What is a burial vault?

Burial vaults are underground concrete containers that hold and protect caskets.

The burial vault serves two main purposes in a cemetery. First, the soil above the grave can be very heavy and damage the casket if it’s not protected by a vault. This accounts for why many older cemeteries have a hilly, bumpy appearance and crooked headstones throughout. For the safety of visitors, burial vaults keep the grounds of a cemetery level.

Second, the integrity of the ground above a burial vault will keep monumentation from shifting over the years. Headstones can be very expensive (some can reach thousands of dollars), so most families feel obligated to purchase a vault as a way of protecting their investment in the stone. In addition to the monument itself, a cement foundation must be poured for the stone to rest on.

Burial Vaults are not necessary by law. It’s the option of the cemetery. There are a lot of options and costs associated with purchasing a Grave, a burial vault, a cement foundation, and a monument. The grief from just losing a loved one can make the process daunting and overwhelming. Just like headstones, burial vaults can vary greatly in price as well. These expenses and decisions have led many families to choose mausoleums because it is a simpler process and is less expensive than an in-ground burial overall. A common misconception is that a mausoleum is for the wealthy and therefore too expensive for most families to afford. In a mausoleum, there is no need to purchase a vault, a cement foundation, or a headstone, because they are all included.

— By Louis Cicalese, Colonial Memorial Park

Cemetery