Written by Arslan Hajiyev, Founder, Memoria Columbaria. Published . Last updated .
Hire columbarium manufacturer or reseller: which is better?
When you hire a columbarium manufacturer you deal with the shop that cuts the stone. Memoria Columbaria works from 5916 Santa Monica Blvd in Los Angeles. We quarry-source the granite, cut it, polish it, engrave it and install it. There is no middle party marking up the price or slowing down a change request.
A reseller passes your drawing to a third shop. Every question adds a step. A change to a niche size can take a week to confirm. When the shop is the seller, the answer comes back the same day.
It also fixes accountability. One company owns the stone, the engraving and the installation. If a niche front does not line up on site, there is nobody to blame and nobody to chase. We come back and correct it.
Price is easier to read as well. Our catalog prices run from $375 for a granite cremation urn to $122,052 for a twelve-niche family monument. Custom work is quoted in writing, with the stone, the lettering, the freight and the setting listed as separate lines. You can see what each part costs.
You also get to check the work before it is permanent. Custom projects start with a 3D design preview. You look at the shape, the granite color and the niche layout on screen. Changes are free at that stage. Once you approve the model, we cut.
Where do you buy cremation urn models in Los Angeles?
You can buy a granite cremation urn direct from our Los Angeles workshop. Every urn in the catalog is $375. Each one is cut from solid granite, polished on all faces and sealed with a base plate. We ship them across California and set them on site when they form part of a larger monument.
There are eight urn designs in stock. The rose accent urn carries a carved rose on the front. The wave accent urn has an engraved wave that runs side to side. The arched cross urn holds a cross inside a recessed arch. The dove urn is round, with three doves cut into a dark panel.
Granite is the reason these urns last outdoors. It does not rot, rust or fade in sun. A polished granite face still reads clearly after decades of rain. That matters when the urn sits in a garden niche rather than on a shelf indoors.
Sizing is simple. Each urn holds one set of ashes. If you need space for two people, a two-niche columbarium is the better buy. If you need space for a family, look at the six-niche and twelve-niche monuments.
Engraving is done in-house before the urn ships. Send us the name, the dates and any symbol you want. We set the lettering, show you a proof and cut it into the stone.
How does custom mausoleum design work?
Custom mausoleum design starts with your plot, not with a catalog page. You send us the plot size, the number of spaces you need and any cemetery rules. We draw the structure to fit, then return a 3D preview. Nothing is cut until you approve that model in writing.
A private mausoleum is a walled granite structure that holds caskets, urns or both. A family mausoleum is larger and usually holds several generations. Both are built from the same solid granite we use for columbariums, so the finish and the weathering behaviour match.
Cemeteries set the rules that shape the design. Height limits, footprint limits, foundation depth and approved granite colors vary from one ground to the next. Send us the cemetery name and we build the drawing to those limits from the start. That avoids a rejected submission later.
The design phase covers more than the shell. We lay out the interior spaces, the inscription panels, the door or gate, any relief carving and the roof profile. Serpentine and gabled tops are both available. Lettering styles are chosen at the same stage.
Once the model is signed off, production runs in one place. The granite is cut and polished, the panels are engraved, the pieces are freighted to the cemetery and our crew sets them on the prepared foundation. You get photographs of the finished build.
What does a columbarium installation service include?
Our columbarium installation service covers freight, site setting and levelling. We move the finished granite from the Los Angeles workshop to your cemetery or garden. Our crew sets each piece on the prepared base, levels it, seals the joints and cleans the stone. The cost is quoted with the monument, not added later.
Granite is heavy. A twelve-niche family monument is a multi-piece build that cannot be lifted by hand. Setting it needs the right equipment and a base that has cured. We confirm the foundation requirement in the quote so the ground is ready when we arrive.
Access is checked before the truck is booked. We ask about gate width, path surface, slope and overhead branches. If a site cannot take a full-size truck, we plan a smaller vehicle or a staged lift instead of finding out on the day.
Levelling matters more than it sounds. A columbarium that settles out of true opens gaps at the niche joints, and water gets in. We set the pieces on a level base, check them again after seating, and seal the joints before we leave.
