Please call us at any time to discuss the memorial that you would like. There is usually a minimum timescale of 14 weeks from order to placement – but this can vary depending on the requirements so it’s worth bearing this in mind along with the general rule of 6 – 12 months for burials as outlined below. This applies to burials and rules are different for other memorials such as cremation stones and re-inscription. As ever we are here for advice so please talk to us.
We offer a home visit service and will be happy to bring along brochures and samples to your home so that this sensitive decision can be made quietly and in your own surroundings. There is no additional fee for this service.
Timescale and Installation of memorials
Gravestones are generally erected six to twelve months after the burial but this timescale can vary greatly depending on individual circumstances. As an example some cemeteries will already have laid a concrete Raft or Beam which runs along the head ends of a line of graves. In these cases a gravestone (an upright headstone) can be ordered as soon as it suits you as there is no need to wait for settlement of the grave. Conversely and if permitted a full kerbed type of gravestone (one with edging that covers the whole grave) should not installed for at least 12 months following the burial. In the case of interment of cremated ashes virtually no settlement time is required due to the relatively small nature of the hole that has to be cut into the grave.
Whilst you and your family may be very keen to see the headstone installed, it is best not to have it fixed earlier than is recommended by us. The gravestone of your loved one will be there for a long time and if it means that the installation will just miss an important date (First anniversary of the death or a birthday etc), this should be accepted as the longer you give the grave the chance to settle, the greater the chances are that the gravestone will remain stable and upright. It should also be noted that however long you leave the fixing there is a likelihood that the gravestone will move at some point, be it ten years later or if unlucky, within days of the fixing: Even in the case of an ashes interment, you must remember that soil / ground is constantly on the move.
We will always fix the gravestone in the most suitable way you must remember that we cannot control the movement of ground! Most cemeteries require the fixer to be licensed (which we are) by organisations such as the British Register of Accredited Memorial Masons (BRAMM) or the National Association of Memorial Masons (NAMM). Non-accredited masons and fixers will be unable to work in any cemetery which has signed up to one or other of these schemes.
BRAMM was formed in 2004 to promote a higher standard of memorial construction. All of their licensed fixers have passed a written and practical test to prove their competence in the fixing of memorials.We are members to add to your peace of mind.
