If you are planning to add a new inscription to an older headstone, you need to make sure that the people who perform the work are capable of getting it right first time. Dealing with unreliable memorial service providers is an unpleasant experience at the best of times but when something as important as a headstone is involved, it’s an experience you will want to avoid at all costs. To help you achieve your aim, we have put together this handy guide on how to evaluate engravers of tombstones in your part of the country and how to make sure you choose the best one.
Evaluating Engraving Services for Headstones in Littleton, Colorado
As an engraver of headstones for graves in Littleton, and nearby towns and cities in Colorado, we are going to focus on the task of evaluating service providers in this part of the country. However, you can follow the same process to evaluate engravers in any part of the USA.
- Level of Experience – It is possible that an inexperienced engraver will do a good job but when it comes to the grave markers and memorials of our loved ones, it’s best not to leave anything to chance. If you would like to make sure that everything goes smoothly from start to finish and that the end result is perfect in every way, we recommend choosing a well-established service provider with a proven record of achievement.
- Area of Specialization – Companies that specialize in inscriptions for tombstones and grave markers are dealing with local cemeteries and memorial parks on a daily basis, which means they are very familiar with the rules and regulations that each one has in place. With this in mind, we strongly recommend that you only consider local service providers who specialize in this particular type of engraving work. Whilst another type of engraver may be more than capable of completing the work in question, they will probably find it a lot harder to make all the necessary arrangements with local cemetery and memorial park owners. Specialist, on-site engravers, on the other hand, will know exactly what needs to be done.
- Rates – The rates charged by engravers of headstones are certainly not the most important consideration but you will need to take them into account when comparing what various local companies have to offer. Having said that, if a company that is perfect in every other way happens to charge a little more than other nearby service providers, it may be worth accommodating the extra cost in your budget. When evaluating all of the costs associated with headstones, prices for engraving services are one area in which it is often wise to revise your estimate upwards to ensure best results.
- Communication – Adding a new inscription to an older headstone or grave marker can be an emotional experience, which is why it is a good idea to avoid service providers who are likely to make the task more difficult or more challenging than it already is. You can easily find out how communicative and helpful local service providers are by calling to ask for more details about the services they offer in your area. If you are in Littleton or a nearby town or city, you’re more than welcome to contact Mile High Memorials to discuss your needs with one of our experts.
- Reputation – Engravers of headstones for graves who are well regarded in the local community are often the safest bet, especially if you have a limited amount of time in which to conduct more in-depth research. Asking friends, family and work colleagues for recommendations may be the fastest way to find the best service providers in your area.
Once you have evaluated all of the service providers in your area and selected the most promising one, you can start to make all the necessary arrangements for the new inscription.
Arranging for the New Inscription to Be Added
How easy it will be for you to make all of the necessary arrangements will depend on the service provider you are working with. If you searched online for ‘headstones near me’ then spent some time evaluating each engraver before choosing a team that has plenty of experience in this particular field, you will have very little to do at this stage. On the other hand, if you simply picked a name out of a hat, you could find yourself with a host of tasks to tackle.
An experienced on-site headstone engraver will be able to liaise directly with local cemetery and memorial park owners, which means they can take responsibility for ensuring your new inscription complies with all relevant rules and regulations. They will also be able to arrange a date and time for the work to be performed and to negotiate any applicable cemetery fees on your behalf (when adding inscriptions to existing tombstones, prices could be a little higher than anticipated if the cemetery charges more than is usual. However, an experienced service provider may be able to resolve this problem for you).
If you would like to talk to one of our experts about adding inscriptions to headstones in Littleton or the surrounding area, please do not hesitate to contact us by phone during normal business hours. You’re also very welcome to send us a message at any other time.
