Perpetual Care Fees: What They Cover and What They Cost

Perpetual care is money a cemetery puts into a trust when it sells a grave, crypt or niche, so the trust's income can pay for upkeep of the grounds. It is usually a one-time charge built into the price of the plot, and many states set a minimum. The Funeral Consumers Alliance puts it at about 5% to 15% of the plot price, while some 2026 municipal price lists show 20%. Endowment care is the same idea under a different name.

What is perpetual care, and what is endowment care?

The two terms are used interchangeably in many places. California's law speaks of an endowment care fund, Texas and Iowa speak of a perpetual care fund. In both cases, a cemetery takes a portion of each sale and deposits it in a trust. The cemetery may spend the income the trust earns on upkeep, but not the principal.

New York's Division of Cemeteries explains it this way: the buyer pays the cemetery, the cemetery holds and invests the money, and it "may use the income on that trust, but not the principal" for care beyond basic grass cutting. The City of Ames, Iowa describes its fund as "an irrevocable trust" whose deposits are non-refundable.

You are not buying the land itself. A plot purchase gives you the right to be buried in that space, and the cemetery keeps responsibility for the grounds. Our cemetery terminology guide explains other terms on a price list.

What does perpetual care pay for?

The fund's income pays for general care of the cemetery, typically:

• mowing and edging
• trimming trees and shrubs
• maintaining roads, paths and drainage
• repairing shared structures such as fences and gates

Exactly what is promised differs by state and by contract. New York says every cemetery must cut the grass on all graves and give some level of upkeep to other final resting places, and that the contract shows what extra care the buyer has purchased.

Does perpetual care cover the headstone?

Not automatically. Perpetual care covers grounds, and a marker is usually the family's property. Some contracts include cleaning or special care of a marker. Some cemeteries also charge a separate marker-care contribution, which Iowa law allows if it is applied uniformly and based on the size of the memorial.

Iowa's statute also says that, unless the contract provides otherwise, a cemetery is not liable for repair or maintenance of memorials or for vandalism. Read the section of your contract that deals with markers. Our headstone costs guide covers who pays for installation, foundations and repairs.

How much do perpetual care fees cost?

There is no single national figure. The fee is normally a percentage of the grave price, sometimes listed as its own line and sometimes hidden inside the price. These are published examples:

The law sets floors in many states:

These are minimum deposits, not the whole bill. A cemetery may charge more, and your state may have different rules, so ask how the fee is shown on your price list.

Do all cemeteries have perpetual care?

No. Some cemeteries have no care fund at all, and a care fund is tied to being a perpetual care cemetery, so ask whether the cemetery holds that status. In Texas, for example, perpetual care cemeteries established after September 1, 1993 generally need a certificate of authority from the Department of Banking (with exceptions such as community cemeteries of 10 acres or less, nonprofit plot-owner associations, and cemeteries owned and operated by municipalities, cities and churches). The Department checks that trust funds are deposited properly and that only income is withdrawn for general care.

Some cemeteries without a fund bill families annually for upkeep, according to the Funeral Consumers Alliance. Ask which model the cemetery uses before you buy, and see choosing a cemetery and municipal vs private cemeteries for what else to compare.

Is "perpetual" a guarantee?

Not in the way the word suggests. New York's Division of Cemeteries notes that when a family has bought perpetual care, the cemetery must provide care only while the trust income is large enough to cover the cost. If the income falls short, the cemetery may ask, but may not require, the family to add money, and it may stop providing the care listed in the contract if the family does not.

That is one state's rule, and other states differ. The practical point is to ask how large the fund is, who oversees it and what the contract promises. If a cemetery becomes neglected, our guide to abandoned cemeteries and forgotten graves explains who to contact.

How to keep perpetual care costs down

• Compare price lists. Ask two or three cemeteries for written lists and check whether perpetual care is shown separately or included.
• Ask what is included. A fee that covers marker cleaning is worth more than one that covers only mowing.
• Plan ahead. Buying before need can fix today's price for the space, but get the terms in writing. See pre-need vs at-need arrangements.
• Check transfers. If you buy a grave from another owner, ask the cemetery what transfer fee applies. Our guides to cemetery deed transfers and selling an unused grave explain the process.
• Check the rules. Cemeteries set rules on marker types and decorations, and some of those rules affect upkeep. See cemetery rules and regulations.

What to do next

1. Ask the cemetery whether it is a licensed perpetual care or endowment care cemetery, and request its written price list.
2. Find the wording in the contract about what the fee pays for and whether headstone care is included.
3. Contact your state's cemetery regulator to confirm how the fund is overseen.