Two People in One Grave: Double-Depth and Companion Plots

Two people can share one grave in two main ways. In a double-depth burial, the first casket goes in at about 7 feet and the second is placed on top of it later. In the other, cremated remains are added to a casket grave, which many cemeteries allow within their own limits. Because you buy the right to be buried in a space rather than the land, it also pays to know who holds that right and who inherits it.

What does "two people in one grave" mean?

Three arrangements get described this way, and they are priced and managed differently:

• Double-depth grave: One plot, with two caskets stacked. The ICCFA says double depth means the first casket is placed at about 7 feet and the second goes on top at standard depth. Cemeteries set double-depth burial lots at the time of death, while lawn crypts are installed in advance.
• Casket plus cremated remains: One casket grave that also takes one or more urns. This is usually the cheapest way to keep a family together if the cemetery permits it.
• Companion plot: Two graves next to each other, often sold as a pair. This is two graves rather than one, but it is often what people mean when they say a couple will be "buried together."

Our guide to how deep a grave is covers depths in more detail.

How does a double-depth burial work?

The first burial goes in at the lower level. The grave is closed, and when the second person dies, the cemetery reopens the same grave and places the second casket above the first at standard depth. The person who dies first therefore goes at the bottom, and the order can't be swapped later without disturbing the first burial.

The VA does something similar in its national cemeteries. Many new sections use pre-placed double-depth crypts, where the first person goes in the lower half and the second in the upper half.

Cemeteries commonly require an outer container for each casket. The FTC says state law doesn't require vaults or liners anywhere in the US, but many cemeteries do. Before you buy, ask whether the first burial needs a particular type of container so the second can go on top.

Can ashes be added to a casket grave?

Often they can, but it is a cemetery decision, and policies differ. Typical questions are how many cremation burials one grave can take, how deep they go, whether the urn needs an outer container, whether the marker needs a new inscription, and what the interment fee is. The owner of the burial rights usually has to give permission.

The VA buries cremated remains in the same way as casketed remains, so in a VA national cemetery the cremated remains of an eligible spouse can share the veteran's gravesite. If you are choosing between a casket and cremation, our guide on cremation plots vs burial plots compares the options, and interring ashes in a cemetery explains the process.

What does a shared grave cost?

A shared grave can lower the cost of land, since you buy one space instead of two, but it does not remove other charges. The usual costs are:

• The plot or interment right. Prices vary enormously between rural, municipal and urban cemeteries. See cemetery plot costs for real price examples.
• An opening and closing fee for each burial. The ICCFA says this fee covers more than digging, and that cemeteries do the work themselves for safety and to protect neighboring lot owners. The second burial triggers it again. Our guide to opening and closing fees lists 2025 and 2026 price examples.
• A vault or liner for each casket, if the cemetery requires one.
• Marker or inscription work when the second name is added.

The FTC's Funeral Rule applies to funeral providers, which may not include a standalone cemetery, so ask the cemetery for its full price list and rules in writing. A cost calculator helps you total everything.

Who owns the right to be buried there?

When a cemetery sells you a grave, you are not buying real estate. New York's Department of State puts it plainly: the cemetery sells the right of interment, which includes the right to place a memorial, and the buyer is called the lot owner. That right can be given away, sold or inherited, subject to the cemetery's rules and state law.

Succession rules differ by state. Two examples:

• New York: After the owner's death, the rights go to the person named in the will, then the owner's descendants, then the spouse if there are no descendants, then other relatives set by law. If the space is owned by more than one person, the form of co-ownership affects whether a surviving co-owner inherits.
• Vermont: A lot not mentioned in a will descends to the owner's heirs. A spouse has a right of interment in a lot the other spouse owned, unless spouses living apart file a written objection with the cemetery at least 30 days before the other's death.

This is where family disputes start. If a couple owns two spaces and the survivor dies without saying who gets the unused one, several heirs can end up holding a share. Get the ownership certificate, make sure the cemetery's records show both names, and write down who may use any extra space. If there is a disagreement or you are unsure how the rights pass, a probate or estate lawyer can advise on your state. Our guide to cemetery deed transfers shows how a change of owner is recorded.

Can a veteran and spouse share one grave?

In a VA national cemetery, yes. The VA says burial benefits for spouses and dependents include burial with the veteran, perpetual care, and the spouse's name and dates inscribed on the veteran's headstone at no cost. Eligible spouses can be buried even if they die before the veteran. See veteran and spouse joint burial for the eligibility details.

What to ask the cemetery before you buy

1. Is this plot double depth, and is the first burial's depth guaranteed?
2. What is the opening and closing fee for each burial, and how are future price rises handled?
3. Does each casket need a vault or liner, and which kind?
4. How many cremation burials can be added, and what do they cost?
5. Who holds the interment right now, and how do I name a successor?
6. What marker types are allowed, and can both names be added later?

Writing down your wishes for a burial together helps your family follow them. This planner is designed for that.