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 vary in several ways:
They may be run by a private company, a public agency (often a city or county), or a religious organization.
Some allow upright monuments and headstones, while others use only flat, lawn-level markers for a uniform appearance.
Traditional cemeteries rely on vaults or permanent structures; natural or green cemeteries allow the body to return to the environment with minimal intervention.
Certain cemeteries serve specific groups, such as veterans or members of a particular faith community.
Understand Who Does What
You’ll usually pay a funeral home and a cemetery. This table shows the typical division of labor (and where “pass-through” charges happen).
| Task / Item | Funeral Home | Cemetery |
|---|---|---|
| Casket burial (interment) |
Coordinates the burial service and delivers the casketed body to the cemetery. Opening & closing may appear on the funeral home invoice as a pass-through. |
Opens and closes the grave/plot and schedules the interment time. Charges the opening & closing (and related) fees. |
| Urns (burial or placement) |
May deliver the urn and coordinate timing. If the family places the urn themselves, the funeral home may not be involved. |
May place the urn if the location isn’t accessible or cemetery policy requires it. Opening & closing fees typically apply either way. |
| Grave liners & vaults |
Often sells the liner/vault (or coordinates purchase) and arranges delivery. Shop around: some cemeteries allow outside purchase (with rules/fees). |
Sets the requirement (usually policy, not law) and installs the liner/vault. |
| Headstones & markers |
May sell markers or refer you to a monument company. Some funeral homes steer families to preferred vendors. |
Sets size, material, design rules, and installation/foundation requirements. May pressure you to use their vendor, but many allow outside monuments (with rules/fees). |
| Plot / interment rights & deeds |
May help coordinate with the cemetery, but typically does not sell burial rights. |
Sells the plot/interment rights (or niche), provides paperwork, and keeps cemetery records. |
| Opening & closing fees (grave or niche) |
May collect as a pass-through and pay the cemetery on your behalf. |
Performs the labor and charges the fee (excavation, closing, equipment, scheduling). |
| Body transport & care |
Transfers the deceased, provides refrigeration, and (if chosen) embalming, dressing, and cosmetology. |
Usually not involved before the body arrives for interment. |
| Paperwork & permits |
Typically handles death certificate information and permits (burial/transit/cremation where required). |
Requires necessary permits to proceed and keeps interment documentation on file. |
| Viewing / visitation / ceremony logistics |
Provides space and staff for visitation, arranges service logistics, and coordinates with clergy/celebrant. |
Provides graveside space and sets rules for timing, tents/chairs, and what’s allowed onsite. |
| Cremation (if chosen) |
Often coordinates cremation (in-house or via a crematory) and handles permits. |
Handles final placement: niche, urn burial, scattering garden, and cemetery rules. |
| Marker foundation / installation |
May coordinate ordering; installation is typically done by the cemetery or its approved installer. |
Sets/pours foundations or approves installers; enforces installation standards and safety rules. |
| Maintenance / “perpetual care” |
Not responsible for cemetery grounds upkeep. |
Maintains grounds per its policies (mowing, irrigation, repairs, decoration rules). |
| Disinterment / reinterment |
May coordinate logistics, permits, and transport after the cemetery performs disinterment. |
Performs disinterment/reinterment and sets requirements, scheduling, and fees. |
Note: Policies vary by cemetery and state. Ask for itemized price lists and confirm what’s required by law versus cemetery policy.
Types of Cemetery Plots
Cemetery plots come in various types, each with its own characteristics and considerations. The most common types include:
These plots are typically located in a cemetery and accommodate a single casket burial. They often include a headstone or monument.
These plots are similar to traditional burial plots but are located in a lawn-like area. They offer a more natural and serene setting.
Mausoleums are above-ground structures that house crypts for casket burials. They provide a unique and often more expensive option for burial.
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.)
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.
Some local governments require a burial permit. This is typically inexpensive—usually under $50.
Many cemeteries require these to maintain level ground.
Grave liners: roughly $500–$1,400
Vaults: roughly $900–$4,000
These cover opening and closing the grave.
Public cemeteries: about $350–$1,000
Private cemeteries: about $600–$3,000
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.