Order Options: Design & Material Choices to Collect Upfront
The design decisions, material selections, and custom options that define what gets built — and how to guide families through them without chaos.
Options Are Where the Order Gets Built
Facts are fixed — there's no decision to make. Options are where you and the family actually build the monument together. Collecting them completely during the first consultation prevents the back-and-forth that kills your production schedule.
The goal: walk away from every first consultation with enough information to build a proof without making a single phone call.
The Required Options Checklist
🪨 Granite & Material
- →Granite color — Black, Gray, Mahogany, Pink, Blue Pearl, etc. If you use a supplier catalog, have it with you.
- →Granite origin (optional but useful) — some families care about domestic vs. imported
- →Monument type — Upright die/base, slant marker, flat/flush marker, bevel marker, companion (double)
- →Size — LR x FB x TB in inches. If the family doesn't know, this is your opportunity to guide them based on cemetery rules and budget
✨ Finish Options
- →Die finish — All Polished, Rock Pitch (pitched edges), Steeled/Sawn, etc.
- →Top shape — Serpentine (serp), Oval, Square, Cross, Custom
- →Base finish — Polished, Steeled, Rock Pitch
- →Bottom of base — Pitched or straight (cemetery and foundation considerations)
🎨 Artwork & Design
- →Emblems or symbols — religious symbols (cross, Star of David, etc.), veterans emblems, nature scenes, portraits
- →Custom artwork or scene — laser etching, sandblast carving, hand-carved bas-relief
- →Portrait photo — if yes, collect the highest-resolution image available
- →Flower vase(s) — attached bronze or granite vase; single or double
- →Overall design style — traditional, modern, nature-themed, custom
✍️ Lettering & Typography
- →Font/lettering style — block, script, Roman, Old English, or custom
- →Lettering technique — sandblast carve (standard), V-cut, laser etch
- →Lettering finish — painted (color), gilded (gold/silver leaf), natural (no fill)
- →Letter size — standard or custom (important for long names on smaller stones)
🔧 Structural & Add-Ons
- →Foundation type — concrete base required by cemetery? Granite base? Combination?
- →Dowels and pins — standard or heavy-duty (for larger monuments)
- →Bronze elements — plaques, panels, corner clips
- →Photo ceramic — porcelain photo medallion; collect photo at intake
How to Run the Options Conversation
Most families don't know what they want when they walk in. Your job isn't to take an order — it's to guide them.
A simple framework:
- →Start with type and size — this sets the budget range and narrows everything else
- →Move to granite color — show samples in person when possible
- →Cover finish and shape — this is where personality starts coming through
- →Discuss artwork and emblems — ask about hobbies, faith, military service, passions
- →Close with lettering — font, fill color, and the exact inscription text
The "Show Don't Tell" Rule
Keep a physical or digital catalog at every consultation. Families who can see options make faster, more confident decisions. Shops that describe options verbally create confusion and regret-driven change orders.
Options You Must Always Confirm in Writing
- →Granite color and finish (so there's no "I thought it was darker")
- →Size in LR x FB x TB (so there's no surprise at installation)
- →Exact artwork or emblems (so there's no "that's not the cross style I wanted")
- →Vase selection (often forgotten, often charged back)
Rule of thumb: If a family can change their mind about it, confirm it on the signed proof.