Choosing the best headstones in Auckland means finding a monumental mason who can design, engrave and install a memorial that meets your cemetery’s rules and your family’s wishes. The businesses below craft granite and marble headstones, bronze and granite plaques, cremation memorials and full grave covers, and they handle added inscriptions and restoration work on existing memorials. Parkinson & Bouskill and Sanctuary Memorials both run showrooms where you can see finished stone before you commit.
1Parkinson & Bouskill
Parkinson & Bouskill has been making memorials since 1886 and now runs five Auckland showrooms, at Onehunga, Glen Eden, Otahuhu, Papatoetoe and Albany, alongside a Tauranga branch. The team works through design, personalised inscription, granite selection and installation, and quotes with what the company describes as complete and transparent pricing with no hidden costs. It suits families who want to see options in person at a showroom close to home.
Services
- Upright, low rise and full cover grave memorials
- Custom designed headstones, including temple, book and traditional styles
- Granite and bronze plaques, including cremation memorials
- Additional wording and inscriptions on existing memorials
- Renovations, restoration and memorial cleaning
Highlights
- Trading as a monumental mason since 1886
- Five showrooms across Auckland, from Albany to Papatoetoe
- Supply reaches Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, the Solomon Islands, American Samoa and Hawaii
- Quoted pricing stated as complete and transparent with no hidden costs
- Memorial accessories and natural rock memorials alongside the standard granite range
Location & Contact
Name: Parkinson & Bouskill
Address: 104-106 Onehunga Mall, Onehunga, Auckland 1061
Phone: 09 636 3300
Website: parkinsonbouskill.co.nz
2Sanctuary Memorials
Sanctuary Memorials has been designing custom granite and marble headstones in Auckland since 2011, working from showrooms at East Tamaki and Otahuhu. The focus is bespoke work, with full colour memorials, detailed hand carving and design ranges covering Chinese and Asian, Maori, temple and children’s headstones. Video consultations are offered for families who cannot get to a showroom.
Services
- Custom headstone design and consultation
- Headstone installation and cemetery compliance coordination
- Headstone refurbishment and second inscriptions
- Porcelain and ceramic memorial photos
- Memorial QR codes linking to online tributes
Highlights
- Creating custom granite and marble headstones in Auckland since 2011
- Two Auckland showrooms, at East Tamaki and Otahuhu
- Free shipping to the Pacific Islands on purchases over $6,000
- Dedicated Chinese language service alongside the standard consultation
Location & Contact
Name: Sanctuary Memorials
Address: 22 Harris Road, East Tamaki, Auckland
Phone: 09 271 6611
Website: sanctuarymemorials.co.nz
3Jacobsen Headstones
Jacobsen Headstones is an Onehunga manufacturer that has been making memorials for 67 years and is a member of the New Zealand Master Monumental Masons Association. The company offers more than 120 designs with custom options, and advises on designs that suit each cemetery’s regulations. Its Neilson Street site has an on-site showroom and secure off-street parking.
Services
- Personalised granite headstones and memorials
- Bronze and granite plaques, plus cremation memorials
- Individual design and engraving, including cultural designs
- Remedial work and matching of added inscriptions
Highlights
- Making memorials for families across the country for 67 years
- Long standing member of the New Zealand Master Monumental Masons Association
- Over 120 designs to choose from, with custom work available
- On-site showroom with secure off-street parking in Onehunga
- Experience shipping memorials to the Pacific Islands
Location & Contact
Name: Jacobsen Headstones Ltd
Address: 162 Neilson Street (corner of Victoria Street), Onehunga, Auckland 1061
Phone: 09 634 3280
Website: jacobsenheadstones.co.nz
4Monumental Headstones & Plaques
Monumental Headstones & Plaques works from a showroom and factory at 3F Henry Rose Place in Albany, just off Rosedale Road and a short run from the Northern Motorway. The company has operated as monumental masons for over 12 years and supplies memorials in many different languages, mainly across Auckland, Northland and the Waikato and Bay of Plenty. Families can choose their stone directly from the warehouse alongside the showroom.
Services
- Memorial headstones in granite, marble, Hinuera stone and bronze
- Bronze and granite plaques
- Custom memorials, from small plaques through to crypts
- Refurbishment and rebuilding of existing memorials
- Added inscriptions on existing headstones
Highlights
- Operating as monumental masons for more than 12 years
- Memorials supplied in many different languages, with a Chinese language page on the site
- Showroom and factory in Albany where clients can select their own stone
Location & Contact
Name: Monumental Headstones & Plaques Ltd
Address: 3F Henry Rose Place, Albany, Auckland
Phone: 09 414 6963
Website: headstonesandplaques.co.nz
5Auckland Funerals & Memorials
Auckland Funerals & Memorials is an Otahuhu monumental mason approved by all the local cemeteries in Auckland, and has served the area for close to 20 years. The business imports stone directly from the factory and engraves locally, with a showroom on Atkinson Avenue holding a large range to choose from. Design categories run from classic and cross styles through to Maori, Pacific, Asian and temple headstones.
