A lasting stone for your pet in Orlando
Around 10,000 dogs and cats die in Orlando each year, by our estimate. If yours was one of them, this guide covers which stones suit local weather, what they cost and where they can go.
- Engraving and proof steps explained
- Delivery weight and setting, planned ahead
- Quotes by email from makers who serve Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Pet memorials in Orlando: the local picture
Florida's sun, humidity and summer storms are hard on outdoor memorials. Stone, sealed concrete and powder-coated metal last longest; painted wood and some resins fade or crack. A memorial tree or shrub suited to Central Florida, planted with a biodegradable urn, can be a lovely choice, as long as you plant it somewhere that won't flood. Low-lying yards near lakes and retention ponds can hold water for days after a summer storm, so higher ground is kinder to a memorial.
Many Orlando families keep a pet's ashes at home in a small urn, or share them in keepsake containers among relatives across Florida and beyond. Jewelry holding a pinch of ashes, a framed paw print or an engraved garden stone are also common. If you rent or might move, something portable is easier to keep with you. Ask for a paw print before cremation if you'd like one.
A city the size of Orlando usually has a monument company or two, a few garden centers selling blank stepping stones and river rocks, and online engravers who ship to the door. That mix works well: you can see real stone locally, then decide whether a local engraver or an online maker gives you the better proof and price for a small pet marker.
About 333,888 people live in Orlando, which makes it the 4th-largest of the 235 Florida communities we cover.
For a second opinion on price, Edgewood (4 miles), Conway (5 miles) and Pine Castle (5 miles) are close enough that their providers cover Orlando routinely. Two written quotes tell you more than any price list.
Our estimate
125,000
Estimated dog- or cat-owning households in Orlando
How we calculated this
333,888 ÷ 2.5 = 133,555 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 125,000. Homes are counted once however many pets they keep.
Our estimate
10,000
Orlando families who lose a dog or cat each year (estimate)
How we calculated this
125,000 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 10,000 a year. Treat it as a minimum.
53%[1]
53% of US households own a dog, which is about 71 million households.
12.69 years[2]
US dogs have an average life expectancy at birth of 12.69 years.
39%[3]
39% of US households own a cat, which is about 53 million households.
11.18 years[4]
US cats seen at Banfield hospitals have an average life expectancy at birth of 11.18 years.
To check the figures yourself, see American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry and Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science.
Grave or ashes? The local habit in Florida
Scattering is common in Florida, since cremation accounts for roughly 72.5%[5] of human deaths there, and many families scatter a pet's ashes on a beach or a favorite trail. You can't leave a stone there, but you can bring the place home: a pebble from that beach set beside an engraved marker, or the trail's name carved on the stone itself.
NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) is where the Florida figure comes from. It counts people; we use it because attitudes to cremating a pet in Orlando tend to follow attitudes to cremation generally.
Which stones survive the weather in Orlando
Plan installation around the heat. Setting a stone in Orlando means digging, leveling and tamping gravel, which is heavy work when July highs sit near 92°F. An early morning in spring or fall is easier, and the ground is often softer then. There's no rush: a temporary marker holds the spot perfectly well through summer.
Orlando summers are hard on outdoor memorials: July averages highs around 92°F. Strong sun bleaches cast resin, fades painted lettering and dries out the sealant around ashes compartments. Granite and natural stone with carved letters are the safe choice. Painted fill in the letters will need touching up every few years; carved depth won't.
How much to budget for a pet stone
Pet memorial stones cover a wide price range in the US, and the material matters more than the size. Engraved garden stones start at ~$39[6] across three US sellers, while flat granite markers start from $157.95[7] and upright granite headstones run $258–$628[8]. The table shows published prices you can use to judge any quote from a maker serving Orlando.
We keep the detailed Florida price table on one page so it stays current: see Florida prices.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Permissions worth checking in Florida
A pet grave and its stone stay with the house when you sell, so it's worth thinking ahead. Some owners mention a pet burial to buyers, and a stone set on gravel rather than concrete is easy to take with you. None of this needs a permit in most places; the notes below cover burial and scattering in Florida.
Florida keeps an official directory of local governments; use it to reach the county or city office that covers Orlando.
The Florida page sets out who oversees pet cremation and what the state says about burial and scattering. Orlando's own bylaws can sit on top of that, so ask before you dig.
A step-by-step plan for your situation
- Mark the spot simply for now. A flat paver, a potted plant or a ring of pebbles holds the place while the ground settles and you think about wording.
- Decide where the stone will live long term: your garden, a pet cemetery, a planter or somewhere that can move with you.
- Choose the material for your climate. Granite for hard winters and strong sun; slate or river rock where it's mild and dry.
- Write the wording and count the letters. Name, years and one short line fit most small stones. Our memorial stone planner checks the fit.
- Ask two or three makers for written quotes that include lettering, any photo, delivery and setting.
- Approve a proof before anything is cut. Check spelling with someone else in the house.
- Set the stone on compacted gravel so it drains and stays level, and add a plant beside it if you like.
