How Much Does a Headstone Cost? Grave Marker Prices in 2026

A flat granite grave marker listed online in October 2026 cost from about $200 for a small stone to roughly $1,700 for a large grey one, and upright headstones started near $2,000. That is the price of the stone only. The Funeral Consumers Alliance (FCA) suggests budgeting about $1,000 or more for the headstone, engraving and installation together, and an eligible veteran can get a government marker at no charge.

How much does a headstone cost?

Published prices are the best hard numbers available, because no national survey tracks headstone prices the way the NFDA tracks funeral prices. The table shows what two online sellers, Signature Headstones and Legacy Headstones, listed on their own sites in October 2026. These are single-person granite stones unless noted, and each size is a separate listing.

Two cautions apply. The sellers differ in what the price includes, so compare listings carefully: Legacy says its prices cover design, engraving, shipping and taxes, while Signature's refund policy says its advertised prices do not include installation. And a 24 by 12 inch grey flat marker cost $499.99 on one site and $999 or more on the other, which shows how much a quote can vary for a similar stone. Prices change, so treat this table as a snapshot, not a quote.

The FCA's brochure, revised in December 2020, said to expect to spend about $1,000 or more for the headstone, engraving and installation. That is an older figure, so use it as a rough check against current quotes.

What does the price leave out?

The stone is rarely the whole cost. Ask each seller and the cemetery about these:

• Installation. Signature Headstones says its prices do not include installation and that many cemeteries charge installation and endowment care fees for a headstone, paid directly to the cemetery. Legacy Headstones says typical installation fees run from $200 to $800 depending on the stone type and cemetery rules. The FCA says installation can cost several hundred dollars.
• Foundation. The cemetery often builds the concrete foundation. At Madison's Forest Hill Cemetery, for example, a foundation is built only where a perpetual care fund has been set up for the lot.
• Delivery. Signature's free standard shipping is limited to business addresses in the continental US, with a fee for residential delivery, Alaska and Hawaii. Legacy includes free shipping to the Lower 48.
• Rush charges. Legacy lists an optional "5-day rush" charge of $199 for stock granite headstones.
• Layout proofs and changes. Signature charges a $50 layout fee if a layout is required before purchase, and says changes after production starts can cost from $25 up to the full order price.
• Perpetual care. The FCA says the usual one-time perpetual or endowment care fee is 5% to 15% of the plot price, added to the cost of the grave. It is a plot charge, not a charge on the stone, but some cemeteries add their own fees for a marker. See perpetual care fees and cemetery plot costs.

What makes one headstone cost more than another?

• Stone color. On Signature's site the same 24 by 12 by 4 inch flat marker costs $499.99 in grey, $699.99 in black and $949.99 in Bahama Blue. Legacy lists red and mahogany flat markers of that size at $1,899 and $1,799.
• Size and thickness. Signature's flat grey granite markers go from $199.99 at 16 by 8 inches to $1,699.99 at 36 by 14 inches.
• Style. An upright needs more stone and a base, so it costs more than a flat marker. Bronze markers are priced by size and take longer. Legacy lists its bronze markers at 60 to 120 days.
• Companion stones. A flat marker for two people was $50 more than a single at Signature in grey (24 by 12 inches: $549.99 against $499.99).
• Artwork and photos. Etched portraits, scenes and collages explain much of the spread in Legacy's flat markers, which run from $897 for a black portrait stone to $2,447 for a full-color collage. Ceramic photos can add production time. Signature says ceramic orders can take up to 8 weeks.
• Special shapes. Hearts, teardrops and angels are priced well above standard uprights. Signature's shaped stones run from $2,999.99 for a grey single heart to $8,199.99 for a double angel and heart.

For the differences between styles, see types of headstones and grave markers. For how stones compare, see headstone materials compared.

Does the VA pay for a headstone?

For an eligible veteran, the VA provides a headstone, marker or medallion at no charge. In a national cemetery, state veterans cemetery or military post cemetery, the cemetery sets it. In a private cemetery, the VA says arrangements for placing the marker are the family's responsibility and all setting fees are at private expense. A family that buys its own headstone can ask for a bronze medallion to attach to it instead. Our guide to VA headstones and markers explains eligibility and how to apply.

How can you pay less for a headstone?

1. Get the cemetery's written rules first. Type, size and material limits can rule out a stone before you buy. See headstone regulations.
2. Ask whether you can buy elsewhere. The FCA says a marker can be bought from the cemetery, a monument company or online, depending on the cemetery's restrictions. It warns that some cemeteries insist on selling you the stone or charge an inspection fee for one bought elsewhere, which it calls legally questionable. Get any such rule in writing.
3. Compare total delivered-and-installed prices. Ask each seller what is included, and ask the cemetery what it charges to set an outside stone. Our guide to headstone retailers compared lists the questions.
4. Choose a simpler design. A small flat granite marker with plain lettering was the lowest-priced option in every listing above.
5. Take your time. Rushing leads to proofing mistakes, and some cemeteries allow a temporary marker in the meantime. Madison's cemetery lets a funeral home's temporary marker stay for 60 days unless the city approves longer.

If the plan includes arranging the funeral and burial as well, our funeral planning kit puts the costs and decisions in one place.

What to do next

1. Ask the cemetery for its written marker rules, fee schedule and approval form.
2. Request itemized quotes that show the stone, engraving, delivery, foundation and setting.
3. Decide what the stone will say. See what to put on a headstone.
4. If the deceased was a veteran, check whether a free VA marker or medallion covers part of the need.