Cemetery Plot Map Template: How to Build One
A spreadsheet template is a fine first step toward organizing your plots. Here are the exact columns to use, how to number sections and plots, and when it's time to move to an interactive map.
A cemetery plot map template needs one row per plot with these columns: Section, Row/Lot, Plot/Grave number, Status (available/reserved/occupied), Deceased name, Date of death, Plot owner, and Notes. Use a consistent ID like "A-12-3" (Section-Row-Plot) and the date format YYYY-MM-DD. Build it in Excel or Google Sheets to start, then import it into cemetery software to connect each plot to an interactive map — which a static spreadsheet template can never do.
The template columns
How to number sections and plots
Consistency matters more than the scheme you pick. A reliable convention is Section → Row → Plot, written as a single ID (e.g. A-12-3). Use letters for sections and numbers for rows and plots so the parts are easy to read and sort.
Number plots in the direction you physically walk the row, so the spreadsheet order matches the ground. Decide once whether plot 1 is at the north or path-side end of every row, and apply it everywhere — mixed directions are the most common source of mis-located graves.
Where a spreadsheet template stops working
A template organizes your data, but it's not a map. It can't show a plot's real position on the grounds, can't give families a name-search, and can't prevent two staff from selling the same plot. Most cemeteries hit these limits within a few hundred records.
The good news: a well-structured template imports cleanly into cemetery software. With CemeteryBase you upload the spreadsheet, draw your sections and plots on a visual map, and each row links to its location automatically. See how to digitize a cemetery map and how to map a cemetery without a GPS survey.
Turn your template into a live map
Import your spreadsheet and draw your plots in an afternoon. All features included, no setup fees.