Cemetery plot
Also called: burial plot, grave space
The piece of ground you buy for a burial. Paid to the cemetery, entirely separate from funeral-home charges.
Buying a plot purchases the right to be buried in that space, not the land itself. Prices swing enormously by location: rural and small-town plots may run $1,000–$3,000, while plots in major metro cemeteries can be $5,000 to well over $20,000. On top of the plot you pay an opening-and-closing fee, usually $1,000–$3,000.
Plots can often be bought ahead of need, and many cemeteries sell companion or family plots. Some families resell unused plots, though cemeteries frequently restrict or take a cut of resales.
- Interment— The act of placing remains in their final resting place — burial in the ground, or placement in a crypt or niche. Placing cremated remains specifically is called inurnment.
- Perpetual care— A fund that pays for the ongoing upkeep of a cemetery — mowing, landscaping, repairs. Financed by setting aside a portion of every plot sale, and often charged as a separate fee.
- Grave liner— A concrete or composite box that lines the grave and supports the soil above the casket so the ground does not sink. A cheaper, unsealed alternative to a burial vault.
This definition is general consumer information, not legal, medical, or financial advice. Industry practices and regulations change occasionally; verify before relying on anything here for a specific decision.
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