Destroyed by a storm, flooded by rain, or maybe damaged by vandals? Few people know that a tombstone can be covered by an insurance policy. The premium does not have to be high, but in the event of destruction, the protection will cover the costs of repairing or replacing the monument. We check what exactly is covered by tombstone insurance and when it is worth using it.
Putting up a monument costs thousands
The costs of stonemasonry services are still quite high due to the rising prices of materials and labor. According to the KB.pl website, The average cost of a single tombstone made of granite is approximately PLN 6,000 to PLN 7,500. zlotywhile for double monuments these values are even higher and exceed PLN 10,000. The cost of the tombstone itself includes the assembly service, on average from PLN 340 to PLN 450, but in situations where it is necessary to dismantle the old monument and reinstall a new one, the total cost of the service may exceed PLN 900. The amount of the fee also depends on the technical conditions at the cemetery – the availability of the area, the type of soil and the distance from the stonemason's workshop.
The total cost of erecting a tombstone in 2025 – including purchase, assembly and necessary preparatory work – for a standard single granite monument is PLN 6.5 – 8 thousand. PLN, but if you choose more expensive materials or have an extensive project, this amount may reach ten thousand.
Advertisement
Can a tombstone be insured?
Tombstone insurance is available from several insurance companies. If a monument is destroyed, the costs of repairing or replacing it must be borne out of your own pocket, which will be quite troublesome for many people. The policy allows you to transfer the liability to the insurance company that will pay out compensation not only for damage, but also for, for example, theft of crosses or permanently attached vases. As a rule, the risks include fire and random events, e.g. strong wind, hail, lightning, falling trees or branches, but also devastation.
The vast majority of insurers that offer tombstone insurance offer it offered as an add-on to your home insurance policy (only PZU also offers them as a separate product). If we want to insure a monument in a cemetery, we should first purchase property protection and then choose the appropriate extension of liability. When choosing the insurance amount, it is worth taking into account the amount incurred for the installation of the tombstone, because too low an amount will result in the payment of a benefit that will not cover all the costs of repair and/or replacement.
Protection only against accidental events
As we have already noted, tombstone insurance covers three main risks: accidental events, theft and devastation. Insurance companies surveyed by Bankier.pl indicate that the protection only applies to permanent elements, e.g. plaques, crosses, sculptures, so the theft of candles or flowers will not allow you to obtain compensation. Liability exclusions also include damages related to:
- landslides,
- stonemasonry work or work performed by funeral companies and cemetery managers,
- natural aging of the material,
- dirt from wax, soot from candles, etc.
So what situations can tombstone insurance cover? PZU gives examples of damage caused by flood, damage caused by a broken branch that fell on the tombstone, spilling paint, and theft of ornaments from the tombstone.
Tombstone insurance in 2025 – overview of offers
The responses sent back to us and the market review show that 5 insurance companies offer tombstone insurance. The scope of protection is similar in each case, but it is worth paying attention to details, e.g. the value of the damage on which compensation is paid or liability limits for a specific risk (UNIQA and TUZ Ubezpieczenia have such a solution for protection against devastation).
|
Tombstone insurance |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Scope of protection |
Comments |
|
|
PZU |
Actions of forces of nature, such as strong wind, hail, flooding or flooding. Devastation, e.g. spilling paint. Theft using force (e.g. tearing out decorative elements). Damage caused by falling branches or trees. |
The insurance can be purchased as a stand-alone policy. Protection covers permanently mounted elements, such as: plaques with inscriptions, letters, tombstone sculptures, decorative crosses, vases, benches and bands around the tombstone, if they are permanently mounted. The insurance does not cover items that are not permanently attached to the tombstone, such as candles, flowers or free-standing vases. |
|
Guard |
Flood, fire, strong wind, earthquake, impact of a motor vehicle, falling trees or masts, falling of an air vehicle. Devastation, burglary. |
Excluded are damages related to landslides and subsidence, dirt, e.g. wax, damage resulting from the natural aging of the material or resulting from the work of stonemasonry and funeral companies or the cemetery manager. Damage up to PLN 100 is excluded from liability. |
|
UNIQA |
Heavy rain, smoke and soot, explosion, hail, supersonic noise, avalanche, fire, landslide, lightning, strong wind, snow, earthquake, vehicle impact, fall of an object, aircraft fall, flooding, ground collapse. Burglary and robbery, devastation. |
Maximum sum insured – PLN 150,000. zloty. The maximum age of a tombstone is 20 years. Damage resulting from the collapse of the earth related to earthworks is excluded. The limit for the risk of devastation is 20% of the sum insured. The tombstone is also protected in the event of devastation and theft of permanent elements, such as: commemorative plaques, letters, crosses, sculptures, vases permanently attached to the tombstone. |
|
TUZ Insurance |
Strong wind, heavy rain, smoke and soot, flood, fire, lightning strike, falling object, aircraft falling, earthquake, theft and devastation. |
Maximum sum insured – PLN 25,000. zloty. In the event of devastation, the liability limit is up to 70% of the damage. The insured's own share in the loss is 5%, min. PLN 200. Excluded are damages related to landslides and subsidence, dirt e.g. from wax, damage resulting from the natural aging of the material or resulting from the work of stonemasonry and funeral companies or the cemetery manager. |
|
TUW |
Damage resulting from: rain, devastation (including graffiti), waves supersonic, hail, avalanche, fire, strong wind, snow and ice, earthquake, lightning, vehicle impact, falling trees or masts, aircraft falling, explosion, flooding. |
Excluded are damages related to dirt, e.g. wax, damage resulting from material defects and poor installation, or resulting from the work of stonemason and funeral companies or the cemetery manager. |
|
Source: Bankier.pl |
||
Tombstone insurance – niche, but arousing interest
Tombstone insurance is rather niche, but is it worth considering? Marcin Błaszczak, leader in the Other Property and Personal Insurance Development Team at UNIQA, replies that the product arouses greater interest not in November, on the occasion of All Saints' Day, but already in the summer months, from June to September. Warta has similar experiences, citing the fall of trees or heavy branches and theft of permanently attached decorative elements from a grave as the most common damages.
Most policies with this risk are concluded around the holidays, when, due to violent weather phenomena, we are most willing to insure our homes.
The next month when we think about this insurance more often is October due to the upcoming All Souls' Day. – comments Krzysztof Kulasza, Spokesperson of TUiR Warta.
The largest insurer on the market, PZU, offers tombstone insurance as a separate product. In the submitted statement, the press office draws attention to the financial aspect of protection, which will be important for many people:
We notice growing customer interest in this type of protection. Tombstones are often made of high-quality materials and their repair after damage may involve high costs. Insurance gives you a sense of security and allows you to take care of your loved ones' memorial site in a responsible manner. – responds the PZU Press Office.
