How long does it take to add a second date?

The cutting itself usually takes 30–90 minutes on-site. Including setup, drive time, and a half-day buffer for cemetery access, plan a half-day window for the dealer. From your first phone call (or Monumize submission) to the work being complete, expect 2–4 weeks — most of that is waiting for a dealer slot, not the work itself.

Does the stone have to be removed?

Almost never in 2026. Modern portable sandblasting equipment lets the dealer cut directly on the installed stone, in the cemetery, without removal. Stone removal adds 1–2 weeks and roughly doubles the cost, and most US cemeteries no longer permit it once a marker is installed.

Do I need cemetery permission first?

Yes. Almost every cemetery requires written permission to alter an installed stone. The dealer usually handles this on your behalf — they have an existing relationship with the cemetery office — but the family is the one who has to authorize the request. Plan an extra week if the cemetery is one your dealer hasn't worked with.

For a one-line second date on gray granite cut on-site, expect $175–$450 in the US in 2026. See our /tools/inscription-cost-calculator for a tailored estimate. Bronze, marble, and shop-removed stones quote differently.

Will the new date match the old one perfectly?

It will match closely but not perfectly. Even when the dealer matches the font family exactly, the existing engraving has weathered for years or decades, and the new cut will look crisp by comparison. Some families ask the dealer to "age" the new cut with a stain wash. Many leave the slight difference and find it meaningful.

How do I find a dealer who will work on an existing stone?

Any monument dealer who does sandblast work will do second-date inscriptions; it's the most common job in the trade. The catch is geography — many shops won't travel more than 60 miles for a single stone. Ask the cemetery office for their preferred dealer list, or post the job through Monumize and we'll route it to a vetted shop in your area.

How-to

How to add a second date to an existing headstone

A step-by-step guide for families adding a death date to a stone that already shows a birth date. What the dealer needs from you, what the cemetery requires, and what it actually costs.

May 22, 2026 · 8 min read · By Monumize Editorial Team

Before you start

Adding a second date to an existing headstone is the most common job in the US monument industry — but the first time you do it as a family, it's genuinely confusing. Here's the version monument dealers wish every family arrived with.

You don't need to remove the stone. Modern portable sandblasting lets a dealer cut directly on the installed marker in the cemetery. Removal is more expensive, takes weeks longer, and is rarely allowed by US cemeteries today.

You can take your time.Most families add the second date 3–12 months after the funeral. The cemetery actually prefers a few months of settling before any sandblast work. There's no compliance deadline.

Cost is wide but bounded. A typical US second date on gray granite costs $175–$450 (national median ~$275). See our cost guide for region- and material-specific numbers.

The 7 steps

1. Confirm the cemetery permits in-place engraving

Call the cemetery office or check their website. Nearly all US cemeteries permit on-site sandblasting today, but some require pre-approval of the inscription text and font. Some charge a small administrative fee.

2. Photograph the existing stone

A phone photo in indirect daylight is enough. Include a US quarter or credit card in the frame next to the existing inscription so the dimensions can be measured to scale. Stand directly in front of the stone, not at an angle.

3. Decide on the new inscription text

For a typical second date, you only need the death date. Format follows the existing one: if the birth date reads "1942", the new date reads "2024". If it reads "April 3, 1942", use the same long form.

4. Choose a font (or accept the AI-detected match)

A modern proofing tool detects the existing font and offers eight monument-industry alternatives. Pick the closest match; perfect match is impossible because the original is decades-old hand cutting.

5. Generate a proof and approve it

A photorealistic preview shows what the new inscription will look like overlaid on your photo. Read the dates one more time before signing — this is the last chance to catch typos before the stone is cut.

6. Pay and schedule the dealer visit

Once approved, the dealer schedules an on-site visit. Most dealers batch cemetery visits, so plan a 2–4 week window from approval to cutting. The cut itself takes 30–90 minutes.

7. Receive the completion photo

The dealer photographs the finished stone and uploads it to your account. The funds release to the dealer; the audit log preserves the proof, signature, and photo for your records.

What it costs

For the most common case — one-line second date on gray granite, cut on-site by a US monument dealer — expect $175 to $450. Use our cost calculator for a tailored estimate, or the full cost breakdown article for what drives the range.

Common pitfalls

Wrong dates on the stone

The single most expensive mistake is approving an incorrect death date on the proof. Once cut, fixing it costs $200–$400 of re-fronting work. The proof step is your last chance — read every digit, twice.

Font mismatch

Families sometimes try to perfectly match a font that was hand-cut in 1948. There is no “original” in a licensed digital library; pick the closest of eight monument-industry families. See our headstone fonts guide.

Cemetery permission

A surprising number of jobs get delayed because the cemetery requires written authorization to alter the stone. The dealer usually handles this — but the family has to sign. Get it in motion early.

The shortcut with Monumize

Steps 2–5 above — photograph, choose, proof, approve — collapse into a single phone session with Monumize. Upload the photo, pick a font, see the AI proof, sign on your phone. The dealer gets the cut file automatically. You see the completion photo when the work is done.

You don't need to use Monumize to add a second date — any monument dealer in your area will do the job. The shortcut is that the proof and audit trail are done before the dealer even quotes the work.

Frequently asked questions

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