Sunset Memorial, Richland, WA: Servicess

Pre-planning Now | General Price List | Understanding Cemetery Expenses

Understanding Cemetery Expenses

Interment Rights

Interment rights are the right to use a specific defined space within the cemetery. Interment rights can be purchased for ground burial, both for casketed human remains and cremated remains. Indoor and outdoor mausoleum entombment and inurnment rights are also available.

A first interment right includes the placement of one human remains. In some areas of the cemetery, additional interment rights may be purchased for additional placements in the same space.

The costs for interment rights are based on the number of spaces available, location within the cemetery, type of property (ground burial, mausoleum, glass front niche, etc). Intangible items such as a view or proximity to a feature will also affect the price.

After paying for your interment rights in full, a Certificate of Ownership is issued to you entitling the use of that property for the interment of human remains.

Endowment Care

This cemetery is an Endowment Care Cemetery. We are required by law to deposit an amount equal to ten percent of the interment right sale price, into an endowment care fund. The purpose of endowment care fund is to ensure that when a cemetery no longer has interment rights to offer, that adequate income is available to continue to maintain the cemetery.

The principal of the endowment care fund is not accessible by the cemetery. Only the interest earned from the fund is available for use by the cemetery. Deposits to the Endowment Care Fund are examined at least every three years by the Washington State Department of Licensing.

Interment Services

Interment services may also be referred to as “Opening and Closing”. This is the excavation (opening) and backfilling (closing) of a ground burial space. For an above ground placement, this would be the removal and replacement of a crypt, niche, or bench opening.

Included in these fees are personnel, equipment, safety training and supplies, insurance and governmental compliance. Governmental compliance includes oversight by the Department of Labor and Industries and Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Cemetery Merchandise

Merchandise available includes, but is not limited to, outer burial encasements, memorials, urns and vases. The most common of these are outer burial encasements and memorials.

An outer burial encasement is an enclosure for the placement of a casket or urn for ground burial. It is designed to protect the casket or urn from the weight of the earth and equipment used in ordinary cemetery maintenance such as tractors, backhoes, commercial mowers and vacuums.

Memorials may be flush markers and benches (where available), name bars, and inscriptions. Memorials purchased through this cemetery are guaranteed to withstand weather and ordinary cemetery maintenance.

Memorials and outer burial containers purchased from other providers must meet the cemeteries standards for quality.

Installation Services

Installation services are the handling and placement of cemetery merchandise.