Question 1

Can ground‑penetrating radar still detect graves that are over 100 years old?

Accepted Answer

Yes. High-frequency ground-penetrating radar can still pick up century-old graves in most soils because disturbed soil layers, vault remnants, or voids remain detectable. While resolution fades as coffins decay, Sentry Mapping’s specialized GPR and GIS workflow regularly finds 19th-century burials and older, as long as site conditions (soil, depth, moisture) are reasonable.

Ground-penetrating radar cemetery mapping by Sentry Mapping routinely detects graves that are 100, 150 or even 200 years old. The radar does not “see” bones; instead it registers contrasts caused by disturbed back-fill, collapsed voids, stone or metal vault fragments, and any remaining coffin hardware. Those contrasts persist long after organic material has vanished, so a knowledgeable technician can still interpret the hyperbolas in the scan.

Several factors affect clarity:

Soil type – dry, sandy or loamy soils transmit radar waves best, while heavy clay or saturated ground can attenuate the signal.
Burial construction – concrete vaults, metal coffins or brick crypts create stronger reflections than simple wooden boxes, but even vault-less graves leave a trench signature.
Depth and surface change – graves buried within the typical 3–6 ft range remain within effective reach of Sentry’s 400–900 MHz antennas; heavy grading or tree roots may mask shallower features.

In a recent project our team mapped a 150-plus-year-old rural cemetery with no surviving records. GPR located dozens of 1800s burials that had lost their markers, allowing staff to mark them permanently and avoid reselling occupied plots. The results were delivered as a printed master map and an interactive GIS web map with searchable plots on Chronicle cemetery management software—all at no annual subscription cost.

If you need to confirm historic burials, request a free cemetery mapping estimate here.

Question 2

How can a churchyard with limited resources modernize its cemetery record-keeping?

Accepted Answer

Even on a tight budget, a churchyard can convert paper documents to digital records by outsourcing one turnkey survey. Sentry Mapping uses ground-penetrating radar, precision GPS and free web-map delivery to capture every marked or unmarked burial, then loads the data into Chronicle cemetery management software so volunteers can update records online.

Start with a professional cemetery mapping survey that respects tight budgets. Sentry Mapping offers a free estimate and can usually complete a small churchyard in less than a week. High-frequency ground penetrating radar cemetery equipment sweeps the entire site without digging, locating every headstone, footstone and hidden burial. Precision GPS fixes each plot, and our team reconciles old notebooks, ledgers and memory with the new data to prevent duplicate sales or accidental disturbances.

Within weeks you receive a printed master map plus an interactive cemetery GIS mapping portal that anyone can open on a phone, tablet, or computer. Volunteers simply type a name to see a grave’s exact coordinates, photos and available space nearby. Because the map lives in the cloud, the church avoids servers, licenses or IT headaches. Two complimentary years of Chronicle cemetery management software let you keep adding deeds, obituaries and maintenance notes.

The result is sustainable digitizing of cemetery records at a fraction of the cost of hiring surveyors or buying standalone cemetery mapping software. Accurate burial plot mapping today safeguards heritage, streamlines grave locating for families tomorrow and gives congregational leaders confidence that every future interment is in the right place.

Question 3

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 4

Is Ground Penetrating Radar Safe to Use?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is considered safe for operators, cemetery staff, and visitors. The equipment uses very low-power radio waves—about one-thousandth the strength of a cell phone—so it does not disturb human remains, monuments, or nearby electronics. Surveys are noninvasive, silent, and require no digging.

Ground Penetrating Radar transmits non-ionizing radio pulses (typically 250–900 MHz) through the soil and measures the echoes. The power output is less than two watts—roughly the same as a household Wi-Fi router—so it poses no radiation or electrical hazard to people, animals, pacemakers, or headstones. Because the signal loses strength within a few feet of the antenna, nothing outside the immediate scan line is affected.

During a Sentry Mapping cemetery survey, certified technicians push a lightweight GPR cart across the turf. There is no drilling, excavation, or contact with caskets, meaning remains stay undisturbed and the landscape shows no evidence of the work once the wheels roll past. All equipment meets FCC Part 15 emission limits, and our team follows OSHA and cemetery-industry best practices for PPE, site control, and respectful conduct.

The result is a completely non-destructive way to detect unmarked graves, confirm plot boundaries, and digitize records. Managers get precise GPS-tied data for every burial, plus an interactive cemetery GIS map and two years of free Chronicle cemetery management software—without risking visitor safety, staff health, or the integrity of historic sites. In short, GPR delivers the safest, most reliable path to modern, professional cemetery mapping.

Question 5

What is the average cost per acre for a cemetery mapping project using ground‑penetrating radar?

Accepted Answer

Sentry Mapping provides a free, no-obligation estimate for each project. Every property is unique and the exact cost varies with soil type, terrain, tree cover, and record condition. Quotes include full GPR coverage, high-precision GPS positioning, drone imagery, and the conversion of raw scans into a color-coded digital cemetery map with printed and interactive deliverables.

On a typical project, Sentry Mapping prices cemetery mapping on a per-acre basis, adjusting the rate only when unusual features demand extra field time. Smaller, wooded, or hilly sites sit near the upper end because thick roots, uneven ground, and heavy clay slow data collection. Flat, open acreage with sandy soil processes faster and often lands closer to the lower figure. Per-acre pricing also drops when you survey several adjoining acres at once, because crew travel and equipment set-up are spread over more ground.

The quoted rate covers far more than a quick sweep. Sentry Mapping’s team grids every square foot with high-frequency GPR and sub-inch GPS to detect marked and unmarked graves. Drone imaging captures a current orthomosaic. Our GIS specialists then turn raw scans into a color-coded digital cemetery map that pinpoints each burial plot, labels ownership, and links photos or documents. You receive a printed master map, an interactive web map with no annual subscription fees, and two years of complimentary access to Chronicle cemetery-management software so staff can update records in real time.

Because every property is unique, Sentry offers a free, no-obligation estimate. Most managers find the service pays for itself by preventing lost plots, avoiding costly digging errors, and opening up sellable space revealed during the survey. Click here to contact us today to discuss your site and receive a customized quote.

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