Companion headstones (families also say double headstones) put two names on one memorial. That can be two people already gone, or one name plus a blank date for someone still living. Dash Monument designs those stones for Kansas City area plots, but width is a cemetery measurement first. Two graves on a deed does not automatically mean a double upright will set.
If you only remember one thing: ask for the maximum width on that lot before you fall in love with a paired design.
What a companion stone actually is
A companion memorial is one piece (or one top on one base) built for two inscriptions. Common layouts:
- Two names side by side on an upright tablet.
- Two names on a wider grass marker or bronze-on-granite plate.
- One name and dates filled now, the second name carved now, the last date left for later (pre-need).
- A double heart or other paired shape from Dash’s monument buying guide, still checked against the cemetery packet.
It is not two separate singles bolted together. It is one footprint. That is why lot width, not “we bought two plots,” decides whether it passes.
A single memorial is one name (or one primary inscription) on a stone sized for one grave. Two singles can be the legal answer when a companion width will not fit, or when the cemetery wants matching markers instead of one wide monument.
Families use “companion,” “double,” “husband and wife stone,” and “sweetheart monument” for the same product class. At the office, translate the nickname into width, height, and material.
Companion vs two singles
One stone, two names. One foundation, one cemetery drawing, one visit to find both people. Design has to share a face: lettering, a verse, portraits, and symbols compete for the same granite.
Two singles. Each grave can have its own size class (two flush markers, or two small uprights if allowed). You can set one now and one later. Matching granite and lettering is a design job, not automatic. Two foundations and two approvals.
Neither is “more respectful.” The cemetery’s width and height rules, plus how you want to visit, decide. Dash will mock up both paths when the lot can go either way.
For height (flush lawn vs upright tablet), see flat vs upright headstone. A companion can be either style. Lawn sections that allow only a grass marker will not take a double upright just because two people share the stone.
Pre-need: both names now, a date later
Dash’s published FAQ is that you can purchase whenever you want, as long as you follow cemetery regulations. People also buy and place memorials before a death. Companion stones can list both names now, with space for a later date. There is no Dash-imposed mourning calendar.
That is the usual pre-need companion: spouse or partner already named, last date blank (or a matching panel left clean). When the second death comes, the shop adds the date to match the original lettering. Dash does final-date engraving on existing monuments as a named service. Do not invent a turnaround in this article. Ask in the showroom.
Pre-need still has to clear the cemetery. A stone set years early is not a waiver of today’s size, color, or bronze rules. If the section is flush-only, the pre-need companion is a wide marker, not a tall monument.
You are not required to buy from the cemetery or the funeral home. Dash’s resources and FAQ page states their prices average 10% to 30% lower than cemetery or funeral home memorial prices. Shopping elsewhere does not waive the lot’s width limit.
What the cemetery will restrict
Kansas City cemeteries do not share one handbook. Typical companion controls:
Width. A double upright is wider than a single. Some lots allow it. Some require two flush plates. “We own two graves” is not a tape measure.
Height and style. Companion flush, companion bevel or slant, or companion upright are different products. Confirm the section, not only the cemetery name.
Material. Granite, bronze on granite, or a color limit. Dash only quotes colors they carry and the cemetery will accept, including options such as American Black, Jet Black, Barre Gray, Cloud Gray, Missouri Red, and Blue Pearl (the full list is on the buying guide).
Portraits, vases, benches. Two faces tempt families to add two portraits and a vase. Those extras are often limited. Design them after the yes on footprint.
Approval. Many cemeteries want a drawing, dimensions, and material spec on file before setting. Dash handles communication, approvals, and paperwork. You should not have to learn which clerk to call.
For the broader rules layer (size, bronze versus granite, who writes the packet), see cemetery headstone rules.
How Dash Monument builds a companion
Melissa and Bo run Dash Monument as a family-owned monument shop in Liberty, not a funeral home. Melissa grew up around cemetery and monument work. The process they publish is cemetery requirements first (size, shape, color, bronze versus granite), then granite and design with mockups, then production and setting.
