Cemetery & Foundation Fees
Cemetery & Foundation Fees Explained
The term “cemetery fee” (sometimes referred to as “foundation fee”) refers to any fee that gets paid to your cemetery for any services rendered by the cemetery during the process of creating & installing a headstone.
This fee should not be confused with any fees you may have paid the cemetery previously to purchase cemetery plots or to hold a service.
The cemetery fee is completely separate from the past services you may have paid to the cemetery.
Your memorial will have to sit on a concrete foundation (think of the foundation homes are built on) to keep it from sinking into the ground. If your cemetery pours the concrete foundation, then your “cemetery fee” will cover the cost of the cemetery pouring your foundation.
However, some cemeteries don’t pour their own foundations (sometimes referred to as “footers”). If this is the case, then your monument company should be able to pour the foundation for your monument. This would then be considered your “foundation fee”, as you might not have any “cemetery fees” to pay.
In some cases, your cemetery might have an “inspection fee” or a “layout fee”, which are fees to inspect your monument for damage upon arrival and to mark off the correct foundation size at the plot, respectively. If this is the case, these fees would also be incorporated into your cemetery fees.
How To Calculate Your Cemetery Fee
If your cemetery will be pouring your foundation, often times they will have a calculated rate based on the size of the base of the monument (or the size of the marker if your memorial is just one single piece). You can ask your cemetery what this rate is, and then use it to calculate your cemetery fee based on the square area of the monument’s base or marker.
For example, if you were to purchase a standard companion upright monument with a base size of 48″ x 12″, then the square area of the base would be calculated as 576 square inches after multiplying the two lengths together. If you find out that your cemetery (or monument company if they will be pouring the foundation) charges 75 cents/square inch, then after multiplying the square inches and the rate together, your cemetery fee (or foundation fee), would come to $432.
Sometimes, cemeteries pour concrete foundations larger than the base of the monument. This gives an aesthetic look of a concrete border around the base of your monument. While this looks aesthetically pleasing to some, another reason for this is to keep mowers and weed eaters off the base of the monument.
If you are wanting to calculate your own cemetery fees, be sure to ask your cemetery if they pour the foundation true to the size of the base, or if they pour a border (such as 2″ in all directions) around the base of the monument.
Below are standard memorial sizes and areas in square inches, but sizes will vary from company to company.
Single Marker: 24″ x 12″ = 288 sq. inches
Companion Marker: 36″ x 12″ = 432 sq. inches
Single Upright: Base = 36″ x 12″ = 432 sq. inches
Companion Upright: Base = 48″ x 12″ = 576 sq. inches
How Your Cemetery Fee Gets Paid
In most cases, your cemetery fee (or foundation fee if your cemetery does not pour the foundation) will be collected by your monument company. It may be tacked on at the end of the invoice, or invoiced separately. In some cases, your monument company might elect for you to
remit your cemetery fees directly to the cemetery, especially if you are working with an online retailer where you add an item to your cart and checkout on the website.
It is important that you know whether your purchase with the monument company includes your cemetery/foundation fee, and if it does not, who it will be paid to, the cemetery or the monument company in a separate invoice.
We hope this information about your cemetery fees helps explains what they are and how to calculate them.
If you would like to see how our company is able to help families create beautiful, custom memorials for their loved ones in as little as 4 weeks
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Memorial Rush Orders
Do you need your headstone completed quickly?
If you find yourself in a rare situation, such as family members coming into town to see the finished headstone or maybe just wanting a tribute completed before an upcoming holiday, ask us about our rush orders, where we can have your stone completed in our warehouse within 2 weeks after approving a final proofed image
Frequently Asked Questions About Upright Headstones
How Much Do Most Headstones Cost?
The typical cost of a conventional flat headstone for sale is roughly $1,000, although it can range from $1,000 to $3,000 depending on size, granite color, and engraving styles. Depending on the shape, size, granite color, and carved pattern, more ornate upright headstones can cost anywhere from $2,500 to $10,000.
What is the difference between a gravestone and a headstone?
The term “gravestone” dates from the late 1300s, while “tombstone” dates from the mid-1500s. A headstone was a grave monument put at the head of a grave, as the name suggests. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it is the newest of the three words, appearing in 1676.
Will There Be Any Additional Fees When I Purchase A Headstone For Sale?
Your cemetery will have its own separate fee, which will cover the cemetery pouring the concrete foundation that your headstone will sit on once installed.
Is It Cheaper To Buy A Headstone Online?
At a glance, comparing prices only may in fact seem like it is cheaper to buy a headstone online. However, there is usually a reason. Oftentimes, when you buy a headstone online, there is not installation process in place, so it is up to you to find an installer and coordinate the installation with the cemetery yourself. If your cemetery does not accept shipped headstones for liability purposes, then you will need to make additional arrangements when it comes to finding a destination for your headstone once it is completed with the online company.
What Is The Cheapest Headstone You Can Buy?
Flat burial markers are the least expensive of all the headstone options. Flat grave markers made of granite typically cost between $1,000 and $3,000 on average, depending on a few factors.
Do Your Headstones Have A Warranty?
Our granite headstones come with a lifetime warranty that covers any non-man-made damages, such as a small fissure or crack forming in the granite over time. Although we have never had to honor this warranty due to the strength and durability of granite, you can rest assured that if anything should happen to compromise the structure of your stone, it will be covered at no cost to you.