Typically, the opening and closing fee includes administration and permanent record keeping (determining ownership, obtaining permission and the completion of other documentation which may be required, entering the interment particulars in the interment register, maintaining all legal files); opening and closing the grave (locating the grave and laying out the boundaries, excavating and filling the interment space); installation and removal of the lowering device; placement and removal of artificial grass dressing and matting at the grave site, leveling, tamping, re-grading and sodding the grave site and leveling and re-sodding the grave when the earth settles. 

The actual opening and closing of the grave is just one component of the opening and closing fee.  Due to safety issues which arise around the use of machinery on cemetery property and the protection of other gravesites, the actual opening and closing of the grave is conducted by cemetery grounds personnel only.

To remember and to be remembered are natural human needs.  A permanent memorial in a cemetery provides a focal point for remembrance and memorializing the deceased.  Throughout human history, memorialization of the dead has been a key component of almost every culture.  Psychologists say that remembrance practices from the funeral or memorial service to permanent memorialization, serve an important emotional function for survivors by helping them bring closure and assisting in the healing process.  Providing a permanent resting place for the deceased is a dignified treatment for a loved one’s mortal remains, which fulfills the natural human desire for memorialization.

When a cemetery runs out of land, it will continue to operate and serve the community. There are some historic cemeteries that even offer guided tours.

We think of cemetery lands as being in perpetuity.  There are cemeteries throughout the world that have been in existence for hundreds and hundreds of years.

There is no law that states a specific time frame for burial.  Considerations that will affect timelines include the need to secure all permits and authorizations, notification of family and friends, preparation of the cemetery site and religious considerations.

No. However there are some cemeteries with mausoleums that require embalming before the entombment.  Embalming is a choice which depends on factors such as if there is to be an open casket or if there is an extended time between death and burial.  Public health laws may require embalming if the deceased is going to be transported by air or rail.

Besides ground burial, some cemeteries offer entombment in mausoleums.  In addition, most cemeteries provide choices for those who have selected cremation.  These often include placement of cremated remains in a niche in a columbarium or burial on top of another family member buried in a grave.

These are the outside containers into which the casket is placed.  Burial vaults are designed to protect the casket and may be made of a variety or combination of materials including concrete, stainless steel, galvanized steel, copper, bronze, plastic or fiberglass.  A grave liner is a lightweight version of a vault which simply keeps the grave surface from sinking in.

Almost all cemeteries have regulations that require the use of a basic grave liner. The reason is for maintenance and safety purposes.  Either a grave liner or a burial vault will satisfy these requirements. It is very rare today to find a cemetery that does not require a burial vault.