Burial remains an important choice for many families in Brevard County, especially where faith traditions, family plots or military service are involved. This page explains the pieces of a burial and the decisions and costs that come with each.
What a traditional funeral with burial usually includes
- Preparation. Embalming is usual when there will be a public viewing, though Florida law allows refrigeration instead in many cases. Embalming rules.
- Visitation or viewing at the funeral home or church.
- The funeral service in a chapel, church or other venue.
- Procession and committal at the cemetery, often with a brief graveside service.
A graveside service can also stand on its own: a shorter gathering held only at the cemetery. An immediate burial (sometimes called direct burial) takes place soon after death with no viewing, and a memorial service may be held later.
Burial costs come from two places
Families are often surprised that the funeral home and the cemetery charge separately.
| Usually from the funeral home | Usually from the cemetery |
|---|---|
| Basic services fee, transfer, embalming, viewing and ceremony, hearse, casket, printed materials | Burial plot (interment right), opening and closing of the grave, required outer burial container or vault, grave marker installation, perpetual care |
Many funeral homes also sell vaults, and a family can buy a casket or marker from a third party. Under the FTC Funeral Rule, a funeral home cannot refuse to use a casket you bought elsewhere or charge a fee for doing so. Buying your own casket · Funeral costs
Caskets and vaults
- Caskets range from simple wood or cloth-covered models to metal and hardwood. The funeral home must show you its casket price list before showing you caskets.
- Outer burial containers (grave liners or vaults) keep the ground from settling. No state law requires them, but many cemeteries do. Ask the cemetery what it requires before you buy.
- Burial without a casket is possible in some cemeteries, particularly green cemeteries, where a shroud may be used. Can you be buried without a casket?
Choosing a cemetery in Brevard County
Brevard County has municipal, church, family-owned and private cemeteries, plus a VA national cemetery. Questions worth asking any cemetery:
- What does an interment right (plot) cost, and what sections are available?
- What are the opening and closing fees, including for weekends and holidays?
- Is an outer burial container required? Can it be bought elsewhere?
- What are the rules on markers, headstones, flowers and decorations?
- Is there an endowment or perpetual care fee?
Our featured funeral home partner owns Buggs Street Community Cemetery at 2685 Bruce D. Buggs Street in Melbourne. Veterans and eligible family members may be buried at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery in Mims with the gravesite, opening and closing, perpetual care and a government headstone or marker provided at no cost to the family. Veterans burial benefits · Local cemetery resources
Green or natural burial
Green burial skips embalming and uses a biodegradable casket or shroud, often with no vault. It requires a cemetery that permits it; some conventional cemeteries have green sections and a few Florida cemeteries are dedicated to it. More about green burial.
Burial guides
- Types of funeral services
- Burial without a casket
- Buying your own casket
- Embalming in Florida
- Green burial
- Burial vs cremation
- Florida funeral laws
Sources
- Federal Trade Commission, The FTC Funeral Rule and Shopping for funeral services
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Cape Canaveral National Cemetery
- Buggs Funeral Home, Cemetery services
This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws and fees change; confirm details with the agency or a licensed professional. Editorial standards