InfoSub - Entombment Considerations

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Ocean Grove Memorial Home
118 Main Avenue, Ocean Grove, New Jersey 07756

Thomas J. Saragusa, Manager
N. J. License No. 4036

VOICE 732-775-0434 - - OGMHognj@aol.com

Entombment Considerations

An alternative to earth burial and burial at sea:

Entombment is the placement of the body of a decedent in an above-ground location as final disposition...in a tomb or, more commonly a "crypt" in a mausoleum. A mausoleum may be a small private family owned building, normally on the grounds of a cemetery and usually constructed of brick or more commonly granite that would hold between two and eight crypts.

A more common form of entombment is in a large "public" or "semi-private" mausoleum where one would purchase a single or perhaps two spaces for the entombment of one's body in a casket (along with one's spouse in the next crypt). Some paired crypts are side by side and others are head to toe. Some are wide access and others are end access...in a wide access crypt, the casket is placed in the crypt sideways and end access crypts are narrower and deeper.

The construction style of these large mausolea is generally of poured concrete with a decorative marble face plate on which the decedent's names and dates can be engraved.

Today, the large mausolea are often constructed with six or seven or eight levels and often with a total capacity for hundreds of entombments. Often, part of the construction plan in large mausolea is the inclusion of places for the entombment of cremated remains. The small space for an urn, often 12" X 12" X 12" is called a niche and if the entire structure is intended for niches, it is known as a columbarium as opposed to being called a mausoleum.

Modern mausolea are constructed so that any gasses or odors are vented through the roof of the structure and often access is externally, i.e., from the outside of the building as opposed to being accessed from inside.

Some mausolea require entombments to be in a specific type of casket, e.g., bronze or copper. Others don't require a casket of a specific material but usually do require that either the casket be a "sealed casket" or if not sealed, that it be placed in a zinc-coated (rustproof) mausoleum tray to containe any liquid leakage.

Every criterium is a merchandising consideration...the high-level crypts normally cost less than lower level crypts...those with external access are normally less expensive than are those located on the inside of the mausoleum, and, of course, a niche is usually much less expensive than is a crypt.

A typical single crypt in a public mausoleum might cost between $3,200.00 to $6,000.00 depending on the location of the cemetery and the location and orientation of the crypt in the mausoleum. A typical at-need cost might be between $300.00 and $450.00 to open, entomb and seal the crypt.

A typical niche for cremated remains might cost $950.00 to $1,500.00 with an at-need charge being $200.00 to $700.00 to open and then seal the niche.

The at-need service charge will be set by the cemetery at the time of need and sometimes includes the engraving of the decedent's name and dates.

Typically any additional merchandise, such as a mausoleum tray ($200.00 - $300.00) when required must be purchased through a funeral home.

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