Services
- Custom designed and stock range headstones
- Second inscriptions on existing memorials
- Headstone refurbishment and replacement of damaged memorials
- Ceramic memorial photographs
Highlights
- Approved monumental mason for all local Auckland cemeteries
- Serving Auckland communities for close to 20 years
- Stone imported direct from the factory and engraved locally
- Shipping within New Zealand and to the Pacific Islands
Location & Contact
Name: Auckland Funerals & Memorials Ltd
Address: 47-49 Atkinson Avenue, Otahuhu, Auckland
Phone: 09 277 0718
Website: aklmemorials.co.nz
Headstones in Auckland at a Glance
| Business | Highlight |
|---|---|
| Parkinson & Bouskill | Trading as a monumental mason since 1886 |
| Sanctuary Memorials | Creating custom granite and marble headstones in Auckland since 2011 |
| Jacobsen Headstones | Making memorials for families across the country for 67 years |
| Monumental Headstones & Plaques | Operating as monumental masons for more than 12 years |
| Auckland Funerals & Memorials | Approved monumental mason for all local Auckland cemeteries |
How to Choose the Right Headstone Provider in Auckland
- Check the mason is approved to install in the cemetery you are using, since Auckland Council cemeteries only allow registered monumental installers on site.
- Ask what the quote actually covers, including the foundation, engraving, delivery and installation, so you are comparing like with like.
- Visit a showroom if you can, because granite colour and finish look very different in person from a photograph on a screen.
- Confirm the mason can produce the lettering, language and cultural design you want, whether that is te reo Maori, Chinese characters or a temple style memorial.
- Ask about lead times up front, as stone that is not held in stock can add months before any carving begins.
Frequently Asked Questions About Auckland Headstones
How much does a headstone cost in Auckland?
Cost depends on the size, shape and colour of the stone, the amount of carving and whether a foundation is needed. Most Auckland masons quote per job rather than publishing a price list, so it is worth getting written quotes from two or three of them and checking exactly what each one includes.
How long does it take to get a headstone made?
Allow several weeks at minimum. Sanctuary Memorials suggests anticipating six to eight weeks for its stonemasons to complete a memorial, and any design that is not already in stock has to be ordered in before carving can start. Cemetery approval adds a little more time on top.
Can anyone install a headstone in an Auckland cemetery?
No. Monuments, memorial headstones and plaques may only be installed in Auckland Council cemeteries by registered monumental installers, who have to meet the council’s health and safety requirements and have their work appraised against an accepted standard. Full details are on the Auckland Council monuments and headstones page.
What is a monumental mason?
A monumental mason designs, cuts, engraves and installs memorials such as headstones, plaques, grave covers and cremation memorials. It is a distinct trade from construction stonemasonry, and many masons belong to the New Zealand Master Monumental Masons Association, which sets standards for the industry.
Can I add a name or dates to an existing headstone?
Yes. Adding a second inscription is routine work and every business on this page offers it. The mason matches the existing lettering style, size and depth so the addition sits naturally with the original, and the work is usually done at the graveside rather than by removing the stone.
Which materials are used for headstones in New Zealand?
Granite is the most common because it holds an engraving and stands up to weather. Marble, bronze and Hinuera stone are also used, with bronze most often seen on plaques set into a concrete or granite base. Auckland masons stock a range of granite colours, and the colour you choose affects both the price and how the lettering reads.
Do Auckland masons ship memorials to the Pacific Islands?
Several do. Parkinson & Bouskill lists supply to Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, the Solomon Islands, American Samoa and Hawaii, Auckland Funerals & Memorials ships within New Zealand and to the Pacific, and Jacobsen Headstones notes expertise in Pacific shipping. Ask early, because freight and local installation change both the price and the timeline.
Should I choose a headstone before or after the burial?
Usually after. Many cemeteries ask for the ground to settle before a full memorial goes on, and families often use that period to agree on wording and design without pressure. Masons are happy to start the design conversation at any point, and some memorials are also arranged in advance as part of pre-planning.
How We Chose the Best Headstones in Auckland
Every business in this guide was found by searching for headstones in Auckland, then checked against its own website. Names, addresses and phone numbers are taken from the business’s own site rather than a directory feed, so what you see here is what they publish themselves. We also check that each one is actually based in or genuinely serving Auckland, rather than a national operator running a local landing page. A business with no website of its own is not listed, because there is no primary source to verify it against.