Questions To Ask When Choosing A Headstone
There are things in life you buy without thinking too much about it, like groceries. There are other things that you will only purchase a few times in life, such as a car or a house. And then there are the things you might be buying for the first time, and certainly won't be a regular purchase, such as headstones. When the time comes to buy a headstone for a deceased loved one, there are a few questions you need to ask.
The Design
If your preferred design is perhaps a little bit different — perhaps it's larger than a standard headstone or is particularly ornamental, you want your headstone provider to point you in the right direction. What does this mean? Before selling you a headstone, they should have a working knowledge as to whether your design will be accepted at your chosen cemetery. If not, they should know of an alternative location, just to give you options if the headstone design is more relevant than the actual cemetery.
Verification
Even when your chosen design is more typical, you'll want to choose a headstone provider who can verify everything with the cemetery — checking all applicable rules and regulations just to be sure that there aren't any issues with the size and shape of the headstone or its content. It's best to have all this confirmed before proceeding.
Consultation
Proceeding with the headstone will result in a mockup of the finished design, giving you an idea of just what it will look like when it's made. Ideally, the headstone company should consult with you during this step so that you can give your final approval prior to manufacturing, allowing you to make any changes.
Changes
Once the headstone has been made, it's difficult (if not impossible) to make any further changes. But what happens if changes are needed? Ask about whether the warranty covers you for any mistakes that might have been made. These potential (although unlikely) mistakes generally relate to the content of the headstone, such as misspellings, or errors with grammar and syntax. If any changes are required, will the warranty cover this labor?
Warranty
And of course, you should check about the warranty relating to the finished product. Yes, headstones are robust and intended to stand the test of time, but in the unlikely event that there are physical problems with the headstone, you need to know the extent of repairs that will be covered, and how long they will be covered for.
Choosing a headstone is a difficult decision at a difficult time, so you need to be sure that you've covered every possible angle.
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