What green burial is
Green burial — often called natural burial — is burial the way it was done for most of human history. The body is not embalmed. It rests in a container that returns to the earth: a simple pine, wicker, or bamboo casket, a cardboard container, or a cloth shroud. No concrete vault or grave liner surrounds it. And the ground itself is kept naturally — native grasses and trees instead of manicured turf, a flat engraved stone or a living marker instead of a monument.
Families choose it for different reasons that often overlap: a smaller environmental footprint, a wish for simplicity, a connection to land and place, or a faith tradition. If the idea feels familiar, it should — Muslim and Jewish burial customs have practiced what is essentially natural burial for centuries: prompt burial, no embalming, a plain shroud or simple casket. Our Muslim funeral services page describes that tradition in its own right.
What Texas law actually requires — and what it does not
Most of what stands between a family and a green burial is habit and cemetery policy, not law. Here is the actual legal picture:
| Common assumption | What Texas law actually says |
|---|---|
| "Embalming is required." | No. Texas rules require that a body be embalmed or refrigerated within 24 hours (22 Tex. Admin. Code § 203.45) — refrigeration fully satisfies the rule. The FTC Funeral Rule (16 C.F.R. Part 453) requires funeral homes to tell you embalming is not required by law, and forbids misrepresenting legal requirements. See your Funeral Rule rights. |
| "A concrete vault is required." | No Texas law requires a vault or grave liner. Outer containers are a policy of individual cemeteries, which use them to keep the ground from settling. Cemeteries that welcome natural burial simply set that policy aside. |
| "There must be a metal casket." | No statute dictates what a burial container is made of. Shrouds and biodegradable caskets are used routinely; what is accepted at a particular cemetery is, again, cemetery policy. |
| "The family has no say." | Under the FTC Funeral Rule you are entitled to itemized prices and to decline goods and services you do not want. Texas Health & Safety Code § 711.002 says exactly who holds the right to make the decision — an appointed agent first, then spouse, adult children, parents, adult siblings. |
When a cemetery says "a vault is required," that is a private rule of that cemetery — a legitimate one, meant to keep grounds level and mowable — not a Texas law. The practical question for a green burial is therefore not "is it legal?" (it is) but "which cemetery permits it?" That is a question we help families answer.
How green burial works with a funeral service
A green burial changes what goes into the ground, not whether you can gather. The sequence looks like any other burial:
- Transfer into care. One call, any hour, and our transfer team responds within 60–90 minutes across DFW. Your loved one is placed in refrigeration, which satisfies Texas's 24-hour care rule without embalming.
- Time to plan. Refrigeration means the calendar bends to the family. A graveside service, a chapel service beforehand, or a faith service at your own congregation all work with green burial.
- Viewing. A private family viewing is often possible without embalming. A public, open-casket visitation is one of the few services for which a funeral home may require embalming — if a viewing matters to your family, tell us early and we will walk through the options honestly.
- The burial itself. The casket or shrouded body is lowered directly into the earth. Many natural-burial grounds invite the family to take part — lowering, closing the grave, placing native plants — to a degree conventional cemeteries rarely allow. It can be one of the most healing parts of the day.
- The marker. Natural-burial grounds typically use flat engraved fieldstones, native plantings, or GPS-recorded locations rather than upright monuments. Ask the cemetery what it permits before ordering anything.
Where green burial happens in Texas
Two kinds of cemeteries serve green-burial families in Texas. Dedicated natural-burial grounds are cemeteries (or sections of conservation land) designed for it from the start — no vaults anywhere, biodegradable containers only, natural landscaping. Hybrid cemeteries are conventional cemeteries that have opened a section where vault-free burial is permitted alongside their traditional grounds.
The Green Burial Council is the certifying body for natural-burial grounds, hybrid cemeteries, and funeral providers in North America, and its directory is the best starting point for what operates near you. Certification is voluntary, though — some Texas cemeteries quietly permit vault-free burial in some or all sections without holding a certificate. When a family asks us for a green burial, part of our work is calling cemeteries and confirming, in writing, what each one actually permits.
