BRAMM/NAMM Guidance on Headstone Cleaning & Lettering Restoration

BRAMM/NAMM Guidance on Headstone Cleaning & Lettering Restoration - Updated 9 March 2025

BRAMM and NAMM on Cosmetic Work: Neither the British Register of Accredited Memorial Masons (BRAMM) nor the National Association of Memorial Masons (NAMM) require that routine cosmetic improvements (like cleaning or re-painting existing inscriptions) be done by an accredited mason. These accreditation schemes are focused on the structural safety and installation of memorials – e.g. erecting new headstones or refixing unstable ones – not basic maintenance. In fact, BRAMM explicitly states that it “only registers Memorial Masons” and does not accredit or endorse independent grave cleaning businesses . Guidance from BRAMM published via the Institute of Cemetery & Crematorium Management advises burial authorities that if a grave owner hires a company to clean a memorial, the authority should issue a permit with the owner’s consent and verify the company’s insurance, method statement, and risk assessment, but it does not say the cleaner must be BRAMM/NAMM accredited . In short, national guidance does not mandate BRAMM/NAMM accreditation for simple cleaning or repainting of inscriptions; those tasks are considered outside the scope of what the BRAMM/NAMM schemes regulate. BRAMM emphasizes only that any work beyond cleaning – for example, re-fixing a loose headstone or structurally repairing a memorial – must be carried out by a suitably qualified memorial mason in line with BS 8415 (i.e. an accredited fixer). This distinction is made clear in BRAMM’s Best Practice documents as well . NAMM’s Code of Working Practice likewise includes a section on cleaning (Section 17) aimed at guiding masons on proper cleaning methods , but it does not require that only accredited masons perform cleaning – its intent is to ensure any cleaning done is gentle and does not damage the stone or void warranties.

Lettering “Renovation” vs Structural Work: The renewal of existing inscriptions (e.g. re-gilding or re-painting faded letters) is generally treated as cosmetic maintenance as well. It does not involve altering the structure or stability of the headstone, so from BRAMM/NAMM’s perspective it falls outside the critical safety scope. Re-cutting or engraving newinscriptions, however, usually requires a permit from the cemetery (since it permanently alters the memorial) and typically an accredited mason would handle it as part of adding an inscription. But simply re-painting or touching up the original lettering is not adding new content – it’s akin to cleaning. There is nothing in the BRAMM or NAMM rules that specifically says “only accredited masons may repaint letters.” Instead, the prevailing advice is that any such work should be done carefully (preferably by someone experienced) and with the grave owner’s permission and the cemetery’s knowledge . The bottom line is that BRAMM/NAMM accreditation is aimed at memorial construction and installation competence; they do not have a certification category specifically for non-structural cleaners or cosmetic-only restorers. This is supported by BRAMM’s own newsletter, which notes that while a cemetery should vet any third-party cleaning service for safety and insurance, “BRAMM… does not recommend or assess memorial cleaning businesses.”

Councils’ Approaches for Cleaning Services

Policies on headstone cleaning by third parties vary across local authorities, but the trend is that record-keeping and safety are the main concerns – not forcing every cleaner to be an accredited mason. For instance, many councils operate a permit system for any work on a grave or memorial. Tamworth Borough Council’s rules explicitly state that “No work involving the installation, removal or renovation of a memorial including cleaning may take place without written authorisation… in the form of a Permit.” . In such cases, the permit process ensures the cemetery knows who is working and that the grave owner has consented. Typically the permit applicant would be a memorial mason (since most work is done by masons), but for a cleaning-only job the permit could be obtained as long as the responsible party meets the council’s insurance and liability requirements. Another example is St. Helens Council, which requires that even cleaning or renovation be approved via a permit before work starts . However, these rules don’t necessarily mean the cleaner must hold a BRAMM license – rather, the business or person doing the work must apply for the permit (and often councils will only issue permits to masons on their registration scheme). Effectively, this can create a de facto requirement that the work be done through a registered mason, since many councils only allow registered monument masons to join their scheme.

