Question 1

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 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

What training or qualifications should a cemetery-mapping service have for GPR work?

Accepted Answer

A qualified cemetery-mapping service employs manufacturer-certified GPR technicians, FAA-licensed drone pilots, and GIS/GPS specialists who follow OSHA safety rules and carry full insurance. Sentry Mapping meets these standards, offering cemetery-only expertise, high-frequency ground-penetrating radar, sub-inch GPS, and turnkey maps for every marked or unmarked grave nationwide.

Ground-penetrating-radar cemetery surveys are only as reliable as the people behind the cart. Look for a provider whose staff have completed manufacturer training—e.g., GSSI or Sensors & Software operator courses—so they can tune high-frequency (400–900 MHz) antennas, filter noise and interpret hyperbolas correctly for accurate unmarked grave detection. Survey-grade RTK GPS skills are equally critical; sub-inch positioning drops every reflection into the right burial-plot polygon, feeding precise digital cemetery mapping and burial plot mapping.

A top-tier team pairs GPR certification with formal GIS competency and can deliver ESRI-compatible shapefiles or load results straight into cemetery management software. Because projects also blend drone photos with radar data, at least one crew member should hold an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot certificate and understand photogrammetry. On-site work also calls for OSHA 10-hour (or higher) safety training.

Sentry Mapping meets every requirement. Our cemetery-only focus means each technician is factory-trained on world-class GPR, versed in heritage-preservation etiquette, and backed by precision GPS with drone imagery. The result is a printable master map plus a no-fee, interactive cemetery GIS web map that shows every marked or unmarked grave—giving you confidence to sell plots, plan future interments, and protect your cemetery’s legacy.

Question 4

What types of cemeteries (size, geographic region) are suitable for GPR mapping?

Accepted Answer

Any burial ground in the 48 contiguous United States, from a half-acre historic churchyard to a 500-acre municipal park cemetery, can be mapped with Sentry Mapping's ground penetrating radar. Our team tailors antenna frequency and GPS grid density to regional soils, climate, and terrain, delivering precise results without disturbing a single grave.

Ground penetrating radar works at any scale for cemetery mapping. Sentry Mapping’s professional field teams routinely survey tiny country churchyards measuring less than one acre, mid-sized 20- to 50-acre community cemeteries, and sprawling municipal sites of 300 acres or more. Because crews establish a sub-inch-accurate GPS grid before scanning, adding or subtracting acreage is simply a matter of extending the grid. No special preparation or staging area is required.

Geography is equally flexible. Our GPR crews travel to all 48 contiguous states and can produce clear subsurface images in Gulf-Coast sand, Appalachian clay, Rocky-Mountain till, and the high-moisture soils of the Pacific Northwest. Dry, sandy or loamy soils transmit radar best, but even heavier, wetter soils reveal the disturbed trench signature of a 3- to 6-foot-deep grave once the right antenna frequency and processing filters are applied. We bring a variety of equipment so technicians can match soil conductivity and burial depth.

Whether you manage a half-acre historic graveyard behind a rural church or a 500-acre metropolitan park cemetery, Sentry Mapping provides the same turn-key deliverables: high-density GPR coverage of every square foot, drone and GPS control points, a color-coded master map, an interactive digital cemetery GIS map with free public web access, and our optional cemetery management software. That means you get one reliable system for unmarked grave detection, preventing double sales, and planning future interments, regardless of size or location.

Question 5

Who retains legal ownership of the digital map data and raw GIS files once a municipal cemetery mapping project is complete?

Accepted Answer

In a municipal cemetery mapping project with Sentry Mapping, the municipality keeps legal ownership of the cemetery's digital map data and raw GIS files. Sentry delivers the maps and may host a web map, but the data remains yours.

With Sentry Mapping cemetery mapping for a municipal cemetery, you retain legal ownership of the digital cemetery mapping dataset and the raw GIS files that describe your plots and burials. The project deliverables from burial plot mapping and grave locating become part of your records and your GIS.

At final delivery, you should receive the completed cemetery GIS mapping layers (grave points, plot polygons, sections, roads, and searchable fields) plus a printed master map and a web map link your staff and the public can use. Your records and map layers stay under your exclusive ownership even while they are hosted online. This makes it easier to integrate the data into your city GIS and avoid vendor lock-in.

Sentry Mapping retains only its proprietary equipment and workflows used to collect and process ground penetrating radar cemetery scans and GPS observations.

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