Green burial or cremation?
Families weighing a simpler, lower-cost path usually compare green burial against cremation. Both remove embalming, metal caskets, and vaults from the picture; they differ in what remains afterward and in timing:
| Green burial | Cremation | |
|---|---|---|
| What happens | Burial in a biodegradable container, no vault, in naturally kept ground | Cremation, with ashes returned to the family for keeping, scattering, or interment |
| Statutory waiting period | None — burial can happen as soon as the family and cemetery are ready | 48 hours minimum after death (Tex. Health & Safety Code § 716.054), plus death-certificate and permit processing |
| A permanent place to visit | Yes — a marked natural gravesite | Optional — ashes may be interred, kept at home, or scattered |
| Service options | Graveside, chapel, or faith-community service before burial | Memorial service any time after — see our memorial cremation service |
| Published pricing | Arranged case-by-case (see below) | Listed on our pricing page |
Neither is the "right" answer. The question that usually settles it: does your family want a permanent natural place to return to, or the flexibility that cremation gives? We will talk through both without steering you.
What a green burial costs
Our General Price List does not carry a standalone green-burial package, so we price it case-by-case around what your family actually chooses: our professional services, the transfer and refrigeration, the casket or shroud (which you may also provide yourself), the service you want, and the cemetery's own charges — plot, opening and closing, and any marker — which are paid to the cemetery and vary widely between grounds. The itemized list is usually shorter than a conventional burial's, because embalming, a metal casket, and a vault all come off of it.
Under the FTC Funeral Rule you are entitled to itemized prices over the phone and in writing before you agree to anything. Call (214) 550-7369 — any hour — and we will price a green burial line by line for your situation, including which cemeteries near you permit it.
Frequently asked questions
Is embalming required for a green burial in Texas?
No. Texas rules require that a body be embalmed or refrigerated within 24 hours (22 Tex. Admin. Code § 203.45), and refrigeration fully satisfies the rule. A funeral home may require embalming for certain optional services, such as a public viewing, but must tell you it is not required by law.
Does Texas law require a burial vault or grave liner?
No. No Texas statute requires a vault or grave liner. Outer burial containers are a policy of individual cemeteries, which use them to keep the ground from settling. Natural-burial grounds and hybrid cemetery sections that permit vault-free burial simply set that policy aside.
Can we still have a viewing or funeral service with a green burial?
Yes. Refrigeration lets the family hold a service on an unhurried timeline, and a graveside or chapel service works the same way it would for any burial. A private family viewing is often possible without embalming; a public open-casket viewing is one of the few services a funeral home may require embalming for.
Who certifies green burial cemeteries?
The Green Burial Council (greenburialcouncil.org) is the certifying body for natural-burial grounds, hybrid cemeteries, and funeral providers in North America. Certification is voluntary, so some Texas cemeteries permit vault-free burial without holding a certification — the cemetery office can tell you its policy directly.
How much does a green burial cost?
Our General Price List does not carry a standalone green burial package, so pricing is arranged case-by-case around the services your family actually chooses. The itemized list is usually shorter than a conventional burial, because embalming, a metal casket, and a vault all come off of it. Call (214) 550-7369 and we will walk through it line by line.
Who has the legal right to choose green burial for a loved one?
Texas Health and Safety Code § 711.002 sets the order: an agent named in a signed appointment for disposition of remains, then the surviving spouse, then adult children, then parents, then adult siblings. If green burial matters to you for yourself, naming an agent and putting the wish in writing is the strongest protection.
If green burial matters to you, put it in writing
Texas lets you name an agent for disposition of remains under § 711.002 — a signed document that puts your chosen person first in line to carry out your wishes, ahead of the default family order. If a natural burial is what you want for yourself, that document plus a written statement of your wishes is the strongest way to make it happen. Our guide to pre-planning versus at-need arrangements explains the difference between recording wishes and paying in advance — they are separate decisions, and recording your wishes costs nothing.
And if you are reading this because a death has just happened: nothing about green burial requires deciding tonight. Refrigeration holds every option open. Start with the first 24 hours, and call us when you are ready.