How Much Does It Cost To Build A Mausoleum?
The cost of a mausoleum is influenced by its materials, size, amount of architectural detail, and location. Mausoleums are an investment and may not be an affordable option for many budgets. In general, you should anticipate paying: A basic above-ground apartment with one or two crypts costs between $25,000 and $60,000.
- An typical walk-in mausoleum for eight persons costs $300,000 to $600,000 to build.
- For larger, more ornate constructions and ornamentation, $1 million or more is required.
- Don’t forget that the property where the mausoleum will be built must also be purchased or owned by you.
- A third-party vendor, such a memorial provider, can supply you with important information on the cemeteries available in your area.
They can accompany you to assist you pick a beautiful location (aim for mature trees and water vistas) that will improve the appearance of the mausoleum once it is built. Their knowledge can aid you in dealing with: Costs or expenses that are concealed throughout the plot selection process.
Which is preferable: being interred in the earth or a mausoleum?
Among families that can afford the related fees, m ausoleum burial is a widely desired type of interment. Mausoleum burial is a respectable substitute for traditional burial and has numerous advantages for bereaved family members. Many people opt for mausoleum burial in order to respect a unique life, as a caring way to commemorate the departed, and to provide a lovely location for family and friends to visit and remember them.
But once the microorganisms are done digesting those organs, that bile starts to flood the body, turning it a yellow-green. From about day two to four, the bacteria are everywhere. And they’re releasing harmful gases, including ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, which will expand and cause your body to not just bloat, but stink.
- After three or four months, your yellow-green complexion has turned brownish-black because your blood vessels have degraded to the point where the iron inside them pours out, turning brownish-black as it oxidizes.
- Also about this time, the chemical structures that hold your cells together break apart, so your tissues collapse into a watery mess.
And in a little over a year, your cotton garments degrade, as acidic bodily fluids and chemicals break them down. Only the nylon seams and waistband survive. At this time, nothing major happens for a while. But by a decade in, given enough moisture, the damp, low-oxygen environment kicks off a chemical process that transforms the fat in your thighs and butt to a soap-like material called grave wax.
On the other hand, drier circumstances contribute to mummification. That’s correct, you can mummify naturally. No wrappings, chemicals, or scary devices necessary. Because throughout this entire decomposition process, water is draining through the thin skin of your ears, nose, and eyelids, causing them to dry up and turn black, aka mummify.
By 50 years in, your tissues will have dissolved and gone, leaving only mummified skin and tendons. Eventually they too will dissolve, and after 80 years in that coffin, your bones will shatter as the soft collagen inside them deteriorates, leaving nothing but the brittle mineral frame behind.
Is it cheaper to be buried in the earth or in a mausoleum?
Types of Mausoleums – There are three basic types of mausoleums, big public or communal mausoleums, smaller independent mausoleums, and private, generally family-owned, mausoleums. Costs are determined by the type of mausoleum as well as whether a family or individual chose a crypt or a niche.
- Large public or communal mausoleums hold many niches and crypts and frequently feature areas for family to sit and chat.
- Smaller stand-alone mausoleums, public or private, may be created in cemeteries and hold many crypts or niches inside a magnificent edifice, commonly made of granite or marble.
- Private mausoleums are frequently owned and occupied by a single family and are available solely to family members.
Public and Community Mausoleums In the United States, the typical cost of entombment at a single crypt, or burial space, in a public indoor mausoleum is between $7,000 and $8,000. This amount is close to the typical cost of a burial site and grave marker.
A normal 9-inch cremation niche costs between $750 to $2,800. Stand-Alone Mausoleums A crypt in a garden mausoleum may be less costly than one in a huge indoor mausoleum. The typical cost of entombment in a single crypt, or burial space, in a public outdoor or garden mausoleum is between $4,000 and $5,000, equivalent to the average cost of a burial plot and grave marker.
Private Mausoleums A private, family-owned mausoleum tends to be a more premium building. The distinctively created tributes are typically regarded works of art and may cost more upwards of $25,000 for development and use.
WHAT IS GREEN BURIAL? Green (or natural) burial promotes simplicity and environmental sustainability. The body is not burned nor processed with chemicals such as embalming fluids. It is simply placed in a biodegradable coffin or shroud and interred without a concrete burial vault.
The buried site is left to restore to nature. The objective is total decomposition of the body and its natural return to the earth. Only then can a funeral genuinely be “ashes to ashes, dust to dust,” a term so often used when we bury our deceased. WHY CHOOSE GREEN BURIAL? Green funerals are not new. Most graves until the mid-19th century were handled this way, as are many Jewish and Muslim burials today.
Green funerals are seeing a comeback in popularity, for a number of reasons: Simplicity. The thought of covering the body in a shroud or placing it in a basic, unadorned casket appeals to individuals who like their funeral arrangement to be simple, natural and modest.
Lower cost. Because green funerals do not entail embalming, beautiful caskets, or concrete vaults, they may be a very cost-effective alternative to conventional graves, cutting the cost by thousands of dollars. If the family contributes their own shroud or coffin, the cost might be significantly lowered.
Conserving natural resources. Each year US cemeteries bury nearly 30 million board feet of hardwood and 90,000 tons of steel in caskets, 17,000 tons of steel and copper in vaults, and 1.6 million tons of reinforced concrete in vaults. With green burial, less resources are needed.
