Consumers Guide
to Burial Vaults
Burial vaults or grave liners, also known as burial containers,
are commonly used in "traditional," full-service funerals. The
vault or liner is placed in the ground before burial, and the
casket is lowered into it at burial.
The purpose is to prevent the ground from caving in as the
casket deteriorates over time. A grave liner is made of reinforced
concrete and will satisfy any cemetery requirement. Grave liners
cover only the top and sides of the casket. A burial vault is more
substantial than a grave liner.
Burial vaults surround the casket in concrete or another
material and may be sold with a warranty of protective
strength.
State laws do not require a vault or liner, but many cemeteries
require some type of outer burial container to prevent the grave
from sinking in the future.
Neither grave liners nor burial vaults are designed to prevent
the eventual decomposition of human remains.