HomeAnswersHow deep is a grave?
How deep is a grave?
There is no single national depth for a grave, and the state laws we checked set minimums of about 18 inches to 3 and a half feet of cover over the casket or vault, not six feet. Most of these rules measure from the ground surface down to the top of the outer container, so the hole itself is dug deeper than the figure in the law.
Rules vary by state. North Carolina and California both require at least 18 inches. North Carolina measures to the top of the burial vault or other encasement, and California requires no less than 18 inches of dirt or turf over all vaults or caskets. Pennsylvania requires 18 inches over an outer case and 2 feet when there is no outer case. Texas requires 2 feet for a container that is not impermeable and 1 and a half feet for an impermeable one, and lets local governments allow shallower burials because of soil conditions. Kentucky requires 2 feet for a hermetically sealed impervious container and 3 feet for all other burials.
Green burial, without a vault, can have its own rule. Minnesota requires green burials to have 3 and a half feet of cover. Double burials in one grave also change the numbers. California allows 12 inches of cover over the top casket or vault in a consensual double burial, and grant guidance from the VA's National Cemetery Administration describes double depth burials in a 7 foot excavation and lawn crypts, which are double depth concrete containers placed before burials.
Individual cemeteries and local rules can differ, so ask the cemetery or funeral home about the depth for a specific plot. This is general information, not legal advice.
The sources behind this answer
- North Carolina requires the top of the burial vault or other encasement to be at least 18 inches below the ground surface. North Carolina G.S. 65-77
- Texas bars burying a body with the top of its container less than two feet below ground for a non-impermeable container, or less than 1 and a half feet for an impermeable one. Texas Health and Safety Code 714.001
- Texas lets a local government allow shallower burials because of subsurface soil conditions or other considerations. Texas Health and Safety Code 714.001
- California requires at least 18 inches of dirt or turf on top of all vaults or caskets, measured at the time of burial. California Health and Safety Code 8113.1
- For consensual double burials, California requires at least 12 inches of dirt or turf over the top casket or vault. California Health and Safety Code 8113.1
- Pennsylvania requires at least 18 inches from the top of the outer case to the natural ground surface, and 2 feet when there is no outer case or no casket. 28 Pa. Code 1.21
- Kentucky requires a hermetically sealed impervious outer container to be at least 2 feet below the natural ground surface, and all other burials at least 3 feet. 901 KAR 5:090 Kentucky
- Minnesota requires green burials to have 3 and a half feet of cover. Minnesota Statutes 306.991
- VA National Cemetery Administration grant guidance uses a 5 by 10 foot gravesite where double depth burials in a 7 foot excavation are possible. VA National Cemetery Administration, Burial Areas
- The same guidance describes lawn crypts as double depth pre-placed concrete containers with removable lids, installed when the land is developed. VA National Cemetery Administration, Burial Areas
Where to go next
More questions people ask · What a funeral costs in your state