The following questions have been put to FOHC by group members, from conversations with cemetery visitors, telephone enquiries, and social media. Whilst we realise that we have no memorial inspection qualifications, we will attempt to answer the questions using factual information.
FAQ's
Q. How much does a new foundation cost?
A. Currently £262.50. No Vat is charged.
Q. Why was my memorial deemed to be unsafe? I visited it a week before it was flattened, and it had no movement.
A. Contact Renfrewshire Council. They should be able to give you a reason.
Q. I recently had to get my parents' headstone put back up. When I enquired about memorial insurance, I was asked for a copy of the guarantee certificate before they could give me a quotation.
A. According to the BRAMM (British Register of Memorial Masons) Blue Book........ "The grave owner will be issued with a certificate of compliance ensuring the construction complies with BS8415."
Q. Why wasn't I contacted before my Mum's headstone was put down. I am absolutely devastated, I am the lair holder. I read in the Paisley Express that the council say, “Unfortunately, it isn’t always possible to reach lair owners before work is carried out and marker notices are placed on memorials and headstones with details for how lair holders can contact the council to ensure their memorial meets the required safety standards". They could have contacted me easily.
A. Renfrewshire Council Website gives the following information.
"It is unfortunately not possible to reach lair owners in advance of an inspection and work being carried out."
All current guidance stresses the importance of contacting last named lair holders using all available means.
Q. I was told by one of the memorial inspectors that my headstone had been dropped because it didn't have pins in it. What pins are they talking about?
A. The pins they are probably referring to are the ones that fix the memorial base to the foundation.
Any fixing or re-fixing of memorials must have this done to comply with BS8415 2018
Most lawn type memorials before 2018 will not have this feature.
It should not be the reason for dropping headstones.
Q. My family's headstone has been covered in grass cuttings, and I will have to clean it.
Some nearby headstones have been red flagged and have been toppled, some have yellow labels, and are still standing. I don't know if our's has been tested as it has no label. How do I know if it's safe?
If it's safe, should it have a green label?
A. Contact Renfrewshire Council to find out.
There are no green tags, unfortunately.