When making plans as to a final resting place when our time on earth is done, there are several options to consider. You may consider securing a plot for a traditional casket burial.
Another consideration is cremation. According to the Cremation Association of North America, the popularity of cremation has jumped from 33.8% in 2006 to 57.5% in 2021 in the USA alone.
Choosing cremation leads to even more questions. Will you scatter your ashes? Should you leave a loved one in charge of your remains (cremains in this case) kept in an urn? How do you choose that one special person as the one in charge of keeping your cremains?
As an alternative to a traditional casket burial, choosing someone to take possession of cremains or even scattering ashes, a lasting and truly dignified solution is burial in a columbarium niche.
What is a Columbarium?
A columbarium niche, sometimes called a cremation niche, is a large stand-alone structure, built-in vault or wall of individual compartments, or niches, designed to entomb cremated remains.
Typically found in designated areas within churches, chapels, cemeteries, memorial gardens or funeral homes, a columbarium niche may be found indoors or outside and varies in size.
Reasons to Choose a Columbarium Niche
You want a proper service for either yourself or a loved one but shudder at the cost of a funeral. Inurnment (placement of remains into an urn) in a columbarium niche is more financially practical.
While it is more practical and a less expensive option than a standard funeral, it still gives you or a loved one both a distinguished farewell and final resting place. Even with maintenance and administrative costs you’ll pay for a spot in a columbarium niche, you can expect to save hundreds of dollars.
Statistics released from the National Funeral Directors Association in 2021 indicate that the average cost of a funeral comes in at just over $7,800.
The columbarium niche burial option gives you more planning flexibility:
- Final inurnment can be scheduled well into the future with no rush for immediate burial.
- The type of niche can be as public (glass-front) or as private (sealed granite front) as you’d like.
- Ability to completely personalize and customize the glass-front niche as a permanent tribute to your loved one. By displaying special photos and mementos, visitors are reminded of their life and legacy.
- Pricing is more flexible based on simplicity and size/location of niche and urn.
Choosing a columbarium niche also takes away any pressure, awkwardness, disagreements and hurt feelings that sometimes falls upon the designated person in charge of a loved one’s remains.
While eliminating the potential for hard feelings between family members, burial in a columbarium niche simply gives family and friends a special place to visit, reflect and heal.
What Does a Columbarium Look Like: Types of Niches
Because there are a lot of options, it’s important to have the end result in mind when choosing a columbarium niche.
Do you need a single niche, or will there be more than one person inurned? What type of urn will be used? What sort of environment would suit you or your loved one as a final resting place?
Columbarium niches come in a variety of options:
- Private or public.
- Size variations of niches and columbarium structure itself.
- Indoor (climate controlled) or Outdoor (garden or memorial setting).
- Solid-front enclosed niches, usually made of bronze or granite, marked with personalized, engraved memorial plaques.
- Glass-front niches featuring the urn and personal items, photos or poems on display.
As you walk through this planning journey, take advantage of any advice from the contact person helping you plan the cremation and burial. Their recommendations and guidance can save you time, questions, money and frustration during the planning process.
Don’t be afraid to make phone calls, ask questions and compare different locations not only from a financial standpoint, but also making sure that it ticks all the boxes desired in a final resting place.
How to Choose an Urn for a Columbarium Niche
While there are many urn options, the most important thing to remember is the size of the urn and to make sure it fits properly into the niche. Those helping you plan final arrangements can guide your decision because they can provide you with niche size and recommendations.
The typical size of a single columbarium niche is approximately 9”x 9”x 9”, but larger sizes are available to accommodate couples or families.
Urn materials range from ceramic to metal to wood or marble.
As with most anything you purchase, the more ornate and fancy the urn, the more it will cost. You can select something very simple that will prove to be as elegant as a more expensive urn.
Urns can be personalized with the name and even a photo of the deceased. This option is a good choice for use with a glass-front niche where the urn is on permanent display.
Depending on where you live and the size of your niche, urns can range from a few hundred dollars to $2,500 or more.
Can a Columbarium Niche Hold Multiple Remains?
Because there are different sizes of niches, it is certainly possible to place more than one urn in a niche. Know that the larger the niche, the more expensive it is.
By checking with the owner/operators of the columbarium niche location, they will provide you with sizes as a guideline before the purchase of an urn for inurnment.
A question that comes up a lot is whether you can be inurned together with your pet’s remains. In the United States, the laws vary by state and municipality. Check with your contact at the crematorium, funeral home or cemetery where the niche is located for specific details regarding local ordinances and approval requirements if allowed.
Typical Costs of a Columbarium
The cost of a standard, single columbarium niche in the U.S. averages between $700-$3000.
While prices of a niche vary by location, here are just some of the other factors that affect price:
Size of niche
A larger or family-size niche will increase the costs over a single, standard unit.
Location of niche
While both are nice options, an indoor columbarium niche tends to be a bit pricier than an outdoor location. This is due to temperature-control costs and maintenance.
Also note that the higher up the niche is located on the columbarium, the more you may pay. The lower-most niches are the least expensive, while those at eye-level or higher fetch higher prices.
Pre-planning and purchase of niche
Pre-payment plans will save you anywhere from 10% to 20% over purchasing at the time of need.
Maintenance/faculty costs
Regularly scheduled faculty and maintenance costs are figured into the total package cost. Columbarium niches stand out as stately due to the high levels of well-maintained grounds or indoor conditions.
Record keeping
Documents, assignment of ID number and general administrative fees are other costs factored into the cost of a columbarium niche.
Placement of remains/urn; Engraving plaque
Services such as inurnment, placement, engraving or any other special services may increase the total cost of a niche.
Simple vs. Ornate
Some locations offer more modest locations and niches, while at the same time fancier and more expensive options are available for a higher price.
Supply and Demand
As the popularity of cremation rises, it also affects the number of available columbarium niches. As demand for niches may be on the rise, it may be more difficult to find availability, or the prices may increase along with demand.
Conclusion: Why Columbarium Niches Are Everlasting Memorials
One of most important aspects of end-of-life planning is choosing the final resting place.
From the inurnment ceremony to final placement of the urn, columbarium niches offer present and future generations a place to gather for prayer and remembrance of loved ones that have passed away but are not forgotten.
Customizing the niche gives visitors an up-close and personal look into the life and personality of their loved one.
When saying our final farewells, the funeral, celebration of life and certainly burial details are so very important to express our forever love and respect for a life well lived.
Here are some solutions a columbarium niche provides when choosing a final resting place for ourselves or a loved one:
- Cremains are safe in a well-maintained, manicured setting whether inside or outside.
- Niches are safer for the environment versus ground burial.
- In an already over-populated world, it saves space over a mausoleum, crypt or traditional casket burial.
- Allows timing flexibility of final placement when waiting upon the arrival of out-of-town relatives and guests.
- Delivers a solemn, sacred and dignified resting place without the expense of a traditional funeral.
- Allows the family to put their loved ones to rest along with special photos, meaningful mementos, or artwork.
- A designated and beautiful place for friends and family to visit and pay their respects.
- A forever memorial honoring both life and legacy.
Especially for those looking for a small, private and intimate gathering, laying a loved one to rest in a columbarium niche is the perfect solution.