In the showroom that sounds like this:
“We want one stone for both of us.” Dash checks lot width and the section’s height class. If a companion upright will not pass, they will say so and show a legal alternative (companion marker, or two matching singles).
“We already have one burial.” Names and dates can be filled for the person who has died. The second name can go on now. The last date waits.
“We are pre-planning and nobody has died.” Allowed if the cemetery allows a stone on that lot now. Both names, or one name and a reserved panel, depending on what you want visitors to read.
“We want hearts, a bench, or two portraits.” Possible inside the buying-guide shapes (double heart, tablet with bench, porcelain portraits) when the cemetery allows them. Custom still has to fit the footprint.
Average timing from first meeting to installation is 12 to 16 weeks, depending on the monument, vendor timelines, and cemetery scheduling. Companion width and extra carving can sit on the longer side of that window. You get an estimate up front. Installation cost is typically included. The cemetery may still bill its own foundation, permit, or inspection. Those fees should be named before stone is cut.
Walk-ins are welcome at 943 W. Liberty Dr., Liberty, MO 64068. Appointments are recommended. Hours are Monday through Friday 9:00am to 4:00pm, Saturday 10:00am to 1:00pm, closed Sunday, with after-hour appointments available.
Cost follows width (without a fake price list)
A companion uses more granite than a single of the same height. Bronze, portraits, and a bench move the number again. Dash does not publish a public dollar menu. Flexible payment plans exist. Terms are set in the shop, not in a blog.
The expensive mistake is ordering a double upright from a photo, then learning the lawn is marker-only or the lot is too narrow. Recut, replace, or store. That is why Dash starts with the cemetery document.
A VA-furnished marker is a different product, with VA and cemetery rules of its own. A private companion from Dash is not a substitute for that process. Unofficial dollar amounts online are not a benefit you are owed. If one person qualifies for a government marker and you still want a family companion stone, confirm both processes before you lock a design.
What to bring so the first width check is real
Cemetery name and city. Section, lot, or deed paperwork if you have it. One grave or two, and whether both people will be (or already are) on that lot. Burial or cremation. At-need, or pre-need with a blank date. Any must-have: upright vs flush, double heart, portraits, vase, bench.
You do not need finished wording on day one. You need a yes or no on companion width. Mockups come after that yes.
Mistakes that come from “double” language
Assuming two plots equal one wide monument. Width limits still apply. Two flush markers can be the legal pair.
Filling both dates before the second death. You can name both people now. The last date is usually left blank on purpose.
Ordering two unrelated catalog stones and hoping they match later. If you want a pair that reads as one design, plan granite, lettering, and size together. Dash can match a later single to an existing stone when that is the path. It is harder if the first stone was a random online size.
Skipping approval because the funeral home “already talked to the cemetery.” The funeral home handled the burial. The memorial is a second set of paperwork.
Frequently asked questions
What are companion headstones?
One memorial built for two names. Families also call them double headstones. They can be flush or upright. The cemetery’s width and height rules decide which.
Can we put both names on before the second death?
Yes, when you are following cemetery regulations. Leave space for the later date. Dash can add that date when the time comes.
Do we have to wait a year to order?
No Dash-imposed wait. You can purchase whenever you want if the cemetery allows the stone on that lot.
Is a companion cheaper than two singles?
Not as a rule you can read online. More granite can cost more. Two small markers can cost less, or not, depending on material and extras. Dash prices the options after the cemetery check. They do not publish a public menu.
Can a companion be a flat marker?
Yes, if the section is lawn or flush-only. A double upright will not override a grass-marker rule.
Who files the cemetery paperwork?
Dash handles communication, approvals, and paperwork. You should not have to chase the clerk.
Ask about width before you pick a paired design
If you want companion headstones checked against a Kansas City area lot, including pre-need with a later date, visit the Liberty showroom or send a Monument Inquiry. Call 816-736-3736. Bring the cemetery name if you know it. You do not have to decide on the first visit. You do need a width Dash can set.
