Frequently Asked Questions

When is the right time to order a memorial?

Choosing a headstone monument is a highly personal decision. Often it is best to consult with close family members. Some families chose to select the memorial at the same time they are making funeral arrangements. Other families need more time to make this everlasting decision, so perhaps its best to be patient and wait for a period of time after your bereavement. Still others want to have their own arrangements made prior to their death to lessen the burden on their loved ones. This also provides the opportunity to do a custom design and color of granite that exemplifies your life and what was most important to you. This is referred to as pre-need purchasing, more and more people are beginning to choose this option. There is no "right" answer to this question; every situation is different. Choose what is right for you and your family.

Should I make an appointment to discuss my memorial needs?

If you are thinking about a custom design or desire privacy, free of the telephone and possible interruptions by other visitors, then we recomend scheduling a personal consultation. We can meet you at your home, at our offices, or where ever you are most comfortable. We often schedule appointments during non-business hours to ensure a one-on-one meeting. But you are welcome to stop in our offices anytime during our posted business hours. You are also welcome to view our outdoor displays at your leisure, even if it is before or after business hours. Many people choose to tour our displays on Sunday's while we are closed. If you do, we may be there to assist you if you request, but we will never approach you on Sunday's. This is your day to view our work without feeling like someone is going to approach you to sell you something.

How much do granite monument memorials cost?

There are many variables that will influence the cost of your memorial. Since most memorials are uniquely customized, the price is also unique to that specific job. Size, color, amount of carving, etching, finish, cemetery requirements, and amount of sandblasting all contribute to the price of your memorial. O.T. Beight & Son's has designed monuments for as little as $100 and for as much as several hundred thousand dollars. Most of the headstones we place in local Ohio and Pennsylvania cemeteries range in price between $1,500 and $3,000.

Is financing available for my family headstone monument?

During difficult economic times, many families are overwhelmed with the exhorbitant cost of memorializing the loss a loved one. Especially in cases of an untimely death. What ever your circumstance, O.T. Beight & Son's with work with dignity to ease your burden. While it is not possible to place a memorial in a cemetery prior to it being paid for, we will design your memorial and accept your order, allowing you as much time as necessary to pay. You can make monthly payments and your monument will be set in the cemetery once the total amount has been paid. We accept Checks, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express.

Can I see a preview of what my memorial will look like before you install it at the cemetery?

Several steps are taken to get your design from a paper sketch to a permanent beautiful grantie carving. Along the way, every design is digitized and can be viewed via a computer monitor or paper print. Whatever your preference, we will Fax, Mail, or Email the final artwork to you for your review and approval prior to doing any work on your stone. This is your opportunity to do a final check on all spelling, birthdates, and date of death.

I want to have my stone in the cemetery by Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Independence Day, or Labor Day, how much time does it take to build my monument?

We have one of the largest displays of granite monuments in the tri-state area. On any given day there are 300 to 400 stones in our inventory. Most designs using domestic granite are typically ready in 6 weeks or less. We do stock many colors from foreign quarries so the lead time is about the same. In certain circumstances, special custom work can take 3 months or longer. One-of-kind custom designed mausoleums can take 6 months to 1 year to complete.

What if my cemetery does not permit the stone I purchased to be installed at my grave?

We will never let this happen! O.T. Beight and Son's has installed granite memorials in over 400 cemeteries throughout the United States. Most of our work is concentrated in northeast Ohio, western Pennsylvania, and the northern panhandle of West Virginia. We maintain a comprehensive registry of all area cemeteries and remain current with their rules and requirements. Cemeteries each have their own requirements for the size and type of memorials that they will allow. Before you purchase your monument we will confirm its acceptance by your cemetery.

What is a headstone and what is a monument?

Several terms are used to refer to graveside markers. These include headstone, gravestone, marker, memorial, monument, tombstone, and grass markers.

How are monuments made and where do they come from?

