Monument Additions Process Explained
Written by: Annissa
Published: 27th October 2025
Arranging for an additional inscription to take place on an existing memorial can be an emotive time. At J.Gumbrill, we endeavour to make this as easy as possible by using our team’s expertise to support you every step of the way.
If there has been a new burial in an existing grave, the memorial will probably have had to be removed to allow this to happen. This is not true of all cases, though, as it could be that you require an addition when ashes have been interred into a grave or ashes plot- and a very small number of burial places do have specifications for memorials which mean they can remain in situ when the plot is re-opened. However, our procedure is the same regardless of the circumstances.
The Assessment
If we have removed the memorial, we will be able to examine it in our workshop, if not we will carry out a complimentary site visit so that we can look at its condition. This is a thorough process where we establish what the memorial is made of and how the previous inscriptions have been carved to ensure we can match as much as possible. We will also see if we think any renovation work needs to be done- it can be a good opportunity to freshen up the previous lettering so it compliments the new work, or carry out other repairs, and taking advantage of the memorial being removed to carry out this type of task makes sense economically and from the point of view of disrupting it as infrequently as possible. We will probably need to clean the new part of the memorial prior to placing the addition and will therefore usually suggest cleaning the whole thing to avoid differences in colour or finish between the two halves, which can be slightly strange to see later.
A Quotation
Taking the above into account, and your chosen wording, we will provide a quotation for the work which is valid for 60 days. We usually suggest that the new words match the original in terms of format (for example, if the dates on the first are just the years, we recommend keeping this the same), but the choice is yours. We will also ensure that what is planned for the new inscription will fit in the space we have available. No work will commence until you have accepted our quotation and, if you do, we will ask for a deposit for 50% of the total cost. Our quote will also include any costs charged by the burial authority, and part of our service will be obtaining their consent for the work to take place.
The Work
Once you have accepted our quote, and we have received consent from the burial authority that we may proceed, we will add the work to the letter cutter’s job list. Unlike new memorials, we do not provide a letter cutter drawing. However, we can arrange for one to be produced for a small fee if you would like to see how the proposed inscription is planned to be sited on the memorial. If we have not removed the memorial before, this will now take place. The length of time we will take depends on the nature of the undertaking but we will give you as much information as possible, and re-site the stone in place as soon as we can. We tend to allow 10-15 weeks from the time we receive permission from the burial authority for the work to be completed and the memorial to be reinstalled.
For all of our services, including placing an additional inscription on an existing memorial, please contact us and we will be happy to help.
Thanks for your time, Annissa.
