Headstone Size Requirements at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver: The Complete 2026 Guide

Last reviewed July 2026 · Applies to Mountain View Cemetery under the Mountain View Cemetery By-law No. 8719 and cemetery rules

Mountain View is Vancouver's only cemetery — every burial within city limits happens on its 110 acres west of Fraser Street, where the City has operated since 1886 and nearly 150,000 people now rest. If you're planning a headstone or marker there, the rules work differently than at most Lower Mainland cemeteries: instead of publishing a fixed table of minimum and maximum dimensions, Mountain View approves each memorial individually against its cemetery rules, based on the specific grave you hold. This guide explains what's allowed, the standard sizes, who installs what, current fees, and how the approval process works.

One cemetery, a different rulebook

Mountain View is governed by the Mountain View Cemetery By-law No. 8719, but the bylaw itself deliberately doesn't contain size schedules. Section 8.4 delegates memorial requirements to the cemetery rules, and the City's published guidance says size and material limits — including height for uprights — depend on the location and size of your specific site. In practice, that means what you're allowed to install was largely decided when the grave was purchased:

Flat marker area graves permit flat (flush or lawn) markers only. Upright monument area graves — sold at a higher licence price — are the only traditional graves where an upright monument may stand. Most traditional casket graves accommodate up to four markers in total, and on qualifying graves one of those four may be the upright. In-ground cremation sites allow one flat marker, with some sites permitting a second; the City also offers communal-marker and shared-marker cremation options where your inscription joins an existing stone rather than a private marker being installed.

If you're not certain which category your grave falls into, it's on your interment right licence — or we can confirm it with the cemetery office before any design work starts, which is always our first step.

Flat marker sizes and formats

The City's memorial application form and fee schedule work from a set of standard flat marker sizes:

Standard size (as listed by the City)	Typical use	Installation fee tier (2025)
9" × 12"	Cremation sites, secondary markers	$495.24 (up to 12" × 20")
10" × 18"	Cremation sites, secondary markers	$495.24 (up to 12" × 20")
12" × 20"	The standard single-grave lawn marker	$495.24 (up to 12" × 20")
16" × 28"	Larger single or companion memorials	$595.24 (16" × 28" and larger)
18" × 30"	Larger single or companion memorials	$595.24 (16" × 28" and larger)
Other sizes	Subject to cemetery approval via the application	Per fee schedule

Two formats are accepted: all-granite markers, or bronze plaques attached to a granite or concrete base 3" thick. The application form also distinguishes between flush markers (set level with the lawn) and lawn markers set on a foundation — which applies to your site is part of what the cemetery confirms at approval. On traditional burial lots, markers are aligned along the grave's centreline in 2-foot increments starting at the top; the cemetery takes placement requests into account but makes the final call.

Upright monuments: granite only, approved site by site

Upright monuments at Mountain View must be granite, and they're only possible on graves licensed in an upright monument area. There is no published maximum-dimension table: the memorial application asks your monument company to specify the die (the upright stone) in width, height, and thickness, and the base in all three dimensions plus its side finish, and the cemetery approves the proposal against its rules for that location. This is the single biggest difference from municipal cemeteries like Surrey's, where fixed schedules apply — at Mountain View, confirming the size envelope with the cemetery office before the stone is cut isn't optional diligence, it's the process.

The foundation is the City's work: after your application is approved and fees are paid, cemetery staff supply and install the granite foundation at the designated end of the grave. Plan for at least 2 weeks for standard sizes and up to 3 months for larger or custom foundations. The monument itself is then installed in coordination with the monument company. Where a grave permits additional flat markers alongside an upright, they run along the centreline below the foundation.

Fees for markers, foundations, and installation (2025 schedule)

These figures come from Schedule B of By-law 8719 as consolidated to December 2024, effective January 1, 2025. All memorial fees must be paid in full before a marker or monument can be delivered to the cemetery. The City adjusts fees periodically — check the City's memorial guidelines page for the current schedule.

