Most of our customers have never been involved with the purchase of a memorial and therefore do not know what to expect. The following list was put together to give our customers some idea of what to expect from the first contact to the completion of their memorial order. Engraving of a memorial which already exists in the cemetery will follow these steps with the exception of steps 7, 8 and 10. Repair and cleaning work, depending on the nature of the work, would also follow a slightly different list of steps.

1. Contact a Local Reputable Memorial Company - Our members will want to understand the particular needs of each customer. They won’t be pushing something just to get “The Sale”. In most instances, you will be meeting with the owner or someone very close to the management of the company, not a sales person who is only interested in a commission and moving on to the next sale.
2. Gathering of information specific to your family member and your cemetery. Our members will be very familiar with the rules and regulations of each local cemetery. Unlike distant “Internet Only Memorial Sellers” they won’t sell you something and deliver it to your house or drop ship it to the cemetery for you to arrange for the installation. A Local Company will be interested in the “Right Job” for you not the “Right Job” for them.
3. Development of the Design - A Reputable Local Memorial Company will schedule a time for you to meet or speak with a staff member who will help you “Develop a Design” not pull some generic everyday design out and just add your name. Again, a Local Reputable Memorial Company will be familiar with the other memorials in your section and can best guide you to make an informed decision. You will understand what you are purchasing, not go out the door knowing you got some generic colored memorial with your name on it.
4. Pricing – A Reputable Local Memorial Company will listen to your concerns and have some pricing options. While they can also sell the generic granites, many of them have several choices for you to weigh. Your Local Memorial Company can also offer piece of mind though a “Branded”, “Warranty” or Granite Association Sealed Memorial. A Reputable Company will always fully explain each price option before you make your choice. A Local Reputable Company will also quote the job complete, so there will not be any hidden costs or surprises popping up later for you to worry about.
5. Acceptance and Receipt of Standard Deposit Amount. A deposit of 50% is customary for most jobs, while larger jobs a normally done in three payments. This depends on the policy of the individual firm. Once the deposit is received the foundation is ordered in the cemetery and a drawing of “Your Design” is started.
6. Review, Correct and Approve a scaled drawing of “Your Design”. A Local Reputable Memorial Company will always insist that you see a scaled drawing which allows you to preview “Your Design” and make slight changes before carving and engraving “In Stone”.
7. Stock is ordered – Your Local Reputable Memorial Company will always recommend and use proven materials and tested suppliers. As an example, granite is now sourced from all over the world, but NOT ALL Granite is the same. Each has different characteristics and only a Local Reputable Memorial company can guide you as to which is best for “Your Design”, in your climate and even for your location in the cemetery.
8. Foundation is ordered or prepared – Your Local Memorial Company will attend to every detail of your memorial work. An Internet Only Memorial Seller isn’t concerned about anything but making the sale. The foundation is one very important part and a Local Memorial Company either does this work himself or knows who will do the “Right Job.”
9. Memorial is Engraved and/or Carved as needed – Again, if the Local Reputable Memorial Company doesn’t have their own shop, they know the right people to do the “Right Job” for “Your Design”.
10. Memorial Installation in your Cemetery - A Local Memorial Company will see to it to install “Your Design” in the cemetery themselves or hire the right people. Once the memorial is installed or “set” as we say, the area is cleaned up, many times the memorial is washed, the area around the memorial dressed with top soil and seeded as need be.
11. Final Invoice Sent – Any Reputable Company will allow you to inspect the finished work before demanding payment.

The above process normally takes from 6 to 10 weeks, unless stock had to be ordered from overseas. Most often, Internet Only Sellers try to sell you something from their inventory of “cookie cut” designs, because they are often ordering from India or China and not from our own American Craftsman Centers, like Barre Vermont or Elberton Georgia or other domestic supplier centers around the USA.

Please make it a point to talk to an Independent Monument Artisan company! They’re your neighbors! They support your local community, sit in the stands with you at local school ball games, and staff your local Rotary & Lions Club project or form your Local Volunteer Fire Department. Your Local Reputable Memorial Company is the one who cares!