate sandblast, letters are carved into the stone at the proper depth to achieve the contrast needed for a readable inscription.

Pairing the proper technique to the right material is critical to enhance the look of the memorial and ensure a clear, lasting inscription. Budget companies will apply the same techniques to all stones to save money, regardless of whether they are right for the particular granite selected.

“Some dealers, put the inscription on without a sandblasted panel, right into the polish. You cannot read it. The difference is night and day between that and doing it right.

Yes, Size Matters

The size and style of a monument also impacts price significantly.

Here’s a breakdown of what to expect for different headstone styles, all dependent on size, color and quality:

big tree
Double Gray Granite Marker

Flat markers

Also known as flush or grass markers cost on average $1,000 - $2,000 if in the color gray. Blacks and dark reds could double that price.

Bevel marker

Monuments that sit up off the ground about 6 - 12 inches, cost on average $1,500 - $2,000.

Slant marker with a base

Markers that resemble small upright headstones, only with an inclined face, cost on average $2,000 - $4,000.

Upright headstones

These are the traditional memorials we most often imagine when we think of a tombstone, cost on average $2,500 - $6,000.

Oxford Monument Headstones
Flat Marker
Black Granite Flat Marker
Due to its small size and gray color this flat marker would run around $1,000.
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