How Much does It Cost to Engrave on the Tombstone?

Personalized tombstones commemorate the personality and passion that make your loved ones different. Thoughtful features such as photos and tombstone letters are just a few ways to pay tribute to the people you love through their remembrance.

When studying the cost of tombstones, the Internet is a good starting point. It is important not to ignore the often increased cost of these additional personalization.

We will explain what tombstone lettering is (lettering and etching), the types of lettering that families can choose (name, date, quotation, epitaph, Bible Scripture) and the cost of each lettering.

Engraving is the process of engraving a pattern onto a hard surface. This is the preferred method for creating letters and symbols on most granite tombstones.

One of the most effective ways to carve granite monuments is sand blasting, which uses compressed air to spray fine sand particles through a hose to erode the granite surface. Sandblasting is most suitable for tombstone engraving because it allows the light and dark colors of polished granite to be exquisitely carved.

On the other hand, hand etching is more popular when creating fine, detailed designs because it produces high contrast marks on the surface of granite. Etching is usually used only for very deep granite and the best looking. There are two ways to etch highly detailed designs onto stone:

Hand etching is a unique and difficult skill that adds incredible character and custom remembrance. Talented designers can take a picturesque photo or multiple images of a person and create a unique illustration directly on the polished surface by hand etching.

Laser etching can accurately copy the original design and photos, and use computerized laser to burn the surface of stone. It's cheaper than manual etching, but it can't provide artistic difference, or provide the same depth, creating a contrast between letters and design.

The cost of tombstone engraving varies depending on the technology used. Since sandblasting is the method used by most well-known Memorial suppliers, standard lettering should be included at the same cost, regardless of the number of characters.