The grave is already built and only the photograph is missing
The grave already has its headstone. What is missing is the person's photograph, the name, the date of birth and the date of death. You do not need a new headstone — you need a slate plaque made to the measure of the space still free.
We make that plaque, it sits without building work, and there is no need to touch what is already there. This page explains how it is measured, what it costs and in what order it is done.
Payment is by MB Way and only after you approve the final design. Never before.
No deposit, no advance. First you see the image of the plaque with the photograph and dates already in place; only when you say it is as you want it is there payment and engraving.
- ✓ Sits without building work, on what already exists
- ✓ The price of every size is shown on this page
- ✓ 5.0 across more than 30 Google reviews
It is not a new headstone. It is the piece that is missing
When the grave is already built, the job is not to rebuild it. It is to add a slate plaque with what is not yet there — the photograph, the name, the dates, a dedication — cut to the measure of the space left over.
That changes three things compared with ordering a headstone from scratch, and all three are in your favour:
It costs less
The piece is smaller, because it only has to fill the free space. The sizes that solve most of these cases start at 35 €.
It does not require building work
The plaques rest on the grave or on the slab, or are fixed vertically beside what already exists. Many families place them with nobody's help.
It is decided faster
The measurement already exists and is not chosen: it is taken. Only the photograph and the text are left to decide, and with that we help.
What to measure, and what to photograph
Two measurements and a photograph. Whoever goes to the cemetery needs to know nothing about headstones — only to take a tape measure.
| What to measure | How | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Width of the free space | From one side to the other of the space where the plaque will rest, not counting what is already there | It is what sets the size |
| Height of the free space | From top to bottom of the same space | It is what sets the proportion between photograph and text |
| What is already there | Headstone, old plaque, vase, lantern, flower box, loose lettering | Stops the new piece from not fitting or covering what it should not |
What we ask of whoever goes to the cemetery
Photograph the grave with the tape measure stretched across it — one photo of the width and one of the height, and a third of the whole grave head-on. With those three we confirm the numbers and catch mistakes before engraving. It is the simplest mechanism we know for avoiding surprises.
If you cannot take the measurements, send just the photograph of the grave. Often we can tell you the likely size and what is left to confirm.
The price depends on the free space, and it is all here
These are the sizes that solve most already-built graves. The figures include VAT and the full engraving — colour photograph, name, dates and message.
| Shape | Size | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Retangular | 14×22 cm | 35 € |
| Retangular | 20×20 cm | 49 € |
| Retangular | 20×30 cm (folha A4) | 75 € |
| Coração | 25×25 cm | 75 € |
| Retangular | 30×20 cm | 90 € |
| Retangular | 24×32 cm | 100 € |
If the free space is larger than these, there are sizes up to 230 € — the full table of ten is in headstones for cemeteries. Transport is not included: the cost of shipping changes with the destination and is stated in the quote.
The 20×30 cm (folha A4) is the most chosen for this case
It is the size of an A4 sheet, costs 75 € and is enough for a good-sized photograph, the name and the two dates. It is the starting point when the free space does not force anything smaller.
Buying from someone you do not know, without paying blind
It is worth saying this plainly, because it is what stops most people in this situation: ordering a piece engraved with the name of someone in your family, from a workshop you only know over the internet, is an act of trust. We do not ask for that trust up front.
First you see the piece
We send the image of the complete design, with the photograph placed, the name and the dates as they will be engraved. It arrives by WhatsApp or email, so you can show it to the family before replying.
Then you change whatever you want
Swap the photograph, correct a date written wrong, change the inscription, change the size. As many times as you need, at no cost. Nothing is engraved at this stage.
Only then do you pay, by MB Way
To 910 053 138, the same number as the WhatsApp, and only after approving the final design. No deposit, no advance, no upfront payment of any part.
The workshop is at Rua de João Maia 29, 4475-129 Maia, in Porto, it has a door onto the street and you can walk in — arrange it beforehand on WhatsApp so someone is there to receive you. Who answers and who engraves is in about us, and the Google reviews are public and do not pass through us. The full conditions are in order conditions.
Four steps, with your yes before the payment
A photograph of the grave as it is today
Taken head-on, with the free space in view. It is from that photograph that we see what is already there and where the new plaque can rest.
The measurement of the free space
Width and height, with a tape measure. Ask whoever goes to the cemetery to photograph the tape stretched across it: we confirm the numbers before engraving.
The design, to approve
We send the image of the plaque with the photograph, the name and the dates already in place. You can change anything, as many times as you need.
You pay and receive
Payment by MB Way after your approval, never before. Production in 7 to 14 working days from that yes, with tracked shipping.