Item	Fee (incl. care fund where applicable)
Flat marker installation — up to 12" × 20"	$495.24
Flat marker installation — 16" × 28" and larger	$595.24
Concrete footing	$433.34 + $40.18 per 6" of linear base
Granite foundation — on one lot	$480.96 + $71.43 per 6" of linear base
Granite foundation — spanning two lots	$880.95 + $99.11 per 6" of linear base
Marker reinstallation after 2nd inscription — 9" × 12", 10" × 18", 12" × 20"	$214.29
Marker reinstallation after 2nd inscription — 16" × 28", 18" × 30"	$319.05
Scheduled/witnessed marker installation (family present)	$266.67
Temporary nylon marker (annual)	$200.00
Niche or memorial panel inscription	$404.76

Who installs what — and how long it takes

Under section 7.1 of the bylaw, work on a lot is the City's domain: cemetery staff install all flat markers and all foundations. Your monument company designs and produces the marker, submits the application, and delivers the finished stone to the cemetery once approval and payment are complete. Flat markers are typically installed within 3 to 5 working days of delivery, though upcoming interments, frozen ground, or heavy scheduling can extend that. If your family wants to be present, a scheduled and witnessed installation can be booked for an additional fee.

For upright monuments, the sequence is: application approved → City installs the foundation (2 weeks to 3 months) → monument installation coordinated through the monument company. For a second inscription on an existing flat marker — common on companion memorials — the City removes the marker, the monument company adds the inscription, and cemetery staff reinstall it for the reinstallation fee above. Second inscriptions on uprights are handled in place through your monument company.

The application: where every Mountain View memorial starts

Nothing is installed at Mountain View without an approved memorial marker application — the bylaw makes placing, altering, or removing a memorial without a permit an offence. The application is typically completed by the monument company and specifies the marker's size, material, and location; the cemetery checks it against the rules for your specific site. Approval is valid for one year, and all fees must be paid before the marker or monument is delivered. Only the licence holder, the deceased's representative, or someone the cemetery manager authorizes may apply.

A few site-specific rules are worth knowing before you design. Graves in the four Fields of Honour — the veterans' sections in the Abray, Horne 2, and Jones areas — follow memorial standards set by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Veterans Affairs Canada, or the caring organization, with one flat marker permitted to commemorate all non-veteran interments in the grave. Lots designated as common graves for stillborn, infant, or cremated remains don't permit private memorials at all. And adornments are tightly controlled: no glass, nothing planted or sunk into the ground, up to two potted plants no larger than 8" × 8" on the marker, and artificial flowers only between October 16 and February 28.

Ordering a Mountain View marker: how we handle it

We prepare Mountain View memorial applications as part of every order, and because approval there is site-specific, our process starts by confirming with the cemetery office exactly what your grave permits — marker count, format, and the size envelope — before you approve a design. From there we produce the marker, coordinate delivery once the City signs off, and manage the foundation and installation sequence for uprights. Inscriptions are available in English, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Vietnamese, Farsi, Punjabi, Korean, and other languages, with a scaled proof for your approval before any granite is cut. Production typically runs 2–3 weeks on our express timeline.

Browse our flat grave markers, upright monuments, or the full headstone collection — and if your family also has arrangements at a City of Surrey cemetery, our companion guide to headstone sizes at Sunnyside Lawn and Surrey Centre covers those 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 Mountain View Cemetery allow?

The standard flat marker sizes are 9" × 12", 10" × 18", 12" × 20", 16" × 28", and 18" × 30", in granite or bronze on a 3"-thick granite or concrete base; other sizes require cemetery approval. Upright monument dimensions aren't set by a published table — they're proposed on the memorial application and approved based on your specific site.

Can I install an upright monument at Mountain View Cemetery?

Only if your grave was licensed in a designated upright monument area — these graves are sold at a higher price than flat marker area graves. Upright monuments must be granite, and the City installs the foundation before the monument goes up.

Who installs grave markers at Mountain View?

Cemetery staff install all flat markers (typically within 3 to 5 working days of delivery) and all foundations (2 weeks to 3 months depending on size). Upright monument installation is coordinated through the monument company after the City's foundation is in place.

How much does marker installation cost at Mountain View?

Under the 2025 fee schedule: $495.24 for flat markers up to 12" × 20", $595.24 for 16" × 28" and larger, plus foundation fees for uprights starting at $433.34 for a concrete footing or $480.96 for a granite foundation, with per-6-inch linear charges on top. Fees are updated periodically by the City.

How many markers can one grave have?

Most traditional casket graves accommodate up to four markers, and on graves in upright monument areas, one of them may be an upright. In-ground cremation sites allow one flat marker, with a second permitted on some sites.

Can the inscription be in Chinese or another language?

Yes. Markers from a monument company can be inscribed in any language — we regularly produce Chinese, Vietnamese, Farsi, and Punjabi memorials for Mountain View. On the cemetery's columbaria niche panels, alternate characters such as Chinese, Arabic, or Cyrillic are permitted with cemetery office approval.