Cemeteries & Plots
Choosing the Right Cemetery
Choosing a cemetery involves more than finding a space—it’s about selecting a place that feels right for you and your loved ones. Consider the location, any religious or cultural affiliations, and whether the atmosphere and upkeep match your expectations. Visiting in person can help you understand how the grounds are cared for and how it feels to be there. Ask questions, compare options, and seek recommendations from people you trust so you can make a choice that brings comfort and clarity.
The following sections will help guide you in making your choices.
Cemetery Characteristics
Cemeteries can be grouped in several useful ways:
Ownership
They may be run by a private company, a public agency (often a city or county), or a religious organization.
Design Style
Some allow upright monuments and headstones, while others use only flat, lawn-level markers for a uniform appearance.
Constructed vs. Natural
Traditional cemeteries rely on vaults or permanent structures; natural or green cemeteries allow the body to return to the environment with minimal intervention.
Eligibility Restrictions
Certain cemeteries serve specific groups, such as veterans or members of a particular faith community.
Understand Who Does What
Knowing that you will likely be paying a funeral home AND a cemetery, just who does what?
Casket Burial
The cemetery opens and closes the plot, but the funeral home puts the casket in the ground. The cemetery charges, but it could be added to the funeral home bill as a pass-through cost.
Urns
If the plot is easily accessible, the family places the urn inside, otherwise the cemetery may place it. Either way, there will be an opening and closing cemetery charge.
Grave Liners & Vaults
The cemetery dictates what they require; it is not a law. The funeral home sells the grave liner and the cemetery installs it.
Headstones & Markers
The cemetery dictates the sizes and shapes it allows. The cemetery or the funeral home may pressure you to select their preferred vendor.
Types of Cemetery Plots
Cemetery plots come in various types, each with its own characteristics and considerations. The most common types include:
Traditional Burial Plots: These plots are typically located in a cemetery and accommodate a single casket burial. They often include a headstone or monument.
Lawn Burial Plots: These plots are similar to traditional burial plots but are located in a lawn-like area. They offer a more natural and serene setting.
Mausoleum Crypts: Mausoleums are above-ground structures that house crypts for casket burials. They provide a unique and often more expensive option for burial.
Cremation Plots: If you have chosen cremation, you can opt for a cremation plot. These plots are smaller and designed to hold urns containing cremated remains.
Financial Aspects of a Cemetery Burial
This section outlines the main components of a cemetery purchase. (Headstones and markers are separate costs—see our Memorial Markers page.)
The Plot: Options include single plots, side-by-side spaces, double-deep burials, and family sections. Prices vary widely and are usually highest in areas where real estate is expensive.
Burial Permit: Some local governments require a burial permit. This is typically inexpensive—usually under $50.
Grave Liner or Vault: Many cemeteries require these to maintain level ground.
- Grave liners: roughly $500–$1,400
- Vaults: roughly $900–$4,000
Interment Fees: These cover opening and closing the grave.
- Public cemeteries: about $350–$1,000
- Private cemeteries: about $600–$3,000
Maintenance Fees: Be aware: some cemeteries charge annual maintenance fees or separate endowment-care fees. Always ask how maintenance is billed and whether it’s guaranteed.
Cemetery Nightmares
“What could possibly go wrong?”
This list is NOT comprehensive. There is no end to how people can err or how plans can change.
Cemetery-Caused
- Maintenance gets neglected or even abandoned.
- The body is buried in the wrong plot.
- The same plot is sold multiple times.
- Records are lost, both for the plot sale and who is buried where.
Customer-Caused
- Failing to inform survivors of location of paperwork for pre-paid plot, or survivors forgetting about it until too late.
- Buying a family plot only to have children move too far away to use it.
- Discovering a more preferable burial alternative to the already paid-for plot.
- Buying a husband-wife plot prior to a divorce, widowhood and/or re-marriage.
Other Causes
- Destruction by act of war.
- Damage by climate change, especially flooding.
- Destruction by development.
- Development around the cemetery changing the feel of the location.
- Family that might have visited all move away.