Financial Comparisons
The simplicity of a natural burial means it does not need to be expensive. The costs for a natural burial can be significantly less expensive than a traditional burial. Many of the conventional expenses, including embalming and elaborate caskets and headstones, have been eliminated.
Be sure to investigate all costs, including services that are not provided by the Cemetery but instead are offered by funeral homes. In particular, when comparing the cost of cremation to natural body burial, note that cremation services are not provided by Cool Spring Natural Cemetery and cremation costs can vary widely.
A traditional burial with embalming, metal casket, and concrete vault can cost an average of $8,000 and up, depending on services and location.
A body burial at Cool Spring currently ranges from $4,350 (including the interment fee) in the Woodland Rest to $9,250 in our most accessible and scenic Circle of Silence.
Advance Planning
For peace of mind, we recommend making provisions in advance. This will relieve your loved ones of the distress that comes from making difficult, often costly, decisions during a time of grief. In addition, a 10% discount applies to site fees, paid in full in advance–for payment methods other than credit cards. Preneed payments by credit card allow for a 5% discount.
Popular examples of pre-planning site fees include:
- $1,800 for a cremation plot in the Woodland Rest and opening/closing the grave twice. Two interments are permitted on cremation sites, so this is equivalent to as little as $1,150 per person.* (The same plot is $2,000 if purchased at the time of need.)*
- $3,600 for body burial in the Woodland Rest ($4,000 at the time of need).*
- $5,400 for body burial in the Blue Ridge Meadow ($6,000 at the time of need)*
*We no longer accept advance payments for interment fees and memorial stones; hence those expenses are not included in any of the figures quoted above; the typical cost is currently $250 for an interment of ashes, $750 for the burial of a body, and $500 for an engraved river stone.
Current List of Prices
Circle of Silence
$8,000 – Natural Burial Site (10’x5′, one burial per site)
$4,000 – Cremation Burial Site (5’x3′, two burials per site)
Blue Ridge Meadow
$6,000 – Natural Burial Site (10’x5′, one burial per site)
$3,000 – Cremation Burial Site (5’x3′, two burials per site)
Woodland Rest
$4,000 – Natural Burial Site (10’x5′, one burial per site)
$2,000 – Cremation Burial Site (5’x3′, two burials per site)
ADVANCE PLANNING DISCOUNTS
A 10% Discount applies to sites (not other fees) purchased Pre-Need with cash or check; sites purchased with credit cards receive a 5% discount.
Interment fees, Memorial Stone, and other costs vary based on your needs. These range from $250 – $1,500.
Opening and closing of a grave: $750
Opening and closing of a cremation site: $250
Memorial Stone: $500–or $250 plus $250 for typical engraving costs.
Cremation services are not provided by Cool Spring Natural Cemetery and must be purchased elsewhere.
Other reminders
Scheduling Funerals: while funerals may take place any day of the week, the monks encourage you to plan a day other than Sunday if possible. No interments are permitted on New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday, July 4th, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day.
Disinterment: disinterment service is not offered by Cool Spring Natural Cemetery.
Be sure to review the Rules for Natural Burial before purchasing your site.
Donate to the Cemetery
We know these costs are more significant to some than to others; if you wish to contribute to help support burials for families in need, please use the following link.