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Grave & Headstone Care

Perpetual Care at a Cemetery: What It Covers and What It Does Not

What perpetual care or endowment care at a cemetery actually pays for, what it usually leaves to the family, and the questions to ask the cemetery.

By Fern2 min read

Many families buy a grave believing that perpetual care means the cemetery will look after everything, forever. It is a reasonable assumption, and often not quite right. Here is what consumer regulators say perpetual care is, and what to ask.

What perpetual care is

Perpetual care, also called endowment care, is money set aside from the sale of cemetery property and invested so its income pays for long-term upkeep. In New York, for example, only the interest can be spent; the principal must stay intact. California describes the endowment fee as being for ongoing maintenance and groundskeeping.

The Federal Trade Commission notes that perpetual care is sometimes included in the price of a plot and sometimes charged separately, so ask which before you buy.

What it usually covers

  • Mowing, trimming and general grounds care.
  • Roads, paths, fences and drainage.
  • The general appearance of the cemetery over time.

What exactly is covered varies by cemetery and by state law. In California, licensed cemeteries must give you a written copy of their maintenance standards if you ask.

What it usually does not cover

  • The headstone itself. The family typically owns the monument. California's cemetery bureau states plainly that headstone repairs are the consumer's responsibility, through a monument company.
  • Flowers and decorations. Perpetual care keeps the grounds; putting flowers on a grave is something families arrange, either themselves or through a program the cemetery or a service offers.
  • Cleaning and resetting stones, unless the cemetery's own rules say otherwise. Our guide to sunken or tilted headstones covers who handles resetting.

Questions to ask the cemetery

  1. Is perpetual or endowment care included for this grave, and is it in writing?
  2. Can I see your maintenance standards?
  3. Who is responsible if the headstone sinks, tilts or is damaged?
  4. Do you offer a flower placement program, and on which dates?

If a cemetery falls into poor repair, your state's cemetery regulator, where there is one, or the attorney general's office is the place to complain.

Perpetual care keeps the grass cut. For flowers, a BloomBridge plan places a silk arrangement at the grave on the dates you choose, in any state, with a photo at the headstone each time. See how plans work or browse the arrangements.

Topics Grave & Headstone Care Perpetual care Cemetery rules Headstone care Planning

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Frequently asked questions

Generally the upkeep of the grounds: mowing, trimming, roads and drainage. The details vary by cemetery and state, so ask for the cemetery's maintenance standards in writing.

Usually not. The family typically owns the headstone and arranges repairs through a monument company. Ask the cemetery what its care includes.

Not usually. Perpetual care pays for grounds upkeep. Flowers are something families arrange themselves or through a placement service.