Urn Vaults for Burial: What They Are and When You Need One

An urn vault is a rigid outer container, often concrete, that holds a cremation urn in a cemetery grave. No U.S. state law requires one, but many cemeteries do, mainly to stop the ground from sinking over time. The cemetery's own rules decide, so ask for them in writing before you buy either the urn or the vault.

What is an urn vault?

An urn vault, sometimes called a cremation vault or urn liner, is a container that goes into the ground around an urn. It is the cremation counterpart to the burial vault or grave liner used around a casket. Cremated remains are first placed in an urn or a temporary container, and CANA notes that remains arrive in a strong plastic bag inside one of the two. The vault is an extra layer that goes into the grave with the urn.

Federal rules define an outer burial container as any container designed for placement in the grave around the casket, including burial vaults, grave boxes and grave liners. Urn vaults are not named in that definition, so check each cemetery's own terms and price list.

Are urn vaults required?

Not by law. The FTC says outer burial containers are not required by state law anywhere in the U.S., but many cemeteries require them to keep a grave from caving in. A cemetery that sets this rule treats it as a condition of burial in its grounds.

Cemeteries differ a lot. One may require a vault for every in-ground burial of ashes, another may accept a simple liner, and a third may require nothing for ashes in a garden or natural section. Some ask only for a minimum standard and leave the brand to you. The only reliable answer is the cemetery's written rules and regulations.

How is an urn vault different from an urn liner?

Sellers and cemeteries use the words in different ways, so don't assume two products with the same name are the same. In general:

• Liner: a basic concrete or plastic box or cover meant to support the soil and keep the ground level.
• Vault: a sturdier container that is sometimes sealed and sold in tiers of protection, with extras such as a personalized lid or plaque.

Ask the cemetery or seller for the material, whether it is sealed, what it fits and what the total price is. A sealed container may slow moisture but no container keeps a grave dry forever, so be wary of promises of permanent protection.

What does an urn vault cost?

Prices differ by material, size, seller and cemetery, and there is no standard figure that applies everywhere. Ask for a written quote covering the vault itself, any charge to place it in the grave, and the cemetery's opening and closing fee. Our guides to opening and closing fees and perpetual care fees explain the other charges that often come with a burial.

Under the FTC Funeral Rule, a funeral home that also sells outer burial containers must give you a price list for them before you look at the products. A cemetery that does not sell funeral services may not be covered by the rule, so ask any seller to put prices in writing.

How to match the urn to the vault

Buy the two with each other in mind, and you avoid the most common mismatches:

• Fit: compare the vault's interior length, width and height to the outside measurements of the urn, including the lid and any base.
• Decorative shapes: statues, books and other unusual urns may not fit a standard vault. Companion urns for two people need a larger size.
• Outside vaults: ask whether the cemetery accepts a vault bought elsewhere and whether it charges extra to handle one.
• Materials: if you choose a biodegradable urn, ask whether it will break down inside a sealed container.

Our memorial keepsake finder can help compare urn styles and budgets, and burial urn requirements and grave liner vs vault cover the vocabulary in more detail.

What are the alternatives to an urn vault?

If the rules or the cost bother you, there are other places for ashes.

• A columbarium niche: a wall compartment at a cemetery or church, where no ground is involved. See columbarium niches.
• A natural burial ground: some do not require vaults and allow biodegradable urns. See natural burial grounds.
• A cemetery with no vault rule: ask before you choose, since policies vary even in the same town.
• Scattering or keeping some ashes at home: see urns for scattering and interring ashes in a cemetery.

Some families split the remains, burying one portion and keeping or scattering another. That is a personal or religious decision, and some traditions ask that remains stay together, so talk with family and clergy first.

What to do next

1. Ask the cemetery for its rules and regulations in writing, including urn, vault and marker requirements.
2. Ask for a price list that shows the vault, the cost to place it and any opening and closing fee.
3. Get the urn's exact measurements before you order, and the vault's interior measurements.
4. Keep the paperwork in one place, and ask the funeral home to note any cemetery requirement it cites.