Question 1

Will the scanning equipment or radar carts leave any ruts, tread marks, or permanent damage on the delicate cemetery turf?

Accepted Answer

Sentry Mapping’s ground penetrating radar cemetery surveys use a light, walk-behind GPR cart that rolls over the grass. Because the work is non-invasive and requires no digging, it typically leaves no ruts, tread marks, or permanent damage. On very soft, wet turf, faint temporary tracks can occur

With Sentry Mapping, cemetery mapping is designed to protect delicate grounds. Our process is non-invasive: technicians roll a high-frequency GPR cart across each walkway and row to capture subsurface reflections for unmarked grave detection and burial plot mapping, without digging, trenching, or cutting turf.

In normal conditions, you should not see ruts, tread marks, or lasting turf damage. The cart simply rolls across the surface while the radar reads what is below, so the soil and grass are left undisturbed. If your cemetery turf is saturated, freshly graded, or otherwise fragile, we can adjust the field plan with you (for example, work a different section first or return after the ground firms up) to keep the surface looking clean.

This low-impact approach is part of our Cemetery Survey & Drafting and Grave Locating services, and it feeds directly into digital cemetery mapping and cemetery GIS mapping deliverables. You receive a printed master map and a searchable web map. If you want ongoing record control, you can also manage the map in our optional cemetery management software.

Question 2

What are the best practices for protecting fragile monuments, flat markers, and landscaping while crews grid and scan each section for mapping?

Accepted Answer

For fragile monuments and flat markers, protect the grounds by using Sentry Mapping's non-invasive ground penetrating radar cemetery scanning. Our crews push a radar cart across turf like a stroller, with no digging and no contact with stones.

Best practices for protecting fragile monuments, flat markers, and landscaping during cemetery mapping start with a pre-walk and clear boundaries. Sentry Mapping’s Cemetery Mapping with GPR is non-invasive: a radar cart is pushed across the turf like a stroller and sends low-energy, non-ionizing radio pulses (like Wi-Fi), so nothing touches headstones and no digging is required.

Note any unstable stones, sunken ground, sprinkler heads, and new sod. Set simple no-go zones and safe travel lanes for our team.

After fieldwork, your Burial Plot Mapping and Cemetery Survey & Drafting outputs can be published as web maps for cemeteries and managed in our optional cemetery management software program, reducing repeat foot traffic and future wear.

Question 3

How can I locate unmarked graves in an old cemetery without disturbing the ground?

Accepted Answer

Use high-frequency ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to scan the cemetery surface, then overlay the subsurface reflections on a precise GPS/GIS map. This non-invasive method detects unmarked grave shafts, outlines each burial plot, and creates a digital record—so you find every grave without digging or disturbing the soil.

Ground-penetrating radar cemetery surveys are the gold standard for unmarked grave detection because they read what lies below the turf instead of moving it. During a Sentry Mapping cemetery survey, technicians roll a high-frequency GPR cart across each walkway and row.

The antenna sends radio waves about 12 ft deep; when the signal hits a disturbed soil column (the signature of a grave shaft) it bounces back, creating a hyperbola visible on screen. We record every reflection with survey-grade GPS, then feed that data into our cemetery GIS mapping workflow. Within days you receive a digital cemetery mapping file that pinpoints each burial plot—marked or not—overlaid on recent drone imagery. Because the process is contact-less and lightweight, there is zero damage to headstones, landscaping, or fragile historic soil layers.

Beyond the map, you get a printed master plan, a searchable web map, and two free years of Chronicle cemetery management software. Staff can click any plot to view burial details, upload documents, or confirm availability before selling a space. This combination of GPR grave locating and intuitive software eliminates guesswork, prevents accidental disturbance, and preserves heritage while maximizing usable ground, all without a single shovel hitting dirt.

Question 4

Does deep snow cover or deeply frozen ground completely prevent a wintertime geophysical survey from being successfully conducted?

Accepted Answer

Deep snow or frozen ground usually does not stop a wintertime ground penetrating radar cemetery survey for unmarked grave detection, but it can limit speed and data quality. Dry, firm surfaces often scan well. Sentry Mapping will assess conditions and schedule accordingly.

Ground penetrating radar cemetery surveys can often be done in winter. Deep snow cover or deeply frozen ground does not automatically stop a cemetery survey, but it can affect access, speed, and data quality.

For cemetery mapping, burial plot mapping, and grave locating, our technicians scan with high-frequency GPR and mark detected graves, then tie results to precise GPS for cemetery GIS mapping and digital cemetery mapping. If the snow is light and dry, surveys may still run smoothly. The toughest winter conditions are deep, wet snow, slush, and uneven ice because they lift the radar cart, reduce surface contact, and add noise. In those cases, a plowed path, a smaller phased approach, or a schedule change may be the best option.

Frozen ground can be workable, but freeze-thaw layers and changing moisture can shift signal behavior and make depth estimates less consistent. Because GPR has limitations based on ground conditions and weather, we review your site and timing up front and recommend the most reliable path forward.