The last step is a photo record. You receive images of the installed monument from several angles. If anything needs correcting, we come back. We install in twenty California cities, from San Diego to Sacramento.
How do you order granite columbarium units?
To order a granite columbarium, send us three things: the niche count, the granite color and the delivery city. We reply with a written quote and a drawing. You approve the design, we cut and engrave the stone, then we deliver and install it. Call +1 888-391-6987 or email sales@memoriacolumbaria.com.
Start with the niche count. Two niches suit a couple. Four and six niches suit a family. Twelve niches suit several generations or a shared community plot. Each niche holds its own urn behind an engraved granite front.
Next choose the granite. We cut in Bahama Blue, Black, Gray and Red. Darker stone gives higher contrast on engraved lettering. Lighter stone stays cooler in direct sun. Each product page lists the colors available in that size.
Then choose the top. A gabled top sheds rain and reads as traditional. A serpentine top curves gently across the width and reads as softer. A flat cap suits stacked, modern layouts with a narrow footprint.
Send the inscription details with the order. We set the names, dates and any symbol, send you a proof, and cut only after you confirm the spelling. Delivery and installation are scheduled once the engraving passes inspection.
How do you buy granite cremation urn models direct from the shop?
To buy a granite cremation urn from us you pick a design, tell us the name and dates you want cut, and we ship it. Every urn in the catalog is $375. Each one is cut from solid granite, polished on all faces, and closed with a base plate. We take orders by phone at +1 888-391-6987 or by email at sales@memoriacolumbaria.com.
Buying from the shop that cuts the stone changes two things. The price has no reseller margin on top of it. And the engraving is done on the same bench that polished the urn, so the letter depth suits the stone. You are not shipping a finished urn to a third party to have it marked.
There are eight urn designs in stock. Four granite colors are held in the shop: Bahama Blue, Black, Gray, and Red. Send us the color and design together. If you are matching an urn that already sits in a family plot, send a photo and we will tell you which of the four is closest.
Granite is the reason we sell only granite. It does not rust, rot, or fade in the sun. A polished granite face still reads clearly after decades outdoors. That matters if the urn goes into a garden niche rather than onto a shelf indoors.
One urn holds one set of ashes. For two people, a two-niche columbarium is the better buy. For a family, look at the six-niche and twelve-niche granite monuments instead. Our full catalog runs from the $375 urn to a $122,052 twelve-niche family monument, so you can size the purchase to the plot you actually own.
We ship urns to Los Angeles, Long Beach, Glendale, Pasadena, Santa Clarita, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Irvine, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Chula Vista, Oceanside, and San Jose, and to the rest of California. Freight is included in the quote for our service cities.
What is included with an engraved cremation urn?
An engraved cremation urn from our shop arrives with the lettering already cut into the granite. You send the name, the dates, and any symbol. We set the layout, send you a proof to read, and cut the letters after you approve it. The engraving is included in the $375 urn price. There is no separate letter charge.
We cut the lettering in-house at 5916 Santa Monica Blvd in Los Angeles. That means the proof, the cut, and the polish happen on the same floor. If a date is wrong on the proof, you catch it before any stone is touched. Nothing goes to a subcontractor and nothing is cut twice.
Four of the eight stock designs carry carved detail before any lettering is added. One holds a carved rose on the front face. One carries an engraved wave that runs side to side. One sets a cross inside a recessed arch. One is round, with three doves cut into a dark panel. Your inscription goes on the open field next to that detail.
Symbols we cut regularly include crosses, doves, roses, and simple line borders. Send a sketch or a photo of an existing family memorial and we will match the style rather than guess at it. If a symbol will not read cleanly at the size the urn allows, we say so on the proof instead of cutting it small.
Engraving on granite is cut into the surface, not printed on it. That is why it survives outdoors. Sun does not fade it and rain does not lift it. The same bench engraves our columbarium niche fronts, so an urn and a niche front ordered together will match in letter style and depth.
How do you order columbarium niches by the count you need?
To order columbarium niches, count the niches first, then pick the unit that holds them. We build granite units in two, three, four, six, and twelve niche counts. Tell us the count, the granite color, and the delivery city, and we return a written quote and a drawing. Most quotes go out in one to three work days.
