Mausoleum and Crypt Plaques

A crypt in a community mausoleum or a private family tomb is closed with a granite or marble shutter, and the shutter carries the name. In most American mausoleums that name is in cast bronze: a plaque with raised lettering, or a set of raised letters, fixed to the stone to the cemetery’s specification so that every crypt in the corridor matches. Our mausoleum and crypt plaques are cast in solid bronze to the size, lettering style and emblem rules the cemetery gives you. You design the plaque online, see the price as you work, and approve a free written proof before casting, so the plaque that arrives at the mausoleum office is exactly what it asked for.

Crypt fronts, niche fronts and family mausoleums

Three settings use a mausoleum plaque, and the rules differ for each.

• Community mausoleum crypts: rows of casket crypts behind granite or marble shutters, indoors or in a garden mausoleum open to the air. The cemetery sets the plaque size, the lettering style and often the border so the wall reads as one, and usually fits the plaque itself. A single crypt carries one name; a companion or tandem crypt carries two.
• Cremation niches within a mausoleum: smaller glass or stone fronted compartments for urns, with a smaller plaque to match. Our columbarium niche plaques page covers these in detail.
• Private family mausoleums: a freestanding tomb owned by one family, where the family chooses its own plaques: a name plate on each interior crypt, a lintel or door plaque with the family name, and sometimes a dedication plaque or portrait inside. Here the only limits are the cemetery’s general rules on bronze and the size of the stone.

What the mausoleum will specify

Ask the cemetery office for its written specification before you design, because the plaque must match its neighbors and the cemetery may refuse one that does not. From the rules and brochures we have read, expect the specification to cover:

• Size. Crypt plaques are wider than they are tall to suit the shutter. One large California memorial park’s bronze tablet brochure, dated March 2024, lists wall crypt tablets at 8 by 17 and 11 by 17 inches; other mausoleums use narrower plates for a name and dates only, and companion crypts take a wider plaque or two matching plates. Our designer accepts any size up to 22 1/16 inches wide and 15 3/4 inches tall, so a 17 by 8 or 17 by 11 inch tablet is typed in directly.
• Wording and emblems. Most mausoleums allow the full name, the years or full dates of birth and death, and a religious emblem; some allow a short line of wording or a photograph, others do not. Catholic cemeteries often publish a catalog of approved emblems for crypt fronts.
• Style. The border, background texture, letter style and finish usually have to match the plaques already on the wall. Send us a photo of a neighboring crypt with your order and the proof will show yours in the same style.
• Who supplies and fits it. Some cemeteries sell and fit the plaque themselves; many allow the family to buy from any maker whose plaque meets the specification and then fit it for a fee. Ask which applies.

Sizes and prices

Prices from our live designer for a standard rectangle with a classic border and leatherette background, shipping included. Type the exact size from the cemetery’s specification and the price for that size appears; a 17 by 8 inch or 17 by 11 inch tablet is priced on screen in the same way. The mausoleum may add its own fee for fitting. See bronze plaque prices for the full table and bronze plaque sizes for how much text each size holds.

Fastening to a marble or granite shutter

Crypt shutters are polished stone, often thin, and the cemetery decides how a plaque may be attached. The usual method is lugs with studs: threaded studs on the back of the plaque set into drilled holes with epoxy, so the face shows only the lettering. Where drilling is not permitted, a flat back plaque is bonded with a structural adhesive. Choose the fastening the specification names, and if the cemetery fits the plaque itself, ship it to the office with your crypt number. Cast bronze letters applied one by one are an alternative some mausoleums use; if the specification calls for individual letters rather than a plaque, ask the office whether a plaque in the matching style is accepted, as it often is for companion crypts and emblems.

Designing the plaque

A crypt plaque is read at eye level from a few feet away, so a name and two dates in generous lettering is the classic layout, with the surname largest. Companion crypts take two names side by side or one above the other, and a plaque bought while one spouse is living can carry the second name and birth year with the death date added later as a separate cast date plate. Emblems, a cross, a Star of David, a laurel wreath, a military insignia or a flower, are cast in relief and matched to the cemetery’s approved list. A photograph can be added as a ceramic insert or an image fused into the bronze where the rules allow; see bronze plaques with photo. Our memorial plaque wording guide has short lines that suit the space.

Veterans in a mausoleum

An eligible veteran interred in a mausoleum crypt or niche can receive a bronze niche marker from the Department of Veterans Affairs at no cost, 8 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches with a 7/16 inch rise, which may be mounted on the crypt or niche front where the cemetery allows it. A spouse in the same crypt is not eligible for a government marker in a private cemetery, so the companion plaque is bought privately, and we match it to the VA marker’s size and style. See veteran bronze grave markers for the program.

How to order

1. Open the free design tool, pick the shape and set the size in inches. The price updates as you go.
2. Add the wording, choose a border and background, and add an emblem, motif or photo if you want one.
3. Pick the fastening: flat back, concealed lugs with studs, or screws visible from the front.
4. Save the design and order it from My Account. We send a written proof, and nothing is cast until you approve it.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a mausoleum plaque cost?

In our designer an 8 by 4 inch name plate is $455.70, a 12 by 8 inch crypt plaque is $796.86 and a 16 by 12 inch companion plaque is $1,264.58, shipping included. Type the cemetery’s exact size and the price appears. The mausoleum may charge a fitting fee.

What size is a crypt plaque?

Whatever the mausoleum specifies, so that every crypt in the row matches. Sizes seen in current US brochures include 8 by 17 and 11 by 17 inches for wall crypts, with narrower plates for a name and dates only. Our designer accepts any size up to 22 1/16 by 15 3/4 inches.

Can I buy the crypt plaque myself?

Often, yes, as long as it meets the cemetery’s size and style specification. Some cemeteries sell and fit the plaque themselves, so ask the office which applies before you design.

Can a second name be added later?

Yes. A companion plaque can be cast with the second name and birth year, and the death date added later as a separate cast date plate, or a matching plate can be cast when it is needed. Keep the saved design in My Account so the style matches.

How long does a mausoleum plaque take?

Allow about 3 to 4 weeks for casting after you approve the free proof, plus 5 to 10 days for delivery anywhere in the USA and worldwide.