Add inscription to headstone onsite or back to workshop.

roxy28

Had 2 quotes both around £550 mark, but both have to take the headstone away.
Is this the norm now for newish headstones (2 years old) any one had this done recently?

keep_flyin

In my experience that is the norm. A good stonemason will also clean and restore the existing lettering as well.

roxy28

keep_flyin wrote: »

In my experience that is the norm. A good stonemason will also clean and restore the existing lettering as well.

Ok thanks, will probably see if any better quotes then go ahead with it.

madbadrob

Id have expected that to be the common fee no matter where you go to be fair. The work cant be done in the yard so you have a lifting fee and resetting fee. Id suspect it would probably be as near to the price as it would to buy another headstone

Rob

bongonaut

If the headstone is only a couple of years old, the lettering is probably machine-cut, hence the need for it to be returned to a workshop. Hand-cut lettering can be done in situ, but it needs perfect weather, and a lot of a craftsman's time.
Refixing the stone will also be subject to current H&S regs, ie appropriate ground anchoring etc; it's a fairly involved job in it's own right.
The amount you mention seems fair for removal, replacement & adding a new inscription. There will also be a fee to the church or cemetery authority for approval of the new inscription. This will probably have been included in the quote you were given.

roxy28

bongonaut wrote: »

If the headstone is only a couple of years old, the lettering is probably machine-cut, hence the need for it to be returned to a workshop. Hand-cut lettering can be done in situ, but it needs perfect weather, and a lot of a craftsman's time.
Refixing the stone will also be subject to current H&S regs, ie appropriate ground anchoring etc; it's a fairly involved job in it's own right.
The amount you mention seems fair for removal, replacement & adding a new inscription. There will also be a fee to the church or cemetery authority for approval of the new inscription. This will probably have been included in the quote you were given.

Yes there is a £70 cemetery fee so this should have been included in the quotes.

roxy28

Just had a final quote and its £660 all in, the previous quote was without the cemetery fees.
Seems a bit steep, not far off the cost of the original headstone and inscription, but what can you do.

Edit.

Just had another quote and they say can do it onsite, with it being a newish headstone it can be done re health and saftey regs etc, £300 + vat. including cemetery fees.