- Eliminating dangerous substances.
- For them, forgoing the embalming process is the major draw, as embalming fluid includes formaldehyde, a respiratory irritant and proven carcinogen.
- In the US over 5.3 million gallons of embalming fluid are used every year, and funeral home staff are exposed to it constantly.
Preserving natural regions. Love of nature and a desire for “permanent rest” in a forever-wild meadow or woodland are frequently-cited reasons for choosing green burial. The burial sites restore or conserve a natural environment filled by native trees, shrubs and wildflowers; the locations give food and sanctuary to birds and other species.
- The most conservation-intensive green cemetery do not utilize fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides.
- A green cemetery may be a key component in the acquisition and protection of native ecosystems.
- HOW DO I CHOOSE A CEMETERY? The first green cemetery opened in the US in 1998; about 90 operate here now.
Some green cemeteries feature a specially-designated portion within a regular cemetery. Others are huge expanses of land, generally contiguous with an existing park, critical habitat area or forever-wild conservation area. Click here for a link to a list of known green burial places in the U.S and Canada.
- Most green cemeteries exclude embalmed corpses and burial vaults; some reject cremated remains as well.
- Shrouds or caskets constructed of natural, biodegradable, non-toxic materials are typically specified.
- Graves are often marked solely by a natural rock, native plant or plaque flush with the earth, with burial positions recorded by GPS.
To conserve the pure natural landscape and safeguard native plants and wildlife, most green cemeteries restrict or limit personal plantings and various memorial decorations like flowers, wreaths, flags, bells, balloons, and toys. Be sure to check about the cemetery’s particular regulations when buying a site.
WHAT IF THERE’S NO GREEN CEMETERY NEARBY? You may make any burial greener by removing embalming, and employing a shroud or a biodegradable coffin. Omit the vault if the cemetery will let it. Otherwise, ask to use a concrete grave box with an open bottom, have holes bored in the bottom of the vault, or invert the vault without its lid, so the corpse can return to the soil.
If you or your family members own rural land, home burial may be a possibility. Most states allow burial on private land, but each town has its own zoning laws, so be careful to verify and secure the needed permits. Keep in mind that unless you have created a family cemetery on your property, the land may be sold for other reasons, and the remains disturbed or rendered inaccessible.
HOW DO I CHOOSE A FUNERAL DIRECTOR? As green burial rises in popularity, more and more funeral directors are prepared to offer it as an option. Some already feature this choice on their General Price Lists. However, the Federal Trade Commission, which governs many parts of the funeral business, has not yet created norms or criteria for funeral houses or cemeteries offering green burials.
The Green Burial Council identifies accredited funeral providers who are obliged, among other things, to: Use only non-toxic, biodegradable chemicals or simple cooling ways to maintain the body Offer viewing or home vigils without embalming Carry at least three GBC certified containers However, insufficient resources make it impossible, at present, for the GBC to monitor its licensed providers for continuous compliance.
- The National Funeral Directors Association gives its members a Green Funeral Practices Certificate, which certifies that the funeral home has implemented environmentally responsible practices and delivers environmentally friendly products and services to clients.
- These include delivering sustainable, biodegradable caskets and temporary preservation, without harmful embalming, for open casket viewing.
But be aware that the certified provider is a member of the organization giving the certification and has not necessarily been vetted or recognized by any independent agency. HOW MUCH DOES GREEN BURIAL COST? Prices vary significantly by area and the type of green burial place.
Burial sites in a green cemetery tend to be bigger than those in a regular cemetery, hence may cost more. The cost for a cemetery plot and internment will range from $1,000 to $4,000 for a body, or from $200 to $1,000 for cremated ashes. Considering the simplicity of a green burial, funeral home charges might be shockingly high—higher even for direct (or immediate) burial, which is also burial without embalming or viewing.
Some funeral businesses charge $5,000 or more for a green burial utilizing a plain wood coffin. A price of roughly $2,000 is more usual, albeit still hefty. To determine a reasonable price, compare the funeral home’s prices for green burial and direct burial—they should be proportionate.
- Shop around among many funeral homes to discover the most economical pricing.
- You can save substantial money by supplying your own coffin, rather than purchasing highly-promoted “earth-friendly caskets” that may cost thousands of dollars.
- The funeral director is compelled by law to accept whatever acceptable container you give, without incurring additional expenses.
Homemade or store-bought caskets of basic wood, cardboard or wicker would be appropriate at most green cemeteries. Instead of utilizing a coffin, you might wrap your loved one in a beloved blanket or quilt, especially one made of natural materials like cotton or wool.
- If you have time, you may sew a shroud yourself, or locate a seamstress to construct one for you at a fair fee.
- In summary, don’t fall for marketing strategies that appeal to your conscience while making a simpler send-off more pricey, so you spend more to receive less.
- Choosing green burial offers you the flexibility to forgo needless services and items.
And this form of burial will be ecologically benign and simpler on your wallet, whether it’s promoted as “green” or not. Don’t forget, our very recent predecessors named these techniques simply “burial.” * * * For additional information Green Burial Council: www.greenburialcouncil.org Grave Matters: A Journey Through the Modern Funeral Industry to a Natural Way of Burial, Mark Harris.