A lasting stone for your pet in Novi
Novi has an estimated 25,000 dog- or cat-owning households. When a stone is the memorial you want, the local climate, your yard and any HOA or lease rules all shape the right choice.
- Wording that fits a small stone
- Flush, raised or with an ashes compartment
- No pressure: a stone can wait until you're ready
Novi, Michigan
Local makers and practical limits in Novi
Before placing an outdoor marker in Novi, read your homeowners association's rules, since some limit what can go in front or side yards. In the back garden, a solid stone or cast bronze piece will outlast Michigan winters where resin figurines or painted concrete flake apart. A few inches of compacted gravel underneath keeps it from tilting. Place it where you'll see it from indoors.
Novi's newer homes and townhouses often have little garden space, so memorials here are usually indoors: an urn on the mantel, a framed pawprint, or a pendant with a pinch of ash. Many families moved here for work in the auto and tech industries and may move again, so a memorial you can pack in a box makes sense. Take whatever time you need before deciding.
Delivery to a rural address can add cost and time. Freight carriers sometimes charge extra for residential or remote addresses and may deliver to the end of a long driveway only. When you order for Novi, ask about the delivery method up front, or arrange to collect the stone from a depot or maker in a larger center such as Detroit.
Novi is home to about 67,319 people, the 17th-largest of the 63 Michigan communities we cover. The nearest larger centre is Detroit, about 25 miles (40 km) away, which is where some providers serving Novi are based.
Our pages for Farmington Hills (6 miles), Livonia (8 miles) and Southfield (12 miles) describe the same choices from those towns' point of view, and the providers overlap, so a quote from one often covers Novi as well.
Our estimate
25,000
Estimated dog- or cat-owning households in Novi
How we calculated this
67,319 ÷ 2.5 = 26,928 households; × 53% (dog) + 39% (cat) = 25,000. A household with several pets counts once.
Our estimate
2,050
dog and cat deaths per year in Novi, our estimate
How we calculated this
25,000 dog/cat-owning homes ÷ average lifespan (dog: 12.69 yrs + cat: 11.18 yrs) ≈ 2,050 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.
The numbers above come from American Pet Products Association (APPA) 2025 State of the Industry and Montoya et al. 2023, Frontiers in Veterinary Science, if you'd like to read the original sources.
Burial, cremation and headstones in Michigan
As cremation has grown to about 69.5%[5] of deaths in Michigan, many pet cemeteries have added small plots just for ashes. These usually take a smaller flat marker than a full grave and cost less to open. If a cemetery appeals but a whole plot feels like too much, ask whether it has an ashes section and what size stone it allows there.
The Michigan percentage above is from NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) and refers to human funerals. Treat it as context for Novi, not as a count of pets.
Novi weather and your pet's stone
Cold snaps in Novi, when lows average around 16°F in January, can crack stones that hold water. Stones with an ashes cavity need a good seal so water doesn't collect inside and freeze. If yours has a screw plate or plug, check it in the fall, and ask the maker whether the stone is rated for outdoor use in freezing climates.
Think about where the snow goes in Novi. From January, February, March, November and December, the piles from a shovel, snowblower or plow sit longest and melt last, leaving a stone in slush for weeks. Place the memorial away from the edges of drives and paths, and never chip ice off it with a metal shovel, which can nick polished edges.
Stone, engraving and setting: the real prices
Lead times vary more than prices. Natural engraved stones from one US maker arrive in ~1 week[6], made-to-order granite and bronze markers take 2–4 weeks[7], and a new full-size headstone from a monument company can take 6–12 weeks[8]. If you want the stone in place for an anniversary in Novi, order well ahead.
Prices for Novi track the wider Michigan market, so use the Michigan price table as your baseline and the services page to see what is included.
Free tool
Memorial budget planner
Add up cremation, urn, keepsakes and a farewell so the total holds no surprises.
Home burial, rentals and pet cemeteries in Michigan
Pet cemeteries in Michigan each set their own marker rules: size, material, whether upright stones are allowed and who installs them. Human cemeteries generally don't accept pets. If you plan a cemetery stone, get the rules sheet first. For a home memorial, here's what we know about burial and scattering locally.