The material used for stone monuments comes from quarries all over the world. Today, 95% of the cemetery monuments we design are made of solid granite. Sometimes we use marble or limestone if a client has those requirements. We use only premium stone for our monuments and have personally visited granite quarries on four different continents. The quarry we use for your memorial is determined by the color of granite you have chosen. We buy Swedish Blue Pearl from quarries in the mountains of Sweden and Norway. Gem Mist is closer to home, coming from the mountains of Pennsylvania. If you drive through local cemeteries in Mahoning, Trumbull, and Columbiana County, Ohio, or Lawrence, Mercer, Beaver and Allegheny Counties in Pennsylvania, you will find that Barre Gray and Mountain Rose, from Vermont, and are the two most popular colors used in this area. Once we receive a block of stone from the quarry, it is cut with diamond water saws and carved with pnuematic chisels. Most of the stones are then polished numerous times, resulting in a glossy mirror like finish. A highly polished stone repeals water and is nearly impervious to weather and chemical wear. One some occassions we still carve letters by hand with a hammer and chisel. More frequently, the custom lettering artwork is completed in our sandblast rooms.

Can a photo quality portrait be put on my monument?

Yes. There are three different methods to personalize your stone with a picture of your loved one, or perhaps their car, pet, or an image of their home. First is for an artist to hand etch an interpretation of the image using an electric engraving tool. Second is a computer controlled laser etching that utilizes a scan of the photo you provide and replicate it to your stone. These first two methods can only be done on black polished granite. The third method is to bake an exact copy of your photo onto a white ceramic substrate that is similar to tile. The substrate comes in many sizes and shapes and is permanently attached to the face of your granite memorial. This method can can done on any color of granite.

Many of the older monuments in the cemetery are hard to read. Why, and will my monument be this way with time?

It is true that many of the older monuments are hard to read. This is because of the material that was used plentifully at the time they were erected. Marble and limestone were readily available and easy to cut because they are relatively soft, compared to granite. The industry has learned over time that this material does not weather as well as granite. As a result, granite has become the material of choice for monument manufacturing.

My stone is already in the cemetery and I need to add a Date of Death, when can you do this?

To avoid the constant traffic of sandblast equipment disturbing the cemetery environment, we prefer to do all outside work in the months of June and October. This scheduling also allows us to keep our prices very affordable as we often have more than one stone to letter in the same cemetery. If you did not purchase your stone from O.T. Beight & Son's, we will travel to the cemetery to create a rubbing of your memorial so we can produce a sandblast template that matches the size and style of your lettering. If you require lettering work to be completed in a month other than June or October, the price will be higher than the standard prices listed here on our website.

I see many companies selling monuments, who produces the stone and sets it in the cemetery?

Most reputable monument dealers do all the work themselves. In recent years, third party brokers, funeral homes, and cemeteries have begun to sell monuments as well. This often results in people paying a premium marked-up price while risking the use of subcontractors to build and set their stone. O.T. Beight & Son's has all of the heavy equipment necessary to provide a safe and reliable installation in the cemetery. We own three heavy boom trucks that lift the granite from our plant and deliver it direct to your grave site. We own track hoes, back hoes, and other professional machinery made to handle granite without chipping, scrathing or other damage. While most cemetery regulations now ensure foundations are dug properly and deep enough to prevent a monument from tilting or sinking over time, few cemeteries actually have a person present to supervise the digging and concrete pour. This is why it is of the utmost importance to work with professionals like O.T. Beight and Son's. Over the past 114 years we have perfected every step of this process and guarantee every aspect of our work.

Why should I buy my memorial from O.T. Beight & Son's?

O.T. Beight & Son's specializes in making memorials. We are a family owned business that has operated continuously for over 114 years. Creating works of art from stone is our passion and our family legacy. It's the only thing we do. We have our own manufacturing plant and do all of our own work. We travel to quarries all over the world to inspect and purchase only premium grade granite. We will not turn you away because your project is too big or too small. Our reputation within the granite trade in impecible, the worlds leading quarries, master stone masons, and sculptors know us by name. Our knowledge, expertise, and longevity in this marketplace allows us to purchase raw granite at the lowest prices available. It is this, and by our techniques and efficiencies we have perfected over time that allow us to build a highend quality product at the most competitive prices available.