When conditions are suitable, you still receive the full deliverables: a printed master map, an online searchable web map, and optional loading into our cemetery management software for ongoing recordkeeping.

Question 5

Can you map overgrown or abandoned cemeteries where many markers are hidden by vegetation?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Sentry Mapping can map overgrown or abandoned cemeteries even when headstones are buried in vegetation as long as the ground is clear enough for our GPR scanner to navigate the surface like a push mower would. We use ground penetrating radar cemetery surveys plus precision GPS to locate marked and unmarked graves without digging, then deliver a printed master map and an interactive web map your staff and visitors can search.

Sentry Mapping’s cemetery mapping is a strong fit for overgrown or abandoned cemeteries because we do not rely on visible headstones. Using ground penetrating radar cemetery scanning, we survey the grounds in a grid and pinpoint soil disturbance and voids that indicate burials, supporting unmarked grave detection even when markers are hidden, broken, or gone. The GPR scanner needs to roll across the ground much like a push mower, so if vegetation is too dense to navigate safely, you typically only need light trimming or mowing in the scan lanes — not excavation.

We then combine subsurface results with survey-grade GPS and drone mapping for a high-resolution aerial view of paths, sections, and remaining monuments. This produces practical, shareable deliverables: updated burial plot mapping, cemetery GIS mapping layers, and a clickable, searchable web map, plus a printed master map for the office.

For ongoing recordkeeping, you can manage everything in a cemetery management software program. We serve cemeteries across the 48 contiguous U.S. states.

Question 6

Can you accommodate infant/child sections and cremains areas where features may be smaller or shallower?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Sentry Mapping can survey infant or child sections and cremains areas by using high-frequency GPR with tighter scan spacing, then tying results to precise GPS coordinates. We map these smaller, shallower features in your cemetery GIS as clear plot types. Detectability still depends on soil and how the interments were installed.

Sentry Mapping’s cemetery mapping approach can be applied for infant and child sections and for cremains areas where features can be smaller or shallower than standard casket burials. During a ground penetrating radar cemetery survey, we use high-frequency antennas and can tighten scan line spacing to capture more detail. In many cemeteries, graves in the typical 3–6 ft range are well within reach, and scans can read to about 12 ft when conditions allow.

For these sections, we pair GPR grave locating with above-ground “as-built” mapping and any records you have, so the final burial plot mapping matches your real layout.

After processing, you receive a printed master map plus digital cemetery mapping layers delivered through a searchable web map. With our cemetery management software program, you can tag plot types (infant, child, cremains), add custom data fields, attach documents, and track availability status. This makes it easier to protect sensitive areas, avoid accidental re-use, and answer families with confidence.

Question 7

Can mapping work be performed in an active cemetery or do we need to close?

Accepted Answer

In most cases, Sentry Mapping can perform cemetery mapping in an active cemetery while funerals and visitations occur. Our ground penetrating radar cemetery surveys are non-invasive, quiet, and require no digging. We coordinate with your staff, work section-by-section, and pause or move away from services to keep a respectful buffer.

Sentry Mapping cemetery mapping with a ground penetrating radar cemetery survey is typically compatible with an active cemetery schedule. Our certified technicians push a lightweight GPR cart across the turf and collect high-precision GPS points. The work is non-invasive, quiet, and requires no digging, so the grounds show no disturbance when we move on.

To protect families and keep traffic flowing, we plan the cemetery survey around your calendar. You tell us where services, visitations, and processions will occur and which sections must stay open. We then work section-by-section in other areas, keep a respectful buffer, and can pause or relocate quickly when needed.

After field work, you receive digital cemetery mapping deliverables including a printed master map and a searchable cemetery GIS mapping Web Mapping deliverable with no annual fee. If you want a full record system, we can also load your data into our optional cemetery management software. For timing and cost, request a Free GPR Estimate and we will build a plan around your service schedule.

Question 8

Are GPR cemetery surveys safe for areas with fragile historic headstones?

Accepted Answer

Yes. GPR cemetery surveys are completely non-invasive: the radar cart rolls across the turf without touching monuments, and the radio waves are lower power than a cell-phone call. Sentry Mapping’s process leaves the soil, turf, and even the most fragile 1800s marble or sandstone headstones untouched.

Ground penetrating radar cemetery mapping is one of the gentlest ways to investigate historic burial grounds.

Sentry Mapping’s high-frequency GPR antennas transmit a brief, low-energy radio pulse through the soil and listen for reflections—it is the same non-ionizing energy used by Wi-Fi, so it poses no risk to people or stone. Because the equipment is pushed like a stroller across the grass, there is no vibration, excavation, or chemical applied; nothing ever touches the fragile markers.

The result is a full subsurface map that shows every marked and unmarked grave while leaving the site exactly as we found it. GPR does not emit any harmful radiation. The area can remain undisturbed during the course of the scan and causes no soil disturbance or any other damage to the site.

We have successfully mapped many cemeteries dating back 150+ years without any damage to headstones and markers.

Field Conditions & Site Suitability