Order a headstone for a grave: offers from workshops
Decisions best made before talking to workshops
Ordering a headstone is not a matter for haste, though people often come to it at a difficult time. Usually you first decide the type: single, double, cross, upright slab or a whole memorial complex. Then the material, the inscription and a portrait, and only then the extra elements and installation.
It helps to find out in advance from the cemetery the size of the plot and whether there are limits on height or foundation. Some places have their own rules, and it is better not to make something that will not be allowed.
How it works through BlaBlaPrice
You do not need to visit showrooms and listen to the same story several times. You create a request and describe what you want in your own words, and you can add one photo, such as a sketch or a sample you liked. Before it is shown, the request is checked and you are told which details the workshops are missing.
Then providers reply in the chat: material, size, what is included in the price, timing. Each one sees where their offer ranks among others, so the terms can improve. The platform shows the best match by content first, and reviews are visible alongside. You give your contacts only to the workshop you choose. The general principles are on the “How it works” page.
What to put in your request
- Type — single, double, cross, upright slab, complex.
- Material — granite of a certain colour, marble; you can ask to see samples.
- Size — for example, a slab 100×50×5 cm.
- Engraving — portrait, inscription, epitaph, ornament, cross.
- Extra elements — railing, slab, flower bed, tiles, bench, small table.
- Installation — foundation, fixing at the cemetery, removing the old headstone.
- Place — city and cemetery.
- Timing — by an anniversary or date, and the budget.
Example: “I need a double headstone in black granite, an upright slab 100×50×5 cm, two portraits and an epitaph. In addition a granite railing and tiles. Installation with a foundation, in Makati at a city cemetery. Ready for the anniversary in May, budget up to ₱45,000.”
How to compare offers
The most common confusion is when prices look similar but the contents differ. Check whether one offer includes the foundation, delivery, installation and engraving, and another only the slab. Different granites look different in colour and shine, and the shade can be shown only on a sample. Also note how the portrait is made: laser engraving or handwork.
Ask about timing: making it, then the foundation setting, then fixing. Agree what happens if an error is found in the text before installation, and ideally sign off a mock-up of the inscription and portrait before engraving. Ask them to state in writing what is covered by a warranty.
Common mistakes
Agreeing the inscription by word of mouth rather than from a mock-up. Not checking the spelling of surnames and dates. Not asking who is responsible for installation, and paying extra for it later. It is also not wise to leave the main payment without a contract or receipt.
Alongside a headstone, families often need grave maintenance and other services from the “Funeral services” section.
