Guide
What does a burial plot cost?
There is no single national price. Two plots a few miles apart can differ by thousands, because a plot's price is really a bundle of things: the land, the care of the grounds, and the services around the burial. Here's how to read a price, and what usually sits beside it.
What you're actually buying
In most places you are not buying the land itself. You are buying the right to be buried in a specific space, recorded on a deed or certificate, along with the grounds' promise to care for it. That right can normally be passed on to family, and in many places it can be resold.
Six things that move the price
Where the Resting Place is
Location does more to the price than anything else. Grounds close to a large city, or with limited land left, cost more than rural ones with room to grow.
The kind of plot
A single in-ground plot is usually the least expensive. Companion or family plots, double-depth plots, lawn crypts, mausoleum niches and cremation niches are each priced differently.
The spot within the grounds
Sections with a view, mature trees, water nearby or an easy path from the road often carry a premium over quieter interior sections.
What the grounds provide
Some places include perpetual care in the plot price, while others charge it separately. Chapels, benches, memorial gardens and irrigation all show up in the price.
Membership or affiliation
Religious grounds, veterans' sections, fraternal societies and some community associations offer reduced prices to members or eligible families.
Buying ahead versus at need
Buying ahead is normally cheaper, and many grounds let you pay over time. Arranging at the last moment gives you far less room to compare.
Costs people forget to ask about
Opening and closing
The fee to open the grave and close it again after the service. It is separate from the plot itself, and often higher on weekends and holidays.
The outer burial container
Many grounds require a vault or grave liner so the ground stays level. This is a separate purchase from the casket.
The marker and its foundation
A headstone or flat marker is bought separately, and the grounds usually charge to set the concrete foundation and to inspect the installation.
Endowment or perpetual care
A one-time amount set aside to keep the grounds maintained, sometimes rolled into the plot price and sometimes added on top.
Transfer and recording
If you buy a plot from another family rather than from the grounds, the Resting Place normally charges to transfer the deed and record the new owner.
Questions worth asking before you pay
- What exactly does the quoted price include, and what is billed separately?
- Is perpetual care included, and how much is it?
- What does opening and closing cost on a weekday, and on a weekend?
- Is a vault or liner required, and can I buy it elsewhere?
- What are the rules for markers, plantings and decorations?
- If our plans change, can the plot be transferred or resold, and at what fee?
- Is there a payment plan, and does the price hold if I pay over time?
Starting prices on The Resting Place
These are the current starting prices listed by the grounds themselves. Each listing shows the plot types available and what the setting is like.
Looking at a resale instead
Families who move away or change their plans often resell plots they no longer need, sometimes below the grounds' current price. A resale still has to be approved and recorded by the Resting Place that holds the deed, so ask about the transfer fee early.
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Prices and rules differ by state and by each Resting Place — always confirm figures with the grounds before you commit.