To find your county or city office in Michigan, start with the official Michigan local government directory.
Start with the Michigan rules, which cover burial, scattering and oversight for the whole state, and treat Novi's local ordinances as a possible extra layer.
A simple plan for your pet's memorial stone
- Decide whether the stone should travel with you. Renters and anyone likely to move soon should choose something they can lift.
- Pick a spot you'll see every day, from a window or the back door, rather than a far corner you rarely visit.
- Keep it clear of pipes and roots. Have buried utilities located before you put a spade in, and stay well back from the base of any tree.
- Order a stone rated for outdoor use in your climate, with sandblasted lettering at least an eighth of an inch deep.
- Check the proof carefully. Names, dates and punctuation can't be changed once the stone is cut.
- Install it, then look after it lightly: a soft brush and plain water once or twice a year is plenty.
More ways to remember your pet in Novi
Families in Novi come from many backgrounds, including a large and growing Asian community, and memorial customs vary widely. Some prefer a simple engraved box, others a bed of spring bulbs, and others a digital album shared with relatives overseas. Fur clippings and nose prints have to be taken before cremation happens, so bring them up as soon as you contact a provider.
look through our guides and the blog, See what each option includes on our services page, run the numbers with the free planning tools, or look at how readers voted in our polls. Close to Novi we also cover Detroit, Ann Arbor, Lansing and Warren; the full list for Michigan 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.
Where would your pet's stone go?
Tap an answer to vote and see how others answered. Anonymous.
Which stone would you choose for your pet's marker?
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
Roughly how many pets die in Novi each year?
Our estimate is around 2,050. It comes from Novi's population (about 67,319), the average household size, the share of homes with a dog or cat (about 25,000 households here) and the average lifespan. It is arithmetic, not a count, so read it as a rough floor.
Which nearby towns can I compare with Novi?
The closest communities we cover are Farmington Hills (about 6 miles), Livonia (about 8 miles) and Southfield (about 12 miles). Providers based in those places often serve Novi too. Ask each one for a written total that includes collection, so the distance is priced in.
Will I have to travel to Detroit to arrange things?
Not usually. Providers based in Detroit (roughly 25 miles from Novi) collect from here as a matter of routine, and the paperwork is done by email or phone. If you want to be present for a witnessed cremation, that is when the drive matters.
Why does the Novi page quote a human cremation rate?
Because it is the best local signal we have. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage) (2024) reports about 69.5%[5] of Michigan residents are cremated. There is no official pet equivalent, and inventing one would be worse than quoting a real, clearly labelled number.
How many dogs and cats are there in Novi?
By our estimate, about 25,000 households in Novi have a dog or cat, and roughly 2,050 dogs and cats are lost there each year. We calculate this from the city's population, average household size and national ownership and lifespan figures. It's a rough guide to how many families face the same choice as you.
How heavy is a granite pet grave marker?
Granite weighs roughly 165 to 170 lb per cubic foot, so a 12 x 6 inch marker 2 inches thick weighs about 14 lb, and a 16 x 8 inch marker 3 inches thick is close to 40 lb. Upright headstones with a base can weigh well over 100 lb. Heavier pieces usually ship by freight and may be delivered to the curb only.
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 Michigan's cremation rate at 69.5% for 2024. NFDA 2024 Cremation & Burial Report state projections (via Occasional Sage), 2024.
- [6] Adirondack Stone Works says engraved pet stones arrive in about a week from ordering. Adirondack Stone Works Pet Memorials, 2026.
- [7] Made-to-order granite and bronze pet markers take 2–4 weeks to produce; garden and cultured stones ship in 3–5 business days. Memorials.com – Pet Memorial Stones, 2026.
- [8] New headstones take 6–12 weeks to make; adding dates to an existing stone takes 1–4 weeks once scheduled. Memorials.com – Headstone Engraving Cost, 2026.
- [9] 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.
Find a stone maker who serves Novi
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