How it is placed, and what is worth checking first
Slate plaques are made to rest on the grave or on the slab, or to be fixed vertically beside what already exists. No building work, no removing the headstone, and many families place them with nobody's help.
There is one thing that does not depend on us and is worth a phone call before choosing the size: the cemetery's rules. Some have size limits for plaques, others require a placement permit. It is requested from the parish council or the municipality the cemetery belongs to, and it is quick — but it is easier to sort out before the piece is engraved than after.
If the grave is in a vault or an ossuary, the measurements are almost always standardised and the case is explained in headstones for vaults and ossuaries. If you want the new plaque heart-shaped — the frequent choice for a second piece beside the main one — the price and the size are in heart-shaped headstones.
Tell us the free space and we will tell you the price
Fill in what you know. If you do not have the measurements yet, leave it blank and we will explain how they are taken — a person replies, not an automatic form. Payment is by MB Way and only after you approve the final design.
How long it takes, counted from when
Production takes 7 to 14 working days, and that period counts from the approval of the design — not from the date you write to us. To the production time you add transport to the delivery address, stated in the quote.
Anyone with a date in mind — a birthday, a mass, All Saints' Day — should allow for that time and write to us before the decision is fully made. We get ahead with the measurements and the size while the family chooses the photograph.
Questions from people who already have the grave built
The grave already has its headstone and only the photo, name and dates are missing. Do you do that?
It is one of the requests that reach us most, and yes. It is not a new headstone: it is a slate plaque with the photograph engraved in colour, the name and the dates, sized for the free space on the grave or the slab. It rests or is fixed beside what is already there, and there is no need to touch the headstone.
How much does it cost to add just the photograph to a grave that already exists?
It depends on the size of the plaque, and the size depends on the free space. The sizes that solve most of these cases run from 35 € (14×22 cm) to 100 € (24×32 cm), with VAT and the full engraving included — colour photograph, name, dates and message. The whole table runs from 35 € to 230 €. Tell us the measurement of the space and you get the exact figure for your case.
Do I have to pay before seeing how it looks?
No, quite the opposite: payment is by MB Way to 910 053 138 and only after approving the final design. Never before. We ask for no deposit or advance, and nothing is engraved without your yes.
Is building work needed? Does the plaque already there have to be removed?
In most cases no. Slate plaques are made to rest on the grave or on the slab, or to be fixed vertically beside what already exists, without building work and without removing anything. If the free space does not suit any size, we will tell you — rather than selling you a piece that will not fit.
And if the old plaque is cracked or its frame is damaged?
In that case the new plaque replaces the old one rather than joining it, and the measurement to take is that of the old plaque. Send a photograph of the state it is in: we will tell you whether it is worth replacing only the photograph or remaking the whole piece with the name and the dates.
How do I measure if I cannot go to the cemetery?
They are two simple measurements — width and height of the free space — that any relative or neighbour takes in five minutes. Give them our WhatsApp and we explain directly what we need: you do not have to sit in the middle translating instructions. We always ask for a photograph with the tape measure stretched across, so we can confirm the numbers before engraving.
Which photograph should I send?
The original, not a copy already forwarded many times: every forward through messaging apps takes away definition, and definition is what you see on the stone. If you only have it on paper, photograph it head-on, in good natural light and with no shadow across it — that is perfectly enough. If the photograph will not give enough sharpness, we say so before engraving.
Can you make the plaque heart-shaped?
We can, and it is a common choice for a second piece beside the main one. The 25×25 cm slate heart costs 75 €, with the same engraving as the rectangular ones. It is explained in heart-shaped headstones.
Do I need a permit from the cemetery?
To add a plaque that rests without building work, often not. But the rules change from cemetery to cemetery, and some have size limits or require a placement permit — it is requested from the parish council or the municipality the cemetery belongs to. It is worth checking before choosing the size, and it is one phone call.
How long does it take?
7 to 14 working days of production, counting from the approval of the design and not from the date you write to us. To the production time you add transport, which is stated in the quote.
Can I return the plaque if I do not like it?
Pieces engraved to order — name, dates, photograph — are not covered by the 14-day right of withdrawal, under article 17 of Portuguese Decree-Law no. 24/2014, because once engraved they are no use to anyone else. That is why the design is always approved by you before we produce. If the piece arrives faulty or different from the approved design, we correct or replace it at no cost.
Start with the photograph of the grave as it is today
It is what lets us answer with a size and a price rather than questions. If you already have the measurements, the form on this page will do it. If you do not, send the photograph on WhatsApp and we take care of the rest.