Question 1

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 2

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 3

Is there software that works with cemetery maps to provide visitor search functionality?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Sentry Mapping pairs its professional cemetery mapping and GPR services with our optional cemetery management software, delivering an interactive, online map that lets staff and visitors instantly search graves by name, lot, or date on any device.

After Sentry Mapping completes a ground penetrating radar cemetery survey, every burial plot is pinned with precise coordinates. That data can be fed straight into a cloud-based cemetery management software platform built for both staff and the public. This optional software turns the digital cemetery map into a searchable interface. You click or tap any lot and see the occupant, dates, photos, and documents.

You can also type a name in the search bar and the software will zoom to the exact grave in seconds, even if the headstone is missing. Behind the scenes, Sentry’s burial plot mapping and unmarked grave detection workflow digitizes cemetery records in one pass, turning scattered ledgers into searchable cemetery GIS mapping layers and a grave locating feature for staff. If you’re wondering how to find unmarked graves, the GPR-based survey detects them and pins them on the map.

For visitors, the map works on any smartphone. They scan a QR code at the gate, enter a name, and follow turn-by-turn directions to the plot. For staff, the software keeps the back-office tools simple. Explore lot status, attach deeds, and print grave location slips in one place.

In short, the combination of Sentry Mapping’s professional cemetery mapping and our cemetery management software delivers a visitor-friendly search tool plus robust record keeping, no extra data entry needed. You can request a cemetery mapping free estimate to see how the service scales to your site.

Question 4

What are best practices for preserving heritage in historic cemeteries with missing records?

Accepted Answer

Sentry Mapping's cemetery mapping with ground-penetrating radar and easy software is the safest way to safeguard heritage when paper burial records are lost. First locate every marked and unmarked grave, digitize old ledgers and photos, create a searchable plot map, then share it online for staff and families.

Digital cemetery mapping protects fragile history even when ledgers are missing. Start with a non-invasive ground-penetrating radar cemetery survey to reveal every burial, marked or unmarked, without disturbing soil. Sentry Mapping crews couple high-frequency GPR with precision GPS for dependable unmarked grave detection and burial-plot mapping accurate to the inch. Drone imagery and headstone photographs are synced to each coordinate so caretakers see exactly what sits above and below ground in the cemetery GIS mapping portal.

Next, scan any surviving deeds, notebooks, or obituaries and import them into a cemetery management software program. The system links every document to the right plot, and its grave-locating search returns results in seconds, ending guesswork. Add oral histories while elders are still available, and flag cultural or veteran markers so maintenance crews can protect them.

Finally, publish a public-facing web map through Sentry Mapping that can be periodically edited to stay current, reducing staff calls and accidental plot reuse so descendants can find relatives online. If you need full record-keeping capabilities, we also offer a complete cemetery management software program.

Schedule an annual walk-through to capture new interments and condition photos; the GIS map updates in minutes, keeping heritage data alive. By combining GPR detection, digitization, and open GIS sharing you create a living record that respects the past and guides every future decision.

Question 5

What file formats can you deliver (GIS layers, CAD exports, KML, PDFs, spreadsheets), and which are best for long-term archiving?

Accepted Answer

Sentry Mapping can deliver cemetery mapping data as GIS-ready shapefiles with attribute tables (easy to import into ArcGIS or QGIS) plus a printed master map and an interactive web map link. With our optional cemetery management software program, you can also export reports to PDF, XLS, or CSV for backups.

Sentry Mapping delivers digital cemetery mapping in the formats most cemetery managers and GIS teams need. For cemetery GIS mapping projects our core delivery is GIS layers as ESRI shapefiles with matching attribute tables so your staff can load graves, plot boundaries, sections, and paths directly into ArcGIS or QGIS.

You also receive a printed physical master map and a clickable, searchable web map (see Web Maps for Cemeteries) so staff and visitors can find a burial fast without special software.

With our optional cemetery management software program, you can generate office-friendly documents too — export reports as CSV or XLSX spreadsheets and as PDFs, and output certificates as DOCX or PDF.

For long-term archiving we recommend keeping at least three copies: the shapefiles plus attribute tables for future GIS use, a flat CSV export of key records for maximum portability, and a PDF copy of the master map or reports for human-readable reference.

Web Maps for Cemeteries

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Benefits of Using Web Maps for Cemeteries

Cemetery Mapping Process

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