Flat, bevel, slant or upright: the four marker types and the sizes cemeteries expect

Most of the vocabulary a cemetery office uses comes down to four shapes. Knowing them, and the dimensions fabricators treat as standard, makes the first conversation with the cemetery short and the design afterwards much easier.

The sizes below are the ones monument companies in the United States most commonly quote. They are a starting point, not a rule: your cemetery's own maximums govern, and its rules may differ between sections. Confirm them in writing before you order stone.

Flat markers

A flat (or "grass") marker lies level with the ground. Lawn sections often require them so mowers can pass over the grave, and many Muslim sections prefer them for their modesty.

• Common single size: 24 in wide × 12 in deep × 4 in thick.
• Variations: 20 × 10 × 4 in in some older sections; 28 × 16 × 4 in for more lettering; 36 × 18 × 4 or 48 × 12 × 4 in for companions.
• Design notes: The inscription is read from above, so larger lettering and fewer lines work best. Rain and grass clippings collect on a flat face, so a polished finish and deeper cuts keep it legible.

Bevel markers

A bevel marker is a low wedge: the back sits a couple of inches higher than the front so the face tilts gently toward the reader.

• Common single size: 24 × 12 in, about 6 in high at the back and 4 in at the front.
• Design notes: Because it rises above the grass, a bevel is not a substitute for a flat marker where flat markers are required. Ask specifically.

Slant markers

A slant is a taller wedge with a steeply angled face, usually set on a concrete pad or a granite base.

• Common single size: 24 in wide × 10 in deep × 16 in high, with the face leaning back. Companion slants are about 48 in wide.
• Design notes: The leaning face reads well from a standing position and gives room for several lines in two languages. In the studio, the Slant profile under Dimensions & shape gives the stone a vertical back and a face that leans back from a thick bottom to a thin top; you set both thicknesses, the way the fabricator cuts it.

Upright monuments

An upright is a vertical tablet (the "die") standing on a base. It is the classic headstone, and the one most Islamic cemeteries treat most carefully.

• Common single die: 24 in wide × 6 in thick × 20–24 in high, on a base of 36 × 12 × 6 in. Larger uprights run to 30–36 in wide, 8 in thick and 30 in or more high.
• Height limits often include the base. A cap of 36 in overall is typical where uprights are permitted at all.
• Design notes: Uprights need a foundation, and the ground must settle before one is set (see when to set the headstone). The top profile, nine of which are available in the studio, from flat and arched to serpentine and gothic, is largely an upright's feature.

What Muslim sections usually allow

There is no single rule, but patterns recur:

• Many dedicated Islamic cemeteries, and most Muslim sections inside mixed cemeteries, permit flat or bevel markers only, to keep graves uniform and humble.
• Some allow slants or modest uprights, often with a height cap and a requirement that the design be approved first.
• A few permit uprights in newer sections while keeping older ones flat.

Ask which of the four types the specific section allows, and whether a base counts toward the height. Our checklist for cemetery rules covers the rest of the questions.

Setting up each type in the studio

The four marker types are the four side profiles under Dimensions & shape. Choose one and the thickness controls, the technical drawing and the 3D preview follow: a flat or bevel marker lies on the ground face up, a slant and a die stand upright, and the die gets a base with its own length, width and height. Dimensions move in whole inches (or centimetres and millimetres if you prefer), and every export records the chosen units.

Marker	Profile	Width × length or height	Thickness	Top
Flat	Flat	24 × 12 in	4 in	Flat
Bevel	Bevel	24 × 12 in	4 in front, 6 in back	Flat
Slant	Slant	24 × 16 in	10 in bottom, 3 in top	Flat or arched
Upright	Die	24 × 24 in, on a 36 × 12 × 8 in base	6 in	Any of nine

Enter the dimensions, choose the top pattern, and the dimensioned drawing updates at once. The PDF plan then shows the front and side elevations, including the base of a die, with every measurement labelled, which is exactly what the cemetery office wants attached to the application. For a cast bronze plaque, choose the bronze faceplate under Stone & finish: its lettering is raised rather than engraved, and the plan records the raised letter height.