Bronze Plaques USA

No federal law tells an American cemetery which bronze marker it must accept or what it may charge to set one. The Federal Trade Commission says its Funeral Rule does not cover cemeteries unless they sell both funeral goods and funeral services, so the document that decides your order is the cemetery’s own written rulebook, read against the law of its state. This page explains which states give families a right to buy a marker from anyone, how veterans’ markers work, and one cited fact for each of the 14 states and 10 cities we cover. We ship to every state, with shipping to any address in the continental United States included in the designer price. So if you searched for bronze plaques near me, the question is not how far away we are but what your local cemetery allows.

Each cemetery writes its own rules, within its state’s law

The FTC warns that a cemetery may restrict “the type of monuments or memorials it allows”. Chain rulebooks such as SCI’s (March 1, 2026 edition) ask for the material, size and manufacturer and charge an inspection fee in advance. California (private non-religious cemeteries), Florida (every cemetery), Illinois and Michigan give a statutory right to buy from an outside supplier, and Florida bars any fee for installing a monument an outside firm supplies and sets. Georgia caps the one fee for an outside installer, and New York requires its Cemetery Board to approve foundation charges. In the other eight states the cemetery’s written rules decide.

Bronze plaques near me: your cemetery matters more than distance

We ship to every state. What changes from town to town is the cemetery’s envelope: the size of the bronze, the base, who sets it, the fee and the season. Woodlawn in the Bronx, for example, builds no foundations from November 1 to April 1 unless the weather permits. The base and setting come from the cemetery or a local monument dealer, so ask the office for its written rules, then size the plaque to them.

The 24 by 12 inch standard and the sizes cemeteries print

Most rulebooks are written around the VA flat bronze marker, “24 inches long, 12 inches wide, with 3/4 inch rise”, usually bolted to a granite base 2 inches larger on every side, the 28 by 16 inch base that several California districts print. Where a cemetery measures the whole marker, as Boulder City’s 12 by 24 by 3 inch single does, the bronze must be smaller, about 20 by 8 inches. A 24 by 12 inch adult marker is $1,697.45, cast to order, a 16 by 8 inch cremation marker is $978.39, and the VA niche size of 8 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches is $540.98, shipping included. Companion markers and 28 by 16 or 32 by 20 inch bronze faces are quoted on request. See bronze plaque sizes.

Veterans’ markers in private and national cemeteries

The VA furnishes a flat bronze marker of 24 by 12 inches, or a bronze niche marker of 8 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches, free for an eligible veteran. In VA national cemeteries the cemetery orders and sets the government marker itself, so we never suggest a private plaque there. In a private cemetery “all placement costs are at private expense”, and spouses and dependents are not entitled to a government marker. Our bronze fits there: a spouse’s marker, or a private marker with emblems carrying a VA medallion (service on or after April 6, 1917). See veteran bronze grave markers.

What we supply, and three alloy rules that differ from ours

We supply the bronze. Every plaque is cast in solid LG2 statuary bronze (85 percent copper, 5 percent tin, 5 percent zinc, 5 percent lead) with raised polished lettering on a textured background, a hand applied color and a clear protective coating. Cemetery markers are cast with lugs and fitted with 3/8 inch brass all thread studs, nuts and washers for bolting to a granite or concrete base; columbarium plates use 1/4 inch fittings. We publish the alloy openly and can supply a certificate of authenticity stating it, so a cemetery that has its own alloy rule can check our figures against it before you order; a few cemeteries specify a higher copper or lower lead content than LG2, and where a page knows of one it says so. The granite or concrete base and the setting are arranged through the cemetery office or a local monument dealer; we do not pour bases or install.

Three systems we cover print an alloy rule: the City of Fort Lauderdale (copper “Not less than 87%”, lead “Not more than 3%”, rules amended September 3, 2019), Westview in Atlanta (at least 87 percent copper, no more than 2 1/2 percent lead) and the Associated Catholic Cemeteries in Seattle (at least 87 percent copper, no more than 2 percent lead, April 20, 2023). Our LG2 alloy differs from all three, so families there must confirm acceptance with the office first. The Catholic Cemeteries of Chicago, Cleveland Catholic outside Elmhurst Park, Mount Elliott in Detroit and Mount Ararat on Long Island take no bronze grave markers.