Around the stone: plants, benches and small rituals
Orlando is a city of lakes, from Lake Eola downtown to the chains of lakes around Winter Park and Windermere, and many families link their pets with lakeside parks, springs and trails. Some scatter part of the ashes at a meaningful spot and keep the rest at home. Check rules for parks and state lands first, and choose a cool early morning.
or see how other readers answered in our polls, use the free tools before you ring anyone, For a plain comparison of the choices, open services, read our guides and latest articles. Close to Orlando we also cover Tampa, St. Petersburg, Cape Coral and Port St. Lucie; the full list for Florida and for the United States is a click away.
Reader polls
What would you choose?
Vote anonymously and see how other readers answered. The results are live counts from people who visit this site, so they show real opinions, not a scientific sample.
If you moved house, what would happen to the memorial?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
What feels like the right amount to spend on a garden stone?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
If you had to decide today, which aftercare would you choose for your pet?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Free tools to help you plan
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Memorial stone planner
Plan size, material and engraving length so your wording fits the stone.
Memorial tree finder
Pick a tree for a planting urn that suits your climate, space and pet.
Questions people ask
Can a provider from a neighbouring town collect from Orlando?
Usually yes. Edgewood is about 4 miles away, Conway is about 5 miles away and Pine Castle is about 5 miles away, all inside a normal collection radius. Get the mileage written into the quote so there is no surprise on the day.
Does the Orlando climate change what I should do first?
Only the timing. In July, with highs near 92°F, cool the body and book collection the same day. Winters here are mild enough that burial or scattering is possible in any month.
Is cremation common in Florida?
For people, yes: about 72.5%[5] of Florida deaths end in cremation, according to NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024). Nobody publishes the same figure for pets, but in our experience pet choices in Orlando follow the human pattern closely, so cremation is the default most families here start from.
Is Orlando big enough to have several pet aftercare providers?
Probably, on the numbers. By our estimate about 125,000 Orlando households keep a dog or cat and around 10,000 lose one each year, which is enough steady demand to support more than one provider. We derive that from population (about 333,888), household size and national ownership and lifespan figures.
How much does a pet memorial stone cost in Orlando?
Published US prices give a good guide. Engraved garden stones start at ~$39[6], natural engraved river stones run $38–$115[10], flat granite markers start from $157.95[7] and upright granite headstones cost $258–$628[8] (per one large retailer). Delivery, a photo and cemetery setting fees are extra, so ask Orlando makers for a written total.
Do many families in Orlando choose a memorial stone?
We don't track local sales, but the numbers suggest plenty do. By our estimate, around 10,000 dogs and cats die in Orlando each year, from about 125,000 dog- or cat-owning households, and a large share of US owners say they'd prefer home burial (40.4% cremation; 34.9% home burial; 1.9% aquamation[11] in one survey). Many of those graves end up marked with a stone.
Sources and our estimates
- [1] 53% of US households own a dog, which is about 71 million households. American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry, 2025.
- [2] US dogs have an average life expectancy at birth of 12.69 years. Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science - Banfield Pet Hospital life expectancy tables (13.3 million dogs, 2.4 million cats, 2013-2019), 2023.
- [3] 39% of US households own a cat, which is about 53 million households. American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry, 2025.
- [4] US cats seen at Banfield hospitals have an average life expectancy at birth of 11.18 years. Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science - Banfield Pet Hospital life expectancy tables (13.3 million dogs, 2.4 million cats, 2013-2019), 2023.
- [5] The NFDA projected Florida's cremation rate at 72.5% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [6] Engraved pet garden stones start at about $39 at the median of three US sellers. Our estimate: median of starting prices [$38 Adirondack, $38.95 Memorials.com, $89.99 Comfort Co.]. How we calculate.
- [7] Flat granite pet grave markers at Memorials.com start at $157.95. Memorials.com – Pet Memorial Stones, 2026.
- [8] Upright granite pet headstones at Memorials.com run $257.95–$627.95. Memorials.com – Pet Memorial Stones, 2026.
- [9] Across five posted US pet-cemetery price lists, the median whole-body burial for a small pet, including plot and opening/closing, was about $350. Our estimate: median of [Rainier $150 plot incl. first burial, Cedar Bend $290, Forest $350, Great River $750, Precious Memories $1,500]. How we calculate.
- [10] Adirondack Stone Works sells engraved natural-stone pet memorials from $38 (6–7 inch mini) to $115 (13–14 inch large), with 1–4 lines of text included. Adirondack Stone Works Pet Memorials, 2026.
- [11] Asked their preferred future after-death care, 40.4% of US owners chose traditional flame cremation and 34.9% home burial; 10.7% chose cemetery burial and 1.9% alkaline hydrolysis (aquamation). Cooney, Kogan, Brooks, Ellis - Pet Owners' Expectations for Pet End-of-Life Support and After-Death Body Care, Topics in Companion Animal Medicine (2020), 2020.
Price a pet memorial stone in Orlando
Tell us what you need and where you are. We'll reply by email with clear options and prices so you can decide in your own time.