I've been out shopping for a headstone. I'm reeling a little bit from the sticker shock. Sure theres a lot of labor in qurrying the stone and cuttin, freight, etc. but wow. $$$$$ Anyone have any information like the typical mark up on these chunks of rock?

Just curious as I've never bought one but how much $$ are we talking about here for a headstone?

No idea, but I bet the markup isn't much different than anything else.  You probably named the reasons why they're high, since freight is always charged by weight, I bet it's astronomical to ship that stuff any distance.  I knew a guy that was a mason and did a lot of the work himself for his son (my friend that died).  He had some panels sandblasted with my friend's name/dates etc (maybe 24" x 24") and then built a pretty elaborate stone monument himself, and set the engraved panels in.

ETA:  I think my dad said he paid like $1000 for my grandfather's, and it wasn't that big/fancy.  And this was probably 20 years ago.

The mark up is HUGE. I was going to import them from China. Got the pricing and went to a local dist. He does about 3400 a year. I could have saved him about $100 on the standard black monument. That would have put another $200,000 in his pocket for that color. He was paying $600. His attitude Meh. He sells them for around $3000. $100 wasn't shit to him.

I found there is very little competition. He stays out of his competitors back yard and they do the same. Big rip off business. I wanted IN

Not to be nosey (sp?) but how much are they?


And what are you getting for your money?

There are some good folks running funeral homes, but the funeral business has some real slimy players that take full advantage of grief-stricken families.

My mom still feels bad that my grandfather's burial vault was "not nice enough".   He died in 1979.  

Quoted: My mom still feels bad that my grandfather's burial vault was "not nice enough".   He died in 1979.

One of the reasons that I don't want to be embalmed and just buried in a cheap wood box to rot somewhere on some land my family owns.

Cremate me and toss me in the woods someplace.

Spend the money on the grandkids.

That's why I joined the Navy to get cheap headstones for all the family.

In any case those $$ seem a little high based on the few the family got lately.  I expect that if you contact a few places where there is some competition you'll find better prices.  You ,ight have to get a buddy with a pick-up to get it .  The cemetary should be able to do the handling at the final end.

Well, here's an example. 36'' wide x 16'' high, includes bottom slab and concrete foundation, some type of granite $2350. Taller onyx, much more stylish $3500. That seems to be middle of the road. You can go up or down from there and mostly up. This headstone isn't for me so cremation is out. Maybe I'm just being petty but still seems like a lot.

Quoted: Well, here's an example. 36'' wide x 16'' high, includes bottom slab and concrete foundation, some type of granite $2350. Taller onyx, much more stylish $3500. That seems to be middle of the road. You can go up or down from there and mostly up. This headstone isn't for me so cremation is out. Maybe I'm just being petty but still seems like a lot.

You're going to be dead.  You can't take that money with you.