Memorials
Headstone Engraving in Edmonton
Date additions, added inscriptions, cleaning, re-levelling and restoration — done on site, at the grave.
Headstone Engraving & Restoration
Most of this work happens at the grave, not in the shop
When a second name or a final date needs to go on a memorial that is already standing, the stone does not have to go anywhere. Our crew brings a portable compressor and blast pot to the cemetery, masks the area, cuts the lettering and cleans up. A date addition takes most of a morning, and the memorial is never lifted off its foundation.
The same crew handles the other things that happen to a stone over thirty or forty Alberta winters: lichen and black biological growth, lettering that has lost its paint, a base that has tipped, a die that has shifted off its foundation. None of that means the memorial has failed. It means it has been outside for a long time.
Where we deliver
Proud to serve the Edmonton region
We deliver and install across Edmonton and the surrounding counties. Installation is quoted separately from the memorial.
- Headstones in St. Albert
- Headstones in Sherwood Park
- Headstones in Spruce Grove
- Headstones in Leduc
- Headstones in Fort Saskatchewan
- Headstones in Stony Plain
- Headstones in Beaumont
- Headstones in Morinville
- Headstones in West Edmonton
- Headstones in South Edmonton
- Headstones in North Edmonton
- Headstones in Mill Woods
What you get
What is included
Date additions on site
A closing date added to an existing companion monument, matched to the original lettering style and cut depth. We photograph the existing inscription first so the new work is not obviously newer.
Added inscriptions
A second or third name on a monument that was designed with room for one. Where the original shop left no space, we will tell you honestly whether it can be done well or not.
Cleaning and biological growth removal
Lichen, moss and black growth taken off with D/2 Biological Solution and soft brushes — never a pressure washer, never household bleach, both of which damage the polish and drive salts into the stone.
Re-levelling and resetting
Flat markers that have sunk, bases that have tipped, uprights that have shifted. We lift, re-bed and reset on a compacted base so it stays put.
Pricing
What headstone engraving & restoration cost in Edmonton
Real bands from work we have done in the Edmonton region this year. Your written quote will land inside one of them once we know the size, the granite and the cemetery.
| Memorial | Detail | Starting price |
|---|---|---|
| On-site engraving | Date or inscription added at the grave | from $280 |
| Restoration | Re-highlighting, refreshing and cleaning | from $300 |
| Porcelain photograph | Fitted to an existing memorial | from $120 |
| Custom artwork beyond two hours | Two hours are included | $150/hour |
On-site engraving starts at $280 and restoration at $300, with the exact figure depending on the amount of lettering and the condition of the stone. Lettering in any language is included at no additional cost. Some cemeteries charge their own permit fee for work on an existing memorial, and that is billed by them, not by us.
Why us
Why families choose us for engraving and restoration
We match the original work
Font, letter height, cut depth and spacing are copied from the existing inscription. A date addition that looks bolted on defeats the point of the memorial.
Correct cleaning products
D/2 Biological Solution and soft brushes. Pressure washing strips polish and opens the stone surface; bleach leaves salts behind that keep working for years. We see the results of both regularly and we will not do either.
Older stones handled carefully
Marble and sandstone memorials from the early 1900s are still standing in Mount Pleasant and Beechmount. They need different handling from modern granite, and we treat them that way.
Booked around the seasons
On-site blasting needs the ground workable and the temperature above freezing, so this work runs roughly April to October in Edmonton. We book the spring list through the winter.
Ask about headstone engraving & restoration
Call (780) 293-0873 and talk to the people who will actually make it, or send us the details and we will write you a quote.
The process
How on-site engraving works
Send us a photo
A clear photo of the whole memorial and a close-up of the existing lettering tells us the font, depth and available space. Most quotes come back the same day.
Confirm the wording
Exact spelling and exact dates, in writing, from you. We will send it back for confirmation because this cannot be undone.
Cemetery permission
Many Edmonton-area cemeteries require notice before work on an existing memorial. We handle that.
On site
The crew masks, stencils, blasts and cleans up in a single visit. You are welcome to be there and most families are not. We send a photo either way.
Questions
About headstone engraving & restoration
Can you add a date without taking the headstone away?
Yes, and that is how we do nearly all of it. The crew brings a portable compressor and blast pot to the cemetery and cuts the lettering in place. The memorial is never lifted off its foundation, which avoids the risk of damage in transport and costs you less.
How do I clean a headstone myself without damaging it?
Water and a soft nylon brush, working from the bottom up, is safe and will handle light soiling. Do not use a pressure washer, household bleach, vinegar or a wire brush — all four damage granite polish and all four are common. For lichen and black growth you need D/2 Biological Solution, which we use and which is the product Veterans Affairs and most heritage cemeteries specify.
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