Insights

Can a Cemetery Prohibit Third-Party Work on a Grave?

Many families ask the same question: can they choose any company they want to clean or restore a loved one's headstone?

Cemeteries are private property and each one has its own rules — but family members consistently retain the right to maintain a grave or to authorise others to do so on their behalf.

What cemeteries can require

Most require advance notice, proof of liability insurance, and adherence to a published list of approved materials and methods. Tending carries a $2M policy and works to standards published by the National Center for Preservation Technology.

What they can't do

Block you from authorising professional, insured care of your relative's marker, or require that you use only the cemetery's own (often more expensive) service.

Your Care Manager handles the paperwork and only schedules a visit once written permission is on file.


Ready when you are.

We visit, we clean, we restore — and we send a photo report after every visit.

Reviewed by real families on
Call usOrder Care