Why Work With Us?

Cemetery Benches Dealer
in NJ

Hand-carved memorial benches by Cemetery Bench Shop — 80+ years in Morris County, NJ.

Memorial Bench Specialists — Granite memorial seating
Companion Memorial Benches — Side-by-side memorial design
Custom Inscription & Carving — Hand-carved in Morris County
Photo-Etched Portraits — High-contrast relief portraits
Foundation Installation — Below frost-line, level-set
Cemetery Permit Handling — Full submission on your behalf
Bench Restoration — Restore & re-level aged benches
American-Made Granite — Domestic & select imported stone
Veteran Memorial Benches — Military insignia available
Over 80 Years in NJ — Family-owned since 1945
All 14 NJ Counties — Statewide installation
Multilingual Service — English · Russian · Polish
Serving all of New Jersey · English, Russian, Polish
Granite Memorial Bench hand-carved by Cemetery Bench Shop in NJ — image 1

Cemetery Benches

Over 80 Years in NJ

Ready When You Are

Talk to a Cemetery Bench Shop craftsman today.

Call, email, schedule a free quote, or visit the showroom in person. Real people answer the phone Monday through Saturday.

Service Area

Serving All 14 NJ Counties

From our Morris County headquarters in Madison, NJ, Cemetery Bench Shop serves cemetery benches and garden memorials throughout all of New Jersey. Bergen, Essex, and Passaic County families represent a significant portion of our clients, but our delivery and installation team travels statewide — from Sussex County in the north to Cape May at the shore. Every placement includes permit coordination with the receiving cemetery. Our staff speaks English, Russian, and Polish, so every family receives the same careful consultation regardless of the language they are most comfortable in. Monday through Saturday, we welcome visits to our showroom and calls to (973) 929-9917.

  • Morris
  • Bergen
  • Essex
  • Passaic
  • Hudson
  • Union
  • Sussex
  • Warren
  • Hunterdon
  • Somerset
  • Middlesex
  • Mercer
  • Monmouth
  • Ocean
Cemetery Guide

Cemetery Compliance Guide

Cemetery Regulations

Cemetery memorial bench regulations in New Jersey are institution-specific, but most grounds require a formal design submission before approving any bench installation. Dimensions typically must fall within a maximum height of 36 to 42 inches from grade, and the granite seat must be at least three inches thick to satisfy structural standards. Cemetery Bench Shop prepares all required documentation and liaises with the cemetery office directly, reducing the administrative burden on grieving families. Permit approval times range from two to four weeks at most NJ cemeteries.

Foundation Requirements

Granite memorial benches weigh between 300 and 800 pounds depending on seat width, backrest configuration, and pedestal design. Safe, long-term placement requires a poured concrete foundation that reaches below New Jersey's frost line — approximately 36 inches in northern counties. Foundations that sit above the frost line are vulnerable to seasonal heaving that destabilizes the stone over time. Cemetery Bench Shop's installation team either pours the foundation to our specification or inspects existing concrete before setting any piece, ensuring the bench remains stable through decades of New Jersey winters.

Religious Cemetery Considerations

Faith communities throughout New Jersey hold differing expectations for cemetery monuments. Catholic cemeteries — well-represented across Essex, Bergen, and Morris Counties — generally permit bench headstones in dedicated family and garden sections. Jewish cemeteries favor clean, proportionate forms that honor halachic tradition; Cemetery Bench Shop crafts benches that satisfy these requirements while remaining fully individualized. Russian and Polish Orthodox families frequently request Cyrillic inscriptions or traditional cross motifs, and our artisans carry this work out with the same precision applied to English lettering. We serve all communities with equal care and without presumption.

Our Collection

Our Memorial Benches Collection

Memorial Bench

A cemetery memorial bench is a granite structure designed for permanent installation at a burial plot or cemetery garden, providing both a monument and a place for visitors to sit and reflect. Cemetery Bench Shop produces benches in a range of widths — typically 48 to 66 inches — supported by either a single central pedestal or two-leg supports. Straight-seat models suit the formal geometry of most New Jersey cemetery rows, while curved-seat designs fit garden memorial areas where a softer profile is appropriate. Backrests are available for families who want a larger inscription surface or a carved portrait panel; backless designs present a more restrained silhouette. Custom inscriptions are cut directly into the polished granite seat face, the base front, or the backrest. Cemetery Bench Shop's artisans hand-carve every letter and image — names, dates, epitaphs, religious symbols, and portrait etchings are all within our capabilities. The granite memorial bench craftsmanship that defines our work is rooted in 80+ years of practice in Morris County, where every piece is finished by the same hands that shaped the stone.

