Cheap Headstones In Australia: What You Actually Get For The Money

Search for cheap headstones and you will find prices from a few hundred dollars to many thousands, often for things that are not comparable at all. This guide explains what sits behind each price band, where the genuine savings are, and where a low price ends up costing more. All of our own prices come from our online designer and include delivery to mainland Australia.

What the price bands mean

Under $500

At this level you are looking at a small plaque or a garden marker, not a headstone. A laser etched black granite plaque starts at $388 with us and suits a niche wall, a lawn beam or a garden. It is a real memorial in solid granite, but it is not an upright headstone.

$500 to $2,000

This band covers larger plaques, mini headstones and desk memorials. Online marketplaces also sell thin imported stones in this range, usually engraved on a machine with shallow lettering, and many cemeteries will not accept them because they do not meet the size or thickness rules. A cast bronze plaque starts at $508 and a 300 x 200 mm bronze plaque at $1,048.

$2,000 to $6,000

This is where a genuine cemetery headstone starts. Our laser etched black granite headstones start at $3,232 for a 650 x 650 mm stone with two etched images and delivery included, and $4,325 for 760 x 760 mm. A matching base adds around $850. In Perth, our installed packages start at $5,911 including the cemetery fee.

Above $6,000

Full monuments with kerbing, ledgers, statues or premium imported granite sit here. See our full monument prices guide for what each element adds.

Where the real savings are

Design it yourself

The biggest saving is cutting out the showroom. Our patented designer lets you lay out the headstone, add photos and see the price instantly, and a designer still checks every order and sends a proof. You pay for stone and craftsmanship, not for a sales visit.

Laser etching instead of hand carving

Laser etched black granite reproduces photographs and artwork in more detail than carving, and it costs less because the work is done by the machine, not by hours of hand labour. Gilded, hand cut lettering is beautiful but it is the single most expensive way to put words on stone.

Choose the size the cemetery allows, not the biggest

Granite is priced by volume. A 650 mm headstone reads perfectly well and costs a third less than a 900 mm stone. Our headstone sizes guide shows what suits each situation.

Stick with black granite

Black granite is the most affordable colour and the one laser etching works best on. Premium imported colours such as blue pearl or red cost more. See our granite colours guide.

Where a cheap headstone costs more

• Rejected by the cemetery. Every cemetery publishes minimum thickness, foundation and size rules. A stone that fails them cannot be installed, and the money is gone.
• Shallow engraving. Machine engraved lettering on thin imported stone can weather and fill with lichen within a few years. Laser etched black granite does not fade.
• No proof. Marketplace sellers rarely send a scaled proof. A misspelled name on granite cannot be fixed.
• Hidden extras. Delivery, a base, fixings and the cemetery permit are often left off the headline price. Ours includes delivery and shows the base in the designer.
• Temporary markers. Waiting for a rush deal often means paying for a temporary marker first. Ordering early avoids both.

Our lowest cost headstone options

All prices include delivery to mainland Australia and our lifetime guarantee. Full tables are in our headstone price guide.

How to get an exact price

Open the headstone designer, choose a size, add the inscription and photos, and the price sits at the top of the screen. Families in Perth can also book a free home visit. There is no obligation and no quote to wait for.