By contrast, some authorities explicitly exempt basic cleaning from requiring an accredited mason. For example, a draft Memorial Safety Policy from West Rainton & Leamside Parish Council states: “All work, except cleaning, must only be undertaken by approved memorial masons in line with current BS8415.” . This implies that anyone (the family or a third-party cleaner) may clean a memorial without needing to be on the approved masons list, whereas any repair, inscription work, or installation would need an accredited professional. This approach recognizes that gentle cleaning is low-risk and can be considered routine maintenance. Similarly, industry bodies expect that grave owners are allowed to tend and clean their own family memorials (using proper methods) without hiring a mason. Councils may provide guidance brochures on how to safely clean headstones and typically only step in to regulate if an outside business is being engaged or if there’s a risk of damage.

In practice, what many councils do is allow cleaning by non-accredited people but require a permit or prior notification for transparency. The BRAMM best-practice note recommends that burial authorities “insist that a Memorial permit application form is completed, showing the grave owner’s consent and details of who is to undertake the work and how” whenever “the grave owner wishes to use a company to clean the memorial.” This is exactly the kind of process progressive councils follow: the permit is mostly for record-keeping and to ensure the work will be done safely (e.g. no harsh chemicals, and the stone’s stability is checked beforehand). It’s not meant to exclude non-masons, but to make sure the council can oversee what happens on their premises. Councils like Tamworth or St. Helens, which fold cleaning into their memorial mason scheme, are essentially using the permit system to vet whoever is doing the cleaning. Other councils might simply require the family to inform the office or might issue a free permit for cleaning just so it’s on record.

Summary of other councils: There is a mix of approaches: some treat cleaning as any other memorial work requiring an accredited person’s involvement (often out of an abundance of caution or because their regs haven’t differentiated it), while others explicitly allow cleaning by owners or independent cleaners as long as permission is obtained. Notably, no council bylaws or policies we found outright “ban” non-BRAMM cleaners; the key is usually obtaining the council’s consent via a permit. And absolutely, when it comes to structural or safety-related renovations (like re-fixing a headstone, adding new inscriptions, or major repairs), councils uniformly insist on using BRAMM or NAMM accredited masons – but cleaning and cosmetic touch-ups are not in that category.

Should “Grave Clean” Be BRAMM/NAMM Accredited?

Given the above, Grave Clean would not be required to obtain BRAMM or NAMM accreditation solely for offering cleaning and lettering repainting services. Both BRAMM and NAMM do not mandate or even provide accreditation for such cosmetic-only work . In fact, a business like Grave Clean likely cannot join BRAMM unless it also engages in monument installation or repair work – BRAMM accreditation involves training and assessment on fixing memorials to BS8415 standards , which is beyond the scope of simple cleaning. The official guidance from BRAMM confirms that while councils should vet and permit any third-party working in a cemetery, a headstone cleaning company is not expected to be on the BRAMM register (since that register is for memorial masons) . Instead, Grave Clean should ensure it has adequate public liability insurance, uses proper gentle cleaning methods, and obtains permission/permitsfrom the relevant cemetery authorities before working on site – all of which aligns with BRAMM’s published best practices for cleaning in cemeteries .

In conclusion, there is no official mandate from either BRAMM or NAMM that a grave cleaning business be accredited. National cemetery guidelines advise permitting such work with proper oversight, not prohibiting it . Some councils do channel all memorial works through accredited masons as a matter of procedure, but many others explicitly allow cleaning by non-accredited persons with permission. The weight of documentation suggests that requiring Grave Clean to hold BRAMM/NAMM accreditation for purely cosmetic services would be unnecessary and not in line with prevailing industry policy. Instead, the company should follow best practices (gentle methods, no damage, check memorial stability, carry insurance) and coordinate with each cemetery for approval – which is exactly what BRAMM/NAMM literature recommends in lieu of formal accreditation for cleaning .

References:

• BRAMM/ICCM Guidance on Cleaning Memorials and use of permits 

• BRAMM Best Practice (Cleaning vs. Qualified Mason Work) 

• Warwick District Council Policy (accredited masons for memorial works) 

• Forest of Dean Cemetery Regulations (work by approved contractors to BRAMM code) 

• Tamworth BC Memorial Mason Scheme (permits required for cleaning) 

• West Rainton PC Draft Policy (exempting cleaning from mason-only rule)