 | Community Mausoleum: $3,000-$30,000 |
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 | Private Mausoleum: $25,000-$50,000 |
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 | Walk-in Mausoleum: $200,000-$1 Million+ |
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| A mausoleum is a structure designed to hold bodies after a funeral, allowing for above-ground burial (called entombment). The dry, sealed chamber that holds a casket is known as a crypt, and crypts usually are single or double (holding one casket or two), although some crypts hold up to four caskets. | | |
| Typical costs: | - Community mausoleums in cemeteries or churches can have hundreds of crypts, which are purchased individually. A single or double crypt in a large community mausoleum starts between $3,000 and $10,000, but can increase to $15,000 -$30,000 for a double crypt in an upscale mausoleum.
- Garden/outdoor crypts (no covered "lobby" or visiting area) generally are less expensive than indoor crypts with amenities such as benches, skylights or waterfalls in the public area. A wall of crypts within a mausoleum can be quite tall, and lower-level crypts (at eye level or below) are often more expensive than the less-desirable higher levels. Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis offers garden crypts for $3,550 -$5,160 for single crypts and $6,100 -$9,100 for double crypts; and indoor crypts are $5,000 -$9,500 for singles, $9,500 -$18,000 for doubles and $20,000 -$25,000 for quads (four entombments).
- Private family mausoleums are smaller, more costly, and may have one to eight crypts, or more. A private mausoleum can be a small horizontal structure just large enough to hold one crypt, or a larger, walk-in building with tall columns and other ornamentation. Basic small one- or two-crypt private mausoleums start between $25,000 and $50,000 and increase depending on location, style, and quality of stone and other materials. Walk-in mausoleums typically start between $200,000 and $500,000 and can cost $1 million or more. Jefferson Memorial Cemetery and Funeral Home in Pennsylvania offers private mausoleums ranging from $37,000 for a simple two-crypt model to $2.5 million for a 12-crypt walk-in mausoleum made of rainbow granite. These include foundation, installation and cemetery site. FamilyMausoleums.net sells one- to six-crypt custom-built granite mausoleums that are shipped and reassembled onsite for $11,000 -$160,000, depending on size and style, and including installation but not including the cost of the cemetery site or the required foundation.
What should be included: | - Mausoleum crypts are designed to provide a clean and dry above-ground burial. Once the casketed body is entombed, the crypt is sealed with a stone front (usually granite or marble, often with a metal plaque on the front). Community mausoleums are typically built with stacks five to seven crypts high, while private mausoleums might not be as tall. Many mausoleums, both community and private, include an area (called a columbarium) for cremation niches, often stacked floor to ceiling, with stone or metal fronts. FuneralPlanning101.com provides an overview of mausoleums.
Additional costs: | - In addition to the purchase price of the mausoleum or crypt, the cemetery will charge entombment fees for opening the crypt, placing the body inside and resealing the crypt. (These fees also cover the cost of required permanent legal record keeping and all related services.) Entombment fees (which may include engraving costs) can be $500 -$2,000, depending on the cemetery, and can be higher for off-hours entombments on evenings, weekends or holidays. St. Michael Cemetery in Boston charges $650 for entombment, while Jefferson Memorial in Pittsburgh charges $525 -$1,278 for outdoor mausoleum entombment and $750 -$1,560 indoors.
- With an advance purchase (called "pre-need"), eventually engraving just the death date on the front plaque of the crypt can be another $50 -$200 or more, depending on location and what's included. David's Cemetery in Ohio estimates average engraving fees at $100 -$170.
- Typically, a body is embalmed before being entombed in a mausoleum. Embalming with cosmetic work can cost $300 -$1,100, depending on what is included. See How Much Does Embalming Cost. A casket is also required, which can be $1,000 -$7,000 or more. See How Much Does a Casket Cost. A complete traditional funeral package with embalming, casket, services, procession, etc., can cost $6,000 -$15,000 or more, in addition to the cost of the mausoleum and entombment fees. See How Much Does a Funeral Cost.
Shopping for a mausoleum: | - Decide whether a community or private mausoleum would be best, and what style. To see examples, Woodland Cemetery in Ohio provides a photo tour of its community mausoleum; WestMemorial.com posts a gallery of larger private mausoleum styles, and ArtisanMemorials.com provides photos of smaller one- and two-crypt private mausoleums.
- Not all cemeteries allow mausoleums; check to see what options are available in the area for either private or community mausoleums. Searching Google for "cemetery" plus the name of the county or nearest town will provide a list of local cemeteries.
- If using an oversized or non-standard casket, be sure to check the dimensions of the casket against the space inside the crypt. When choosing a mausoleum, ask about the entombment fees and if there are additional charges for perpetual care, plaque engraving (sometimes called "memorialization") or other services.
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Article updated November 2010 |
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