What is a Committal Service?

The cemetery labor required to perform the burial, entombment or inurnment service is respectively referred to as the committal service, entombment service, or inurnment service.

Most private cemeteries will perform the committal services with their own staff. Municipal cemeteries may rely upon the parks department or public works to prepare a gravesite. Smaller, rural, cemeteries may contract these services to the burial vault company. The service level and professionalism of the staff tends to be highest amongst full time cemetery professionals.

• For in-ground burial services, the cemetery labor services may include:
  
  
  • Opening of grave
  • The setting of the burial vault or grave liner into the grave prior to the burial
  • A funeral tent placed at the graveside
  • Chairs and a lecture placed for mourners use
  • The lowering, or placement, of a casket into the outer burial container
  • Closing the grave, either by hand or machine
  • Reconditioning the area
  • Planting sod, grass seed or flowers

• For mausoleum entombment services, the cemetery labor service may include:
  
  
  • Opening of crypt
  • The setting of the crypt tray or mausoleum liner
  • Chairs and a lecture placed for mourners use
  • The raising, or placement, of a casket into the crypt
  • Closing and sealing of the crypt
  • Memorization to include either bronze lettering or stone engraving

The cemetery committal / entombment service is required to use the burial site however, the labor charges are typically not included in the cost of the burial site and must be separately arranged.

The cemetery labor services typically have three costs: the standard weekday rate, an overtime weekend rate, and a special holiday rate. The standard weekday rate applies to services conducted Monday – Friday during regular service hours. Service hours may differ from gate hours in that service hours are the hours in which the full staff is available whereas Gate hours are the hours that the cemetery grounds are accessible. Religious cemeteries may not allow for burials to be performed on designated holidays regardless of price. If the cemetery allows pre-planning of the cemetery labor services, it is done at the standard weekday rate and overtime charged will only be added at the time of need if circumstances warrant.

Whenever possible, cemetery labor services should be arranged for when the burial plot is purchased. Labor costs tend to increase steadily over-time which makes the cemetery labor charges subject to frequent cost increases.