Headstone Size Requirements at Maple Ridge Cemetery & Whonnock Cemetery: The Complete 2026 Guide

Last reviewed July 2026 · Applies to Maple Ridge Cemetery and Whonnock Cemetery under Maple Ridge Cemetery Bylaw No. 7612-2020 (as amended by Bylaw 7797-2021)

The City of Maple Ridge operates two cemeteries — the historic Maple Ridge Cemetery on Dewdney Trunk Road, in use since the 1870s and listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places, and the small pioneer-era Whonnock Cemetery. Both run under one bylaw, and that bylaw takes an approach unlike any other Lower Mainland cemetery we work with: instead of publishing size ranges, it fixes exactly three flat marker sizes and then regulates how many markers each grave may carry. Upright monuments and pillow top markers exist here too, but only on designated plots in one section of the Maple Ridge Cemetery. This guide covers all of it, plus installation fees and the approval process.

Two cemeteries, one bylaw

Maple Ridge Cemetery (21404 Dewdney Trunk Road) is where virtually all interments in Maple Ridge take place — a heritage cemetery established on pioneer land donations in the 1870s, now offering full burial, child burial, in-ground cremation, columbarium niches, and garden interment in The Meadows. Whonnock Cemetery (27292 96 Avenue) is a one-acre rural site offering adult casket burial and in-ground cremation only. Both are governed by Cemetery Bylaw No. 7612-2020, and the same marker rules and fees apply at both.

Three marker sizes, counted per grave

Maple Ridge's system is built on three fixed flat marker sizes, each tied to how many people it may memorialize: the 8" × 12" cremation marker (one person), the 12" × 20" marker (up to two people), and the 18" × 30" double marker (two people, spanning two graves). What varies by grave type is how many of each you're allowed:

That full-burial allowance is worth pausing on: because a single grave here may hold one casket and up to four sets of cremated remains, the marker rules let one grave carry up to five separate memorials. It's one of the most generous multi-generational memorialization systems in the region — a genuine family plot on a single grave.

Construction specs: flush, stone or bronze

All flat markers sit with their top surface level with the surrounding lawn, positioned on the grave where the City establishes — with exceptions for religious belief available by request to the Clerk, which the bylaw says may not be unreasonably denied. Stone markers must be at least 2" thick with sides true and perpendicular to the face. Bronze markers mount on a concrete base at least 3" thick; the base may show at most a 2" reveal beyond the bronze, finished smooth and slightly bevelled to shed water. Stone and bronze are the only permitted tablet materials.

One provision matters especially for our clients: a memorial may be inscribed in a non-English script provided the City receives a written interpretation. Chinese, Punjabi, Farsi, Vietnamese, Korean — all permitted, and we prepare the written interpretation for the Clerk as part of every multilingual order.

Section 6: where upright monuments and pillow tops live

Upright monuments and pillow top markers — the granite marker that sits above grade, higher at the back and sloping toward the front — are permitted only on plots the City has designated within Maple Ridge Cemetery Section 6. Full burial graves in Section 6 that aren't designated follow the standard flat marker rules above.

The material rules are strict and simple: monuments and pillow tops must be granite; uprights sit on a granite base over a concrete or granite foundation; pillow tops take a granite foundation. Each upright or pillow top may memorialize up to two people, and it replaces the 12" × 20" in the count — a designated grave carries one monument or pillow top plus up to four 8" × 12" cremation tablets. On side-by-side graves, a double monument can span both, or each grave takes a single. And in a provision added by the 2021 amendment, four graves purchased in a square may share one double upright or two singles, with up to two names on the front and two on the reverse of each monument — a true family estate arrangement.

What the bylaw and the City's Section 6 guide deliberately don't publish is a dimension table. There are no stated maximums for tablet or base — the size envelope is settled through the monument company's approval application, reviewed by the City against the designated plot. We confirm that envelope with the cemetery office before any granite is cut, the same discipline we apply at Mountain View, where approval likewise defines the limits.

One planning wrinkle unique to Maple Ridge: if an upright monument is placed before a full burial happens on the plot, it's the next of kin's responsibility to have the monument removed before the interment and replaced afterward — work your monument company performs. If a pillow top is in place before a burial, removal and replacement is the City's responsibility. Families choosing between the two formats on a pre-need plot should weigh that difference.

