Digging for Answers 4/12/12

Digging for Answers -- DO I NEED A BURIAL VAULT?
by Randy Seaver

Welcome to the Digging for Answers column on the Graveyard Rabbit Online Journal.

This column will depend on your submission of questions about cemeteries, gravestones, burial practices, and other topics that concern a Graveyard Rabbit (other than where his next carrot is coming from!). So please send some questions to the editor, who will pass them along and keep the columnist hopping.

Question:  What is a burial vault, do I need one, and what do they cost?

Answer:  A "burial vault," also known as an "outer burial container," is a container that surrounds the casket in an underground grave.  The vault serves two functions - it prevents the surface ground from sinking (due to weight of the earth above the vault, or from maintenance vehicles), hinders or prevents water from entering the casket, and protects the casket from insects and animals.

While there are no state or federal laws requiring a burial vault for underground burials, many cemeteries require either a grave liner or an outer burial container.  Some burial vaults have curved covers so that seeping water runs down the side of the vault rather than pooling on top of the vault.

After the grave is dug out, the base of the burial vault is installed.  The casket is then placed on the base, and the cover of the burial vault is then attached to the base and sealed.  The image below shows the differences between no vault, an unlined container, and a lined and sealed vault:



Burial vaults are made from concrete and/or metal (copper, bronze, stainless steel, aluminum, etc.).  They can weigh up to 3,000 pounds depending on the design and material used.  The prices range from around $500 for a concrete vault to over $10,000 for the finest bronze vaults.  You can see some of the designs and options on websites like http://www.peabodyfuneralhome.com/OuterBurialContainers.htm and http://www.forestlawn.com/Funerals/Outer-Burial-Containers.asp.  Google "outer burial containers" and your location if you want to see what is offered in your area.