A niche is a sealed compartment sized for one set of ashes. A two-niche unit suits a couple. A four-niche unit suits a small family. The twelve-niche family monument is a multi-piece build and is the largest unit in the catalog at $122,052. Pricing rises with niche count, granite volume, and the amount of engraved surface.
Order the count you will need, not the count you need today. Adding a second unit later means matching a granite color and a letter style across two separate cuts, years apart. Buying the larger count once keeps the stone, the polish, and the lettering identical across every niche in the wall.
Cemetery rules decide part of the order. Height limits, footprint limits, foundation depth, and approved granite colors change from one ground to the next. Send us the cemetery name with the niche count and we draw the unit to those limits from the start, so the submission is not sent back for a redraw.
After you approve the drawing, we cut and engrave the granite, freight it, and set it. Build time is three to six months. Freight and setting are inside the quoted price for our service cities, and our own crew levels the base and seals the joints. Call +1 888-391-6987 to start an order.
What do you need for a granite memorial quote?
For a granite memorial quote we need four things: the niche or urn count, the granite color, the cemetery or site address, and the inscription if you have it. That is enough to price the stone, the engraving, the freight, and the setting. Most quotes leave our desk in one to three work days. Large walls take longer and we say so up front.
Every quote is written and itemised. The stone, the lettering, the freight, and the site setting appear as separate lines. You can see what each part costs instead of reading one total. Nothing is added at the end for delivery inside our service cities, because freight is already in the line items.
Our catalog range is $375 to $122,052. A quote lands inside that range for stock units. Custom mausoleum and memorial wall work is priced on the drawing rather than on a catalog page, so the quote follows the 3D preview instead of coming before it.
The 3D design preview is free, and two rounds of changes are free with it. You see the shape, the granite color, and the niche layout on your own site plan before anything is cut. We only start production after you approve that model in writing.
Two terms sit alongside the price. We hold a price-match guarantee, so bring us a comparable written quote and we will meet it. And we offer 0% financing for up to twelve months if you would rather spread the payment. Both are stated in the quote, not offered afterwards.
Request a quote by phone at +1 888-391-6987, by email at sales@memoriacolumbaria.com, or through the contact form. Our office is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM PST, at 5916 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90038.
What sets a cremation urn price in Los Angeles?
Every granite cremation urn in our catalog is priced at $375. That is the published price for all eight designs, including the rose accent, wave accent, two-tone, arched cross, cross accent, rose relief, modern two-tone and round dove urns. Columbarium monuments are priced separately and run up to $122,052 for the twelve-niche family unit.
The price covers a solid granite body, polished faces and a sealed base plate. It is not a veneer over a cheaper core. That is why a granite urn costs more than a metal or ceramic one and why it survives outdoors.
Engraving is quoted with the urn. The cost depends on the number of characters, the lettering style and whether you want a carved symbol as well as text. We confirm the figure in writing before we cut.
Delivery is quoted by destination. Local delivery inside Los Angeles is cheaper than freight to Sacramento or San Diego. If the urn is part of a columbarium order, it travels with the monument and there is no second freight charge.
Compare on the whole cost, not the sticker. A granite urn set in a granite niche needs no replacement, no refinishing and no repainting. A cheaper outdoor urn in another material usually needs attention within a few years.
What is involved in memorial wall construction?
Memorial wall construction joins many granite niche fronts into one continuous wall. We design the bay layout, cut the panels, engrave them and build the wall on a prepared foundation. Walls suit cemeteries, churches and memorial gardens that need dozens of niches rather than a single monument.
The first decision is capacity. A wall is planned around how many niches you need now and how many you will need later. We design in repeating bays, so a second phase can be added to the same line without a visible break.
The second decision is the module. Every niche front is the same size within a run, which keeps the grid even and makes replacement panels simple. Inscription areas, vase fixings and any plaque positions are set at this stage.
Foundations carry the load. A granite wall is heavy and it must not settle unevenly, or the joints between panels will open. We specify the base in the quote and set the wall only once the foundation has cured.
Finish and drainage finish the job. Faces are polished, joints are sealed and the top is capped so water runs off the front instead of soaking into the joints. Serpentine and flat caps are both available. We hand over photographs of the completed wall.