Bronze plaque rules by state and city

• California: a private non-religious cemetery may not require your marker to be bought through it (HSC 8300).
• Texas: each cemetery’s marker rules must be printed and kept for inspection (HSC 711.031); SB 592 (2025) did not pass.
• Arizona: a licensed cemetery’s rules are on file with the real estate commissioner (ARS 32-2194.20).
• Florida: no fee to install a monument an outside firm supplies and installs (497.278).
• Georgia: the inspection and site location fee is capped at $175.00 from July 1, 2026.
• North Carolina: city crews in Charlotte set every marker, at $1 per square inch each for foundation and installation (July 1, 2025).
• New York: cemetery charges take effect only once the State Cemetery Board approves them (N-PCL 1509).
• Pennsylvania: Laurel Hill’s October 2025 rules let outside contractors set their own markers.
• Illinois: no additional charge for using a third-party vendor (Cemetery Oversight Act).
• Ohio: Green Lawn in Columbus requires at least 24 by 12 inch bronze on a 28 by 16 inch base (January 23, 2025).
• Michigan: a cemetery may not refuse a memorial because it was bought elsewhere (MCL 456.538).
• Washington: rules must be plainly printed and open to inspection (RCW 68.20.070).
• Colorado: Denver’s Fairmount rules of October 1, 2026 print a flat single of 2 feet by 1 foot by 4 inches.
• Nevada: Boulder City sets a 12 by 24 by 3 inch single for $137.37 (Resolution 5671, 2016).
• Los Angeles: Forest Lawn’s price list of October 7, 2026 shows $550 for placement and foundation.
• San Diego: Mount Hope charges $342.00 for flat marker installation (from July 1, 2025).
• San Francisco and the Bay Area: Cypress Lawn requires written approval before any marker is ordered (July 10, 2025).
• Houston: Glenwood approves plans and specifications, foundations included, in writing (March 2024).
• Dallas and Fort Worth: Moore Memorial Gardens in Arlington began with flat bronze on granite markers only.
• San Antonio and Austin: Austin’s city cemeteries take cast bronze on a granite, marble or concrete base (2024 rules).
• Miami and Fort Lauderdale: Fort Lauderdale’s city cemeteries are bronze only under an alloy rule that differs from ours.
• Tampa: bronze on a granite or marble base, with a $35 flagging fee (manual updated March 31, 2026).
• New York City: Woodlawn’s flush sections take only granite or bronze markers 24 by 12 inches.
• Chicago: the Catholic Cemeteries allow only granite memorials on graves (January 1, 2024).

What the plaque itself costs, shipped to the continental United States

The table below is our price for the cast bronze plaque itself, read from the design tool on this website on 21 October 2026 for a standard rectangle with the default border and background. Every figure is in US dollars and includes shipping to any address in the continental United States.

Any cemetery charge quoted higher on this page, such as a setting fee, a permit, a foundation or an endowment care charge, is paid to the cemetery and is separate from our price. Add the two together for the full installed cost. Open the design tool, type in the size your cemetery allows, and the exact price for that size appears before you order.

How to order

1. Ask the cemetery office for its written marker rules: the size it allows for your space, the base it requires, who may set the marker and the fee. Most offices email the sheet the same day, and several states require the cemetery to keep it in print for you.
2. Open the free design tool, pick the shape and type the width and height in inches. The price in US dollars updates as you go, shipping to any address in the continental United States included.
3. Add the names, dates and wording, choose a border and background, and add an emblem, motif or photo if you want one. Choose lugs with studs if the plaque will be bolted to a granite or concrete base, or a flat back for adhesive mounting on a wall or niche.
4. Save the design and order it from My Account. We send a written proof you can forward to the cemetery for approval, and nothing is cast until you approve it. Need the full 24 by 12 inch marker size? Tell us when you order; it is cast to order at the same price as the 22 1/16 by 12 inch size in the tool.

Allow six to eight weeks from payment to delivery. Casting, hand finishing and shipping from our foundry take most of that time, and we send a free written proof before anything is cast. If your cemetery sets markers only in certain months, order early enough for its next installation window.

Frequently asked questions

Does federal law make a cemetery accept a bronze marker I buy elsewhere?

No. The FTC Funeral Rule does not cover cemeteries unless they also sell funeral goods and services. California, Florida, Illinois and Michigan give a right to buy outside by state law; elsewhere the cemetery’s rules decide.

Where can I find bronze plaques near me?

We ship to every state, shipping to the continental United States included. Your local cemetery office sets the size, base, installer and fee.

What is the standard size of a flat bronze grave marker?

24 by 12 inches, the VA size, often on a 28 by 16 inch granite base. We cast it to order at the price of the 22 1/16 by 12 inch size in the designer.

Can I put a private bronze marker in a VA national cemetery?

A VA national cemetery orders and sets the government marker itself, so plan on that marker there and ask the cemetery before considering anything private. Our plaques are for private and municipal cemeteries.

Does the cemetery charge to set the marker?

Usually, except where Florida law bars an installation fee for an outside firm; Seattle’s Catholic cemeteries charge $560 for a 24 by 12 flush marker (2026). It is separate from our price.