Losing someone brings a hundred small decisions, and the memorial is one of the harder ones. It isn’t really about picking out a slab of granite — it’s finding something that holds who they were, while meeting the cemetery’s rules and lasting for generations.

Understanding the options early saves a lot of stress later.

Legacy Stonework & Monument is based in Goddard, about half an hour from Derby, and we work throughout the Wichita metro. Here’s the practical information.

Start with the cemetery

Before you order anything, find out what the cemetery requires. Rules vary more than people expect:

• Allowed monument dimensions

• Base and foundation requirements

• Approved memorial styles

• Installation procedures

Memorial parks in particular often permit flat markers only, because of the equipment they mow with. Families who choose a design first and check second sometimes have to start over.

Share your plot information and we’ll confirm the requirements before you spend time on a design you may not be able to use. We coordinate directly with cemetery staff when it’s needed.

Cemeteries may also charge their own administrative or installation fees directly to you. Those are outside our pricing and we don’t mark them up.

What you’re choosing between

Upright granite monuments give you the largest canvas — room for names, dates, messages, symbols, artwork, and photographs. Colors, finishes, and lettering styles all open up at this size. This is the format that takes a portrait or a family name readable from a distance.

Flat markers sit level with the ground and are the only option at many memorial parks. Lower profile doesn’t mean plain — there’s still room for inscription and decorative work. Starting around $700, they’re a practical choice for a lot of families.

Slant markers sit at an angle on a base, so you can read one standing up. More surface than a flat marker, smaller footprint than a full upright. Some cemeteries that prohibit uprights still allow slants, so ask specifically.

Companion monuments let spouses or family members share one memorial — one design, multiple names, details that tell a shared story. They generally cost more than one marker and less than two.

Granite remains the material of choice: durable, available in a wide range of colors, and flexible for engraving.

What it costs

Flat markers start around $700. Upright monuments start around $2,500.

Setting is always quoted separately and listed as its own line item. It is never folded into the monument price, because costs vary by cemetery depending on foundation requirements and site access.

Every family receives an itemized estimate covering the monument, engraving, and setting before work begins.

Veterans and their families receive a minimum 10% discount, with more possible depending on the situation. We’ll also point you toward the VA marker program when that’s genuinely the better fit — even when it means you don’t buy a memorial from us.

Timeline

It comes down to the stone and the amount of customization.

A stock stone can sometimes be finished in a few weeks. Custom designs generally take about two months from approved design to completion.

Tell us your timeline as early as you can and we’ll be upfront about what’s realistic, including whether a stock stone is the smarter call for a specific date.

How we work

You don’t need a finished design before you reach out. We build the concept with you, step by step.

Before anything goes into production we prepare a scaled proof showing layout, lettering, and every design detail. You review it, request changes, and nothing moves forward without your written sign-off.

We offer impact etching, which reproduces photographs in granite and looks especially sharp on darker stone, along with laser etching for a different visual style.

Legacy Stonework & Monument handles the setting itself and coordinates the installation from start to finish — so you have clear costs for monument, engraving, and setting well before work begins.

Choosing a builder

You want a company that uses quality materials, communicates clearly, supports the design process, and installs properly.

The question worth asking: is this company taking time to understand what your family wants, or running through a checklist? A good builder walks you through materials, engraving options, pricing, and a realistic timeline before anything begins.

Experience with cemetery coordination matters too. Requirements vary enough from place to place that working with someone who’ll confirm them for you makes the process go more smoothly.

If you’re not ready

There’s no deadline on this. Some families order a month after the funeral, others wait a year. Waiting sometimes produces a better memorial, because the right words tend to arrive when you aren’t exhausted.

When you’re ready, we’re half an hour up the road.

Call 316-670-6350 or email Vincent@LegacyMonumentKS.com

Serving Derby, Wichita, Goddard, Haysville, Andover, and the surrounding communities.