Question 1

What Is Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and How Does It Work?

Accepted Answer

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is a non-invasive scanning tool that fires high-frequency radio waves into the soil and listens for echoes. By timing and plotting those reflections, GPR creates a subsurface image that pinpoints underground objects, layers, or voids—such as marked or unmarked graves—without any digging or damage.

Ground penetrating radar sends a quick radio pulse, from 1 to 1000MHz, into the ground. When the pulse meets something different—air, wood, metal, or compacted soil—it bounces back. A small cart with a transmitter and receiver records these echoes every few inches as it rolls across the cemetery. Software turns the echo times into a side-view picture called a radargram. Graves show up as smooth, arch-shaped curves (hyperbolas). Because the speed of the pulse depends on the soil, technicians can work out the depth, often 8–10 ft or more.

Sentry Mapping pairs high-frequency GPR (250–900 MHz) with survey-grade GPS so each echo has an exact x-y location. After the field scan, we filter noise, stack overlapping lines, and build a 3-D model of the subsurface. The finished results feed straight into our digital cemetery mapping service and Chronicle cemetery management software. You receive a printed master map plus an online map that staff and visitors can search from any device—no digging, no disturbance, and no yearly fees. This professional cemetery mapping method finds every marked or unmarked grave, protects heritage, and stops costly plot-sale mistakes.

Question 2

Can GPR Be Used to Locate Unmarked Grave Sites?

Accepted Answer

Yes. High-frequency ground penetrating radar (GPR) can pinpoint unmarked graves without digging by detecting disturbed soil, coffins, or voids below the surface. Sentry Mapping’s cemetery GPR surveys deliver precise GPS coordinates, letting you update burial plot maps and avoid accidentally disturbing unknown interments.

Ground penetrating radar cemetery surveys are today’s gold standard for unmarked grave detection. Sentry Mapping rolls a high-frequency GPR cart in a tight grid over the turf. The radar sends short radio pulses into the ground; a laptop instantly logs reflections caused by disturbed soil layers, coffins, vault lids, or air gaps. Each anomaly is tagged with centimeter-level GPS so you know the exact burial plot location.

Because GPR is totally non-invasive, your grounds remain undisturbed and respectful. In most sandy or loamy soils it can resolve grave features down to about 10 ft deep. Heavy clay or saturated ground can reduce clarity, but our specialists adjust antenna frequency and survey pattern to maximize results.

When the fieldwork is done, we merge every radar hit into our digital cemetery mapping workflow: an easy-to-read master map, an online cemetery GIS map visitors can search, and two free years of Chronicle cemetery management software. Staff can click any plot to see who is buried there—or flag an unmarked grave that needs a new record—eliminating the risk of selling an occupied lot.

Whether you manage a 100-acre municipal cemetery or a small churchyard, professional cemetery mapping with GPR protects heritage, guides maintenance crews, and gives families confidence their loved ones rest undisturbed.

Question 3

How can I convert my cemetery’s paper records into searchable digital records?

Accepted Answer

Sentry Mapping turns paper ledgers into a living, searchable database. We scan and key your records, confirm every burial with ground-penetrating radar, map each plot by GPS, then load everything into an online Geographic Information System (GIS) and cemetery-management software. Staff and visitors can now search names or lot numbers in seconds.

Converting box-loads of yellowing documents into a modern cemetery GIS is easier than you think. First, our team collects copies of your plot cards, ledgers, and old hand-drawn maps and scans them into high-resolution images. We transcribe key fields, such as name, dates, lot number, and owner, so nothing is lost.

Next, certified technicians walk every row with high-frequency ground-penetrating radar to detect marked and unmarked graves, while GPS and drone imagery fix each burial plot to sub-inch accuracy. These layers feed into a digital cemetery mapping database.

After quality checks, you receive: 1) a printed master map for the office, 2) a password-protected web map the public can search by name, and 3) two free years of Chronicle cemetery management software. Chronicle lets you update burials, attach deeds or photos, and print lot certificates without extra subscriptions. Because the system is cloud-based, your records are safe from fire, water, and employee turnover. The result is accurate burial plot mapping, easy grave locating, and peace of mind that you will never resell an occupied space.

Ask Sentry Mapping for a free estimate tailored to your grounds.

Question 4

How long does it take to map a municipal cemetery from survey to web‑map launch?

Accepted Answer

Sentry Mapping’s cemetery mapping service instantly turns ground-penetrating radar and high-precision GPS survey data into a clean, scalable cemetery map. Every grave—including unmarked burials—appears in its exact location, and plot boundaries are redrawn automatically, giving you an accurate master map plus an interactive online version within a few days to a few weeks depending on the size of your cemetery.

Professional cemetery mapping with Sentry Mapping replaces time-consuming hand redrawing with automated digital drafting. After technicians scan your grounds with high-frequency ground penetrating radar, they capture accurate GPS points for each marked and unmarked grave. Those coordinates flow directly into GIS software, where AutoCAD-style routines auto-draft fresh lot lines, walking paths, and section labels. The result is a to-scale cemetery plot map that matches reality—no guesswork, no erasure marks.

Need to update a burial record later? Edits made in Chronicle cemetery management software immediately appear on both maps, eliminating duplicate data entry. Municipal GIS officers can also import the shapefiles and attribute tables directly into ArcGIS or QGIS, keeping citywide records in sync. Because the entire drafting workflow is automated from the original survey data, you avoid costly drafting fees and gain a future-proof, digital foundation for perpetual care, plot auditing, and heritage preservation.

Question 5

What is the difference between a “burial-plot map”, a “web-map”, and a “GIS survey”?

Accepted Answer

A burial-plot map is the precise, static master layout of every grave and available space, produced from a one-time GPR/GPS survey. A web-map is the online, clickable version of that map that staff and families can access online to search from any device. A GIS survey is the underlying field data-collection process that feeds both products.

Think of the three deliverables as steps in one streamlined cemetery-mapping workflow.

1) During the GIS survey, Sentry Mapping technicians walk every row with survey-grade GPS and ground-penetrating radar equipment. The instruments record x-y coordinates, depth readings, and attributes—marked and unmarked grave locations, utilities, pathways, trees—creating a rich spatial database. This is the foundation of professional cemetery GIS mapping and integrates seamlessly with municipal or county GIS systems.

2) We produce the burial-plot map from the GIS survey data. This is the authoritative, to-scale master plan you can print, frame, or keep on the grounds. Every lot line, section number, and interment is plotted in its exact position, so you instantly see which plots are occupied, reserved, or available for sale.

3) We then publish the same data as an interactive web-map so your staff, grounds crew, and even visitors can zoom, search a name, or tap a grave for details on a phone or tablet. The web-map lives in the cloud, receives free updates when new burials are added, and links directly to Chronicle’s cemetery management software for digital record-keeping.

Together, the GIS survey, burial-plot map, and web-map turn outdated paper charts into a living, searchable, digital cemetery mapping system that eliminates double-sold plots, speeds grave locating, and preserves your cemetery’s heritage for generations.

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