Digging graves

[billfires]

Anyone have experience digging graves? My brother-in-law is the caretaker and has asked me to do this. What would you charge to dig and then backfill? Thanks,
Billfires

[cowboydoc]

I'd just charge by the hour. Most backhoe operators get $40-75/hour around here.

[StoneHeartFarm]

Last one we had dug cost somthing like $250.00, and that included backfilling.

SHF

[forestcreature]

marked or unmarked?

i would charge more for hidden ones....



unless you are very handy with the machine, i would do some practice dodging cones or concrete blocks. knocking over headstones or dropping dirt on them is generally frowned upon.

the people here spread out a tarp and drop dirt on that, keeps the grass in fairly good shape that way.

rate is per hour, higher for frozen ground.
discounts for veterans, active duty killed in the line of duty is free.

i used to mow graveyards, but left the digging to others.

[JerryG]

Bill,
The guy that digs all the graves around here charges $75. But then again that's the same amount he has charged for at least 15 years.

[MikePA]

<font color=blue>and that included backfilling.</font color=blue>

I would certainly hope so! [img]/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif[/img][img]/w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif[/img][img]/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif[/img]

"Oh, you wanted it backfilled? Well, that's gonna cost another $250."

[glennmac]

The more difficult question is what to charge for an exhumation. Imagine, you've been hired to dig up the newly-discovered skeleton of King Arthur. With your bucket poised over his bejeweled head, you pull the wrong lever on your Bradco 3ph-mounted backhoe.......

[forestcreature]

yeah, the french revolution graves would be easier...

[glennmac]

haha, good one.

[EdKing]

Digging graves, one of my favorite subjects. I am a grave digger for a local cemetary and we charge $300 per grave (we are thinking about raising the price). It can be a lot more work than you think. Even using a backhoe (which we can't do certain sections, not enough room) you hace to finish by hand to get the hole even, square and level. You have to have a means of hauling the excess dirt off (vault displaces quite a bit of dirt), and it can be a challange to guesstimate how much dirt to haul off. When back filling you have to pack the dirt around the vault by hand (about 4" of space around sides) or the dirt will settle unevenly and you will be going back to level it up a few times. Plan on investing in some 3/4" treated plywood to rest your hoe on to prevent tearing up the ground as you dig. The best way to get the grass to regrow is to remove the sod by hand, cutting it into square pieces (about 2' x 2' ) so you can lay it back on top after you fill. If you mound it right the sod will settle in even with the rest of the ground. Plan on recieving calls on Sunday morning as you are getting ready to leave to go fishing, picnicing, Sunday drive, etc. informing you they need a grave dug so they can bury someone Monday morning. Plan on staying and filling after dark in the winter because they scheduled the services late, took a wrong turn getting to the cemetary and showed up late. Plan on being a pallbearer at the cemetary because the family is small and they don't have enough people. The list goes on and on.

Hope all this helps
Ed King