Who installs what — and the concrete mould

The installation split is written directly into the bylaw. Upright monuments, their bases, and foundations are the purchaser's responsibility, installed only by a monument company with the City's prior approval. Everything else — pillow top markers and their foundations, flat memorial markers, and niche plates — is installed only by the City's Caretaker, and only after the interment has taken place and the installation fee is paid.

The City's process for flat markers is worth knowing: when your marker arrives at the cemetery, the Caretaker sets it into a concrete mould, and once cured, the finished unit is placed on the grave. If you want a flower vase, order it from the monument company together with the marker so both arrive at once — that tells the Caretaker to adjust the mould to make room for it. The Cemetery Clerk contacts the family once installation is complete.

Installation fees — and a change coming August 30, 2026

Under the current published schedule (January–December 2024), marker installation fees including perpetual care are: $318 for a full burial, child, single cremation, or side-by-side cremation marker; $380 for a side-by-side full burial marker; $344 for a single or double niche plate; and $245 per person for a plaque inscription. Note the timing, though: the City has announced that updated cemetery fees take effect August 30, 2026 under the Fees and Charges Bylaw once adopted by Council, with schedules published for each year from 2026 through 2030. If you're ordering around that date, confirm the current figure with the cemetery office — or we'll confirm it as part of your order.

Ordering a Maple Ridge marker: how we handle it

Markers and monuments are supplied by monument companies, not by the City, and the installation application may only be made by the Rights Holder, an executor, or an heir — so we prepare the paperwork for the right signature, confirm your grave's designation (standard, or Section 6 upright-eligible), and design within the count and size rules above. Inscriptions are available in Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Vietnamese, Farsi, Punjabi, Korean, English, and other languages, with a scaled proof for your approval and the written interpretation the City requires filed on your behalf. For Section 6 uprights, we submit the approval application, produce the monument, and complete the installation ourselves as the bylaw directs; for flat markers and pillow tops, we deliver to the cemetery for the Caretaker to set.

Browse our flat grave markers, upright monuments, or the full headstone collection. Our companion guides cover City of Surrey cemetery headstone sizes and Mountain View Cemetery marker rules. Call 604-833-9193 or visit the showroom at 121-18860 24 Ave, Surrey, to see full-size granite samples.

Frequently asked questions

What size headstones does Maple Ridge Cemetery allow?

Flat markers come in exactly three sizes: 8" × 12" (one name), 12" × 20" (up to two names), and 18" × 30" (two names, spanning two side-by-side graves), in stone or bronze, set flush with the lawn. Upright monuments and pillow top markers on designated Section 6 plots have no published size limits — dimensions are approved through the City's application process.

How many markers can one grave have at Maple Ridge Cemetery?

A full burial grave may carry one 12" × 20" marker plus up to four 8" × 12" cremation markers — up to five markers on a single grave, matching the grave's capacity of one casket plus four sets of cremated remains. Child graves allow one 12" × 20" plus two 8" × 12" markers; single cremation graves allow one 8" × 12".

Can I install an upright monument at Maple Ridge Cemetery?

Only on plots the City has designated within Maple Ridge Cemetery Section 6. Monuments must be granite on a granite base with a concrete or granite foundation, may carry up to two names, and are installed by a monument company after City approval. Four graves purchased in a square may share a double monument or two singles, with names on both faces.

Who installs grave markers at Maple Ridge and Whonnock cemeteries?

The City's Caretaker installs all flat markers, pillow top markers, and niche plates — after the interment has occurred and fees are paid, setting flat markers into a concrete mould before placement. Upright monuments are the exception: the purchaser's monument company installs them, with the City's prior approval.

Can the inscription be in Chinese, Punjabi, or another language?

Yes. The bylaw permits non-English inscriptions provided the City receives a written interpretation of the text. We produce inscriptions in Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Vietnamese, Farsi, Punjabi, Korean, and other languages, and file the written interpretation with the Clerk as part of the order.

How much does marker installation cost at Maple Ridge Cemetery?

Under the current 2024 schedule: $318 for most flat markers, $380 for a side-by-side full burial marker, $344 for a niche plate, and $245 per person for plaque inscriptions, all including perpetual care. New fees take effect August 30, 2026 once adopted by Council, so confirm current figures with the cemetery office when ordering.

Can I place a marker for someone who isn't buried in the cemetery?

No — markers may only be laid for people already interred there. To memorialize a loved one resting elsewhere, their name can be engraved on the Rosegarden Memorial Plaque at the Maple Ridge Cemetery entrance.