Opening, Closing and Interment
Interment means placing a body or cremated remains in a grave, niche, or crypt. The cemetery charges a separate fee to open the space and close it afterward. This page explains what that fee covers and what it costs locally.
Interment is the burial or placement of remains in a grave, niche, or crypt. The “opening and closing” fee pays the cemetery to prepare the space and close it afterward. It is charged at the time of burial, even if the space was bought years earlier.
What happens on the day
- Schedule and pay
- Open the space
- Graveside service, if any
- Place the remains
- Close the space
The funeral home or family schedules the burial with the cemetery and pays the fee. Cemetery staff dig the grave or open the niche, and place the outer burial container first if one is used. After any graveside service, the casket is lowered or the urn placed, and staff close the container and fill the grave or seal the niche.
Who does what
- The cemetery
- Opens and closes the space, and sets the schedule and rules.
- The funeral home
- Often coordinates with the cemetery, brings the body or remains, and runs the graveside service if hired to.
- The family
- Chooses the space, approves the date, and pays or authorizes the fees.
Opening and closing costs in Salt Lake County
| Fee | Salt Lake City | West Jordan | Riverton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casket burial, weekday | $1,172 / $1,676 | $650 / $975 before 3 p.m.; $900 / $1,350 after | $800 |
| Cremated remains, weekday | $586 / $820 | $350 / $525 before 3 p.m.; $575 / $875 after | $500 |
| Weekend or late day | Extended-hours fee, added to the regular fee: Saturday $469; Sunday, holiday or after 4 p.m. $437 an hour | Weekend casket $975 / $1,475; cremated remains $650 / $1,000 | Saturday casket $1,200; $200 an hour after 4 p.m. |
Where two prices are shown: resident / non-resident. Salt Lake City fees July 1, 2026–June 30, 2027; West Jordan through June 30, 2027; Riverton checked September 26, 2026. Salt Lake City Cemetery confirmed by phone, September 29, 2026, that the extended-hours fee is added to the regular fee.
Private cemeteries set their own fees. One example: a Larkin Sunset Lawn niche package lists $495 for opening and closing.
Double-depth graves and second burials
When two people share a double-depth grave, each burial has its own opening and closing fee. Riverton lists $1,200 for the first burial in a double-depth grave and $800 for the second, on a weekday.
“What will the opening and closing fee be on the day and time we want, and who pays it?”
Before the burial
- Ask whether the funeral home will pay the cemetery and add it to your bill, or whether you pay directly.
- Ask how much a weekend or late-day burial adds.
- Confirm whether an outer burial container is required.
- Bring the property deed or location if the space was bought earlier.
Ready to see how these choices apply to your situation?
Your Wayfinder Plan can help organize the options you’re considering and give you a clearer picture of what to ask and compare.
Build My Wayfinder Plan- Salt Lake City Cemetery fees, July 2026–June 2027; West Jordan fee schedule; Riverton City Cemetery.
- Larkin Sunset Lawn niche opening and closing: Utah Simple Cremations online arrangement checkout, collected by Wayfinder, September 2026.
Fees are published examples, not averages. The sequence of the day describes common practice and varies by cemetery. This page is general information, not legal advice.