Granite Options

Cemetery Bench Shop uses American-made granite in several finishes suited to cemetery installation. Jet Black granite — polished to a deep, uniform sheen — is our most popular choice for benches because the surface accepts laser-etched portrait imagery with exceptional clarity. Blue Pearl and medium gray granites offer a more understated, traditional appearance. Balmoral Red suits families who want warmth in the stone's character. All inscription faces are finished to a fine polish that accepts deep-cut lettering cleanly; structural surfaces use a sawn or thermal finish for durability and grip.

Custom Design Process

Design begins at our Morris County showroom, where a consultant walks the family through finished examples and our portfolio of inscription styles and carved motifs. A scaled drawing is produced showing the full bench in elevation, with all text and imagery placed. The family reviews and signs off before carving begins. Every letter is then cut by hand — not machined — by our artisans. After carving, a quality inspection ensures lettering depth, surface finish, and imagery precision all meet our standard. Delivery and installation follow once cemetery permits are in hand.

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Cemetery Benches process
Our Process

Our Hand-Carving Process

Cemetery Bench Shop's hand-carving process has been refined over more than 80 years in our Morris County workshop. It proceeds in six deliberate steps. Consultation and material selection: the family visits our showroom and chooses granite color, bench dimensions, and inscription content. We verify that the selected design meets the cemetery's regulations. Design drafting: our team produces a scaled drawing showing the bench elevation and all inscription text and imagery. The family approves this drawing before any stone is touched. Layout transfer: approved artwork is carefully transferred onto the polished granite surface, marking the precise location of every letter and design element. Hand-carving: artisans use pneumatic chisels to cut letters and imagery by hand. Depth and angle are controlled by the artisan, not a program, producing lettering with natural dimensionality. Finishing and inspection: the completed piece is cleaned and inspected for consistency, surface quality, and inscription accuracy before any delivery is scheduled. Delivery and installation: our team transports the bench, sets it on the prepared foundation, and levels it. The family is notified when their loved one's bench is in place.

Cemetery Benches memorial installed in NJ
Voices

What Families Say

New Jersey families have entrusted us with their memorials for three generations.

“Cemetery Bench Shop took the time to understand what we wanted and came back with a drawing that was exactly right. The bench sits at the cemetery in Bergen County and every person who has seen it says it looks like it belongs there — solid, quiet, dignified.” — Thomas, Bergen County NJ
Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

If you do not see your question here, call us.

How long does it take to design and install a memorial benches?

Eight to twelve weeks is a typical timeline from design approval to cemetery installation. That includes permit review at the cemetery — usually two to four weeks — carving time in our Morris County workshop, and scheduling with cemetery staff for the placement date. If your situation calls for an accelerated timeline, raise that in the initial consultation.

Do you serve cemeteries throughout New Jersey?

Yes. We serve cemeteries throughout all 14 New Jersey counties. Our installation team handles delivery and placement statewide, from Morris and Bergen Counties to Ocean and Cape May. We coordinate all permits and communicate directly with cemetery management on your behalf.

Are your memorials cemetery-compliant?

Yes. Every design is reviewed against the specific rules of the receiving cemetery before carving begins. We confirm maximum allowable dimensions, foundation specifications, and any material restrictions with the cemetery office. All Cemetery Bench Shop benches use American-made granite that meets the material standards of virtually every NJ cemetery.

Can I bring my own design or photo?

Absolutely — bringing photographs, sketches, or examples is encouraged. Our design team works from whatever you bring to produce a scaled drawing for your approval. Nothing is cut until you have signed off on the design.

Do you offer veteran companion markers?

Yes. We produce companion benches for two individuals and regularly carve military branch insignia and dates of service for veterans. Ask about coordinating a custom bench with any government-furnished veteran marker if applicable.

What languages do you serve families in?

Yes — English, Russian, and Polish.

Showroom & Gallery

See Cemetery Benches in Person

Browse a few of the stones we have set, then come visit us in person. Sample stones, finishes, and lettering are all on display.

Cemetery Bench Shop Madison, NJ 07940
Get directions
Cemetery Benches · Serving all of New Jersey

Schedule a Free Consultation Today

We serve families across Morris, Bergen, Essex, Passaic, Hudson counties and all of New Jersey. Fill out the form, drop by the showroom, or call us. Real people answer the phone Monday through Saturday.

Request Your Free Consultation

A specialist contacts you within one business day. House calls available across Morris County and the surrounding region.

